“A Right to the Square”: Practices of Urban Space Appropriation by the Religious Community of the Strastnoy Monastery in Moscow

In post-secular cities, many representatives of different religions claim places that, for one reason or another, they consider theirs. Researchers call such places mixed. Pushkin Square in Moscow, one of them, is used simultaneously by different groups. The first group is the community of the Strastnoy monastery, whose members have been striving for eighteen years to make their religious presence a familiar feature of this square, through collective practices and material symbols. However, they constantly face the presence of other groups that force them to adapt and explain their presence. This article explores the case of the Strastnoy monastery community, which sheds light on the situation of religious initiatives in contemporary Russia. They are aware of their marginal position in public space: however, pursuing their goal of restoring Orthodox order in the country, they are looking, unlike many other Orthodox groups, for non-conflictual ways of interacting with citizens and government institutions, by appealing to historical memory and cultural heritage.