The author presents a philosophical analysis of the film “Blade Runner 2049” (2017, directed by Denis Villeneuve) — the sequel to the famous film “Blade Runner” (1982, directed by Ridley Scott). Both films are read as a political-theological statement. They feature creatures that are biologically almost indistinguishable from humans, the “replicants”. They are used to colonize distant planets and are forbidden to live on Earth.

This article looks at prayers for Russia and for the Russian Church which were written or compiled during the period of Russia’s revolutionary trials. These texts and rites were the fruits of the ecclesial and religious reflections of the faithful in response to the tragic events that were engulfing Russia’s life and society; they give us a chance to see the events of the era as refracted through the lens of contemporary theological, ecclesial and religious thought.

The article deals with the so‑called Renovationist schism in the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1920–1940s. The nature of Renovation‑ ism is not obvious, which led to the emergence of different historiographical concepts. This phenomenon is explored here on the basis of a wide range of sources, both open (as the press of the 1920s) and previously classified documents (primarily from secret services and the highest Soviet authorities). The real nature of the interaction between the “Living Church” and the GPU in the 1920s and in subsequent years is analyzed.

In the months after the February Revolution, the Church was convulsed by a general revolt against ecclesiastical authority. The Church survived this revolt, and organized an “All‑Russian Council (Sobor)” from September of 1917 until August of 1918, which re‑established the Patriarchate of Moscow and negotiated a reform of the Church’s authority structure. The ultimate success of the reform process depended on the ability of the Church’s various communities to forge a com‑ promise in the midst of a political and ecclesiastical revolution.