On June 8, 2026, a lecture "Neo-Paganism as a threat to state security" was held at the headquarters of the All-Russian Cossack Society. The event was led by ataman of the VSKO Vitaly Kuznetsov.
Military priests, atamans of military Cossack societies, Cossacks, heads of diocesan departments for cooperation with the Cossacks and Cossack clergy from all over Russia joined the online broadcast.
Opening the event, Priest Timofey Chaikin reminded the participants about the work of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Prevention of Neo-Paganism, established with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and based on a decision of the Supreme Church Council. "Knowing the nature of threats is a necessary condition for protection against them. When we understand the nature of destructive movements, how they are organized, how they recruit people, and what ideological system to oppose them, this is not an abstract theory, but really our practical weapon," the priest emphasized.
Ataman of the VSKO Vitaly Kuznetsov assessed the threat of neo-paganism in the Cossack environment. "The Cossacks have historically been closely linked to Orthodoxy. We are one. Cossacks have always been soldiers of Christ, defenders of the Orthodox Church. And today, our Cossack brothers on the front line are marching forward to victory with a banner, with a cross - the symbol of our faith. Neo—paganism contradicts this thousand-year-old tradition, undermining the spiritual foundations of the Cossacks as defenders of the Orthodox faith," emphasized Vitaly Kuznetsov.
The chieftain called for including the topic of countering neo-paganism in the agenda of youth events.: "Young people perceive a lot visually. We have to show what this leads to. The Cossacks are putting crosses of worship in our newly returned territories under fire — these are our traditional values, for which our grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought for thousands of years."
The lecture "Neo-Paganism as a threat to state security" was delivered by an expert in the field of sectarian studies and countering extremism, head of the missionary department of the Saratov Diocese, head of the Center for Apologetic Mission in the Volga Federal District, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Priest Luke (Kuzmin). The lecturer pointed out that in the current conditions, the tools of interstate confrontation have expanded significantly: along with "hot conflicts", a mental war is actively being waged, the purpose of which is to destroy self—awareness and change the civilizational basis of society. "The task of globalists is to eliminate traditional Christianity as an obstacle to the establishment of a new world order. As a result of winning the mental war, the Russian people may lose their civilizational, spiritual and moral code and disappear from world history. Therefore, countering the enemy in a mental war at the level of society and the state is no less important than the technical strengthening of the armed forces," said Hierarch Luke (Kuzmin).
The lecture was given with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, Chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies.