Abstract The Russian Orthodox Church plays an immense role in current Russian national security policy. The intertwining of the church and the strategic community is nowhere more visible than in the nuclear-weapons complex, where the priesthood has penetrated all levels of command, been involved in operational activities, and positioned itself as a provider of meanings for, and guardian of, the state’s nuclear potential. The first work to highlight the phenomenon of the Russian church-nuclear nexus, this article focuses on the ecclesiastical impact on Russian nuclear command and control. The findings suggest that it is not inconceivable that the Russian military clergy—like the Soviet political officers and contrary to chaplains worldwide—might become future participants in decision making on matters of national security, and that de facto there might be two parallel chains of command authority emerging in Russia, with potential tensions between them. The article outlines the causes of this overlooked singularity and its implications for the theory and practice of international security.

中文翻译：

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俄罗斯东正教与核指挥与控制：一个假设

摘要 俄罗斯东正教在当前俄罗斯国家安全政策中发挥着巨大作用。教会和战略共同体的交织在核武器综合体中最为明显，在那里神职人员已经渗透到各级指挥部，参与作战活动，并将自己定位为意义的提供者和守护者。 ，国家的核潜力。本文是第一部突出俄罗斯教会与核联系现象的作品，重点关注教会对俄罗斯核指挥和控制的影响。调查结果表明，与苏联政治官员一样，与世界各地的牧师相反，俄罗斯军事神职人员可能成为未来国家安全问题决策的参与者，这并非不可想象，事实上，俄罗斯可能会出现两条平行的指挥权链，它们之间可能会出现紧张局势。本文概述了这种被忽视的奇异性的原因及其对国际安全理论和实践的影响。