title: The Russian weaponisation of cultural heritage
abstract: The core of Russia’s soft power is the promotion of conservatism, traditionalism, and family values centred on the Orthodox Church. As Russia becomes increasingly weak economically (largely as a result of international economic sanctions which contributed to the collapse of the Russian Rouble in 2014-2015), the authorities have adopted an assertively nationalist course and appealed to memories of Soviet-era power to strengthen domestic support. Coupled with this, the Kremlin has adopted a new cu