Warrior Evgeny Rodionov – Uncanonised Saint in Modern Russia: Cult Origin and Veneration Practices

Abstract

The article examines the origins and the evolution of Evgeny Rodionov veneration. Evgeny Rodionov is an uncanonized saint who is revered by the believers despite the official approval of the Russian Orthodox Church. He is venerated as a martyr because of his tragic death in a captivity during the Chechen War. As a soldier he was executed by beheading for his "refusal to remove the cross". The main methodological tool used in the article is a constructivist model of martyrdom, which assesses martydom as a narrative about a tragic death of a person, and the concept of "reputational entrepreneurship", which allows us to specify actors (people, groups of people, organizations) through which the martyr feat can receive a new interpretation and reveal new meanings. The paper highlights the main stages of the development of the veneration of Evgeny Rodionov which include the initial dissemination of information about the death of a soldier through traditional media since 1998; the failed canonization process in 2004; the formation of secular practices of veneration; the fusion of the secular and religious veneration practices; revitalisation of Evgeny Rodionov image due to Russia’s participation in Special military operation and appeals to a second attempt to canonize the warrior. The article concludes that there is a direct correlation between the nature of veneration and the activities of "reputational entrepreneurs" of Evgeny's feat. Future veneration will also depend on both the socio-political situation in the country and the activity of existing and emerging "reputational entrepreneurs".

Funding
The work was carried out without external sources of funding.