Culture or Collusion? The Kremlin’s Weaponisation of Art, Faith, and Influence: Parliamentary Seminar

On 11 September 2025, Resilience & Reconstruction hosted its inaugural parliamentary event. An audience that included MPs, journalists, researchers and religious leaders heard presentations from a distinguished panel of experts, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. The speakers presented evidence-based analyses of the ways art, faith, and cultural influence have been systematically weaponised by the Kremlin to project power and manipulate narratives across Europe

Photo: Tetyana Vasilishina

The event, organised by Resilience & Reconstruction in Westminster, underscored the immediate importance of exposing and countering disinformation mechanisms through transparent, evidence-based policy and active collaboration across sectors. Speakers stressed that confronting cultural and religious propaganda cannot wait for future action and must be treated as an urgent priority.

The panel included:

Dr Olha Mukha, an expert in cultural diplomacy with extensive experience in international literary and museum programming, who presented a historical and contemporary overview of how the USSR and the Russian Federation have employed culture, music, and faith to exert influence, launder legitimacy, and divert attention from acts of military aggression.

Dr Nina Kuryata, journalist, media expert, and Ukraine and Defence Editor at The Observer, examined the roles of Anna Netrebko as visible associates of Vladimir Putin. Her contribution explored the mechanisms of cultural laundering in Western institutions, the financial structures supporting soft power, and the ethical challenges faced by Western arts organisations.

A key focus of the discussion was the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), particularly its geopolitical influence under Patriarch Kirill. The panel examined how the ROC concealed political engagement behind claims of neutrality, operating as one of the Kremlin’s most powerful instruments of disinformation.

Prof. Sr. Vassa Larin, Professor of Practical Theology at the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy, shared her scholarly insights into contemporary Orthodoxy and the manipulation of religious authority. The Russian Church’s recent attempt to defrock her was discussed as part of a broader strategy to discredit dissenting voices – an authority the panel agreed should not be recognised. Prof. Sr. Vassa, a renowned Russian Orthodox liturgiologist and nun, born in New York and holding a doctorate from the University of Munich, is internationally respected for her research on liturgical life and Orthodox theology.

Steven Lacey, strategist and researcher, reflected on his own transformation from a pro-Kremlin Orthodox convert and parish councillor in the United Kingdom to a critic of the Kremlin’s religious propaganda. His testimony provided first-hand insight into how faith networks were exploited to influence Western discourse and how narrative shifts occurred within Orthodox communities.

Lucy Ash, award-winning BBC journalist and broadcaster, contributed her long-term analysis of the Russian Orthodox Church’s evolution under President Putin, its deployment of faith-based propaganda, and the resulting social and ethical implications across Europe and the United Kingdom.

Dan Salkey, a strategist and marketing practitioner, examined the practical application of narrative formation and cultural brand building within contemporary influence dynamics.

Mr Salkey, an expert in narrative branding and public opinion formation in polarised contexts, integrated insights from commercial branding to demonstrate how narratives functioned as instruments of power – serving either propagandistic or defensive purposes within influence operations.

His presentation advanced several key arguments on how culture could be strategically constructed as a brand and through targeted branding techniques, cultural assets could be transformed into potent multipliers of soft power. Salkey presented models for cultivating resilient counter-narratives, emphasising differentiation of messaging, precision in audience targeting, and the necessity of strengthening the authenticity and transparency.

The session concluded with a panel discussion, which explored:

·       The demarcation between legitimate cultural exchange and manipulation.

·       The capacity of institutions to detect embedded propaganda.

·       The necessity for public funding due diligence and the establishment of ethical “red lists” for regime-aligned individuals.

This was followed by an open Q&A session with parliamentarians and invited guests. The Institute subsequently presented seven principal recommendations to participants and attendees:

1.  Expose Russian money in culture – push DCMS to publish a list of UK cultural institutions that have taken Kremlin-linked funding since 2010, and urge the Charity Commission to review Russian-linked “charitable” arts foundations for covert influence.  

2. Call out the Russian Orthodox Church – ask the Home Office to assess ROC parishes in the UK for potential Kremlin messaging, and press the FCDO to sanction senior ROC officials supporting Russia’s war or spreading propaganda.  

3. Protect UK museums and galleries – demand DCMS guidance to prevent partnerships with sanctioned oligarchs, and seek assurances on safeguards against laundering Russian wealth through art assets in London.  

4. Strengthen defences against disinformation – urge Ofcom to investigate Kremlin-linked cultural media and diplomacy fronts, and press ministers to expand the Counter-Disinformation Unit’s remit to include cultural and religious influence operations.  

5. Tighten sanctions enforcement – push HM Treasury to close loopholes that allow sanctioned individuals to use art sales and sponsorships to evade restrictions, and demand data on enforcement actions in the cultural sector since 2022.  

6. Block Kremlin-linked cultural propaganda – urge DCMS to create a mandatory screening process preventing Kremlin-linked artists and performers from appearing in the UK, and ask what safeguards exist to stop propaganda at cultural events.  

7. Bring this into Parliament – support a Westminster Hall or Backbench Business Debate on Russia’s weaponisation of art and faith, and back a Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into Kremlin cultural and religious networks across relevant departments.

Finally, guests were encouraged to engage proactively by writing to their Members of Parliament to raise awareness and support informed policy action on these matters..