For half a millennium the Russian Tsars proudly proclaimed themselves to be guardians of Christian civilization against barbarian invasions from the Asian steppes and the Muslim Middle East. Although the Tsars generally excluded Catholics from their benevolent protection, their claim to protect European Christianity was not totally wrong. Just as the Pope of Rome traces his legitimacy to the Apostle Peter, so the Russian Orthodox Church, the established church of Tsarist Russia, traces its lineage to the Byzantine Empire, beginning three centuries after Jesus of Nazareth. For all its faults, Tsarist Russia buffered the West against worse threats. This history is important today because Putin is trying to reclaim the Tsarist legacy. Rumor has it that he likes to be called “Tsar” by his inner circle. He has regular photo ops with the Patriarch of Moscow, surrounded by the glittering bling of the Byzantine past. The choral music of Russia -- often magnificent -- can be...(Read Full Article)