Russian Orthodoxy is intricately intertwined with Russian nationalism. The Church does not suffer competition from other churches gladly. Young Russians polled recently about whether they were Russian Orthodox answered in many a case: "Yes, of course, I'm a Russian." It was the state religion under the tsars and survived the brutal persecution of the commissars, albeit not unscathed, both physically and morally. In some quarters, the Church seems to have returned to some of its regrettable old ways before the Revolution, like not being able to bring itself to issue resolute condemnations of anti-Semitism, which some people even accuse it of still promoting in Russia. Russian nationalists continue to be embroiled in bitter arguments about whether Dmitri Medvedev has Jewish roots and is therefore unsuited to be president of Russia. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz had a good article about this.

Soviet films invariably showed religion - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism etc. - as harmful superstition befuddling the mind. One such film ridicules an old peasant woman who often prays to her icons and is caught by her husband invoking an old folk belief by trying to entice the spirit of the hearth into a shoe for the move with her family to a new home. During a period of some liberalization known as the "Khrushchev thaw," the antiwar film The Cranes Are Flying with Tatyana Samoilova was released (1957). In that film, Boris's grandmother makes the sign of the cross on him before he leaves for the war. That was considered "daring" at the time, although it fitted Soviet stereotypes of old people unable to rid themselves of religious superstition. It was not for nothing that Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, told Soviet media that he hadn't seen any angels up there. Many a Russian Christian was doubtless hurt by his remark.

Anna Politkovskaya is another case typical of modern Russian society. Just a handful of Russians insist on knowing the whole truth about her murder and the people behind it. Vladimir Putin was right when he said the case was more important to foreigners than to Russians. Nor are Russians clamoring for democratic elections or democratic media.

These are all ideas with potential for great films.