The history of this strife is much longer than 6 years, to which attention was paid by the media. Until 1936, there was Alawite State, then French joined it to Syria, despite the protests of Alawi sheikhs. After that, the Alawites, in order to avoid persecution by the Sunni Muslims, began to declare affiliation of Alawism to Islam. However, it is still impossible to say, in what degree do Alawites belong Muslims. This is a fairly closed group, whose religious preferences are not absolutely clear.Principle “taqiya”plays a significant role for Alawites, whereby Alawite can perform the rites of other religions, maintaining his faith in his soul.

In our opinion, the Alawite faith is close to Arianism. They revere Isa (Jesus Christ), Christian apostles and some saints, celebrate Christmas and Easter, to read the gospel during worship and use Christian names.

Many people know, that the prophetess grandmother Vanga (baba Vanga), answered unconventionally to the question about the beginning of World War III:"Syria has not fallen yet."Apparently she felt that Syria was one of the last bastions of early Christianity, the West seeks to destroy by all means. And attempt still fails, only due to the fact, that Russia has stood up in the way of Western civilization expansion.

Orthodox help orthodox!

Interrelationship of Slavic religious doctrine with the Arianism,

the Cathars and the Bogomils

Nikolai Osokin[46] writes, that contemporaries of Albigensian wars concidered Cathars to be descendants of the Arians. They stressed, that Arianism was widespread in Asia and Europe, and there it was official religious doctrine. The role of Slavic religious movement Bogomil is also aknowledged.

For us it is important, that the Albigenses were the descendants of the Arians, to be exact – they were Arians and they were Slavs.

Stone worship cross in Yaroslavl Art Museum.

The inscription on the cross: "Tzar of slavyn (slavs), Is. Christ Nika "

Enlarged upper part of the worship cross

We have already regarded teachings of the Cathars and have seen, that it coincides with teachings of the Bogomils and the Waldensians. Now it is clear to us, that the Arians preached the same doctrine.

G.V. Vernadsky writes[47]:

"The fact, that the Bogomil ideas, were preached in Russia, can be seen in tale of boyar Jan, the son of Vyshata, written in "The Tale of Past Years". In 1071 Jan came toLake Beloye, area of Northern Russia, to collect tribute and there he had a conversation with a certain sorcerer, who declared, that "the devil made man, but God put soul in him."

It also follows from the response of Ivan the Terrible to Jan Rokyta[48]:

"Just asSatanailwas rejected by Heaven, and he named himself the dark and deceit, and his angels named themselves demons instead of an angel of light (another variant - he was called the dark and deceit and his angels were named demons instead of angel of light) " - that Arianism was in Russia at the time of Ivan the Terrible. "[49]

Portrait of Ivan the Terrible from the collection of the Vologda Museum^[50].

Arian (Cathar) cross can be watched on the breast.

Absolutely "undestructable trump card" is presented in “The Tale of Past Years” Creed, in which Vladimir the Baptist of Russia says: "The Son has the similar substance and co-exists with Father without beginning...". He has the similar substance, but not the one substance (not consubstantial), as it is stated in the Nicene Creed. The Arians regarded Jesus to be merely a created being (creature), but like the Father.

Prince Vladimir also mentions Satanail in “The Tale of Past Years”.

Once again we meet with Arian doctrine manifestations in texts of dogmas. It turns out, that if Vladimir was baptizer of Rus`, he adopted Arianism.

It should be noted, that the Bogomil (Arian) books have not survived, and we can read all information about (judgments of) their doctrine, only in the critical literature written by Christian writers, mostly – by Catholics. In addition, it is unclear, what alphabet did they use, whether it was a Cyrillic or Glagoliticscript[51].

So, prince Vladimir adopted Arianism, and Ivan the Terrible directly expressed world understanding in accordance with Arian dogmas in his letters. So what - did the Arianism exist in Russia?

Did dual faith exist in Russia?

Some authors consider, there was a period of dual faith in Russia.

For example, N. Shevtsova[52]believes, that "even educated, enlightened circles of Russian society were drawn in dual faith. For example, the anonymous author of "The Tale of Igor`s Campaign”, one of the most brilliant samples of ancient Russian literature, says, that his character goes to worship to the temple of the Holy Mother of God in Kiev - in gratitude for the miraculous deliverance from captivity; but at the same time mentiones ancient heathen gods, who also patronize Prince Igor. The author, being a heathen and a Christian at the same time, does not grasp a difference among the one and the other yet. "

Dual faith is confirmed by inscriptions on Sophia Cathedral walls in Novgorod[53], where worshipers pray to St. Sophia, mention the heathen gods, and describe heathen rituals. The name of the cathedral is not a Christian.

V.Y. Petruhin[54]writes:

"The combination of Christian and heathen rites not only within the limits of the cemetery (as it was in Kiev, Gnezdovo (Gnyozdovo), Timerevo (Timeryovo)), but also within a burial, indicates a relatively peaceful interaction of Christian and heathen communities."

In our understanding, the term "dual faith" is not correct.This term was invented by experts in order to explain within the existing concept the religious beliefs of Russian people, but without regarding the basis of historical Christianity. The actual picture could be quite different:it was the Russian faith of that time, in certain meaning it was, "synthetic", but was not "dual faith".

N.K. Nikolsky[55] thought, that Rus` was baptized at the time of Prince Vladimir, but this Christianity was significantly different from modern Christianity, altered at the period of Nikon's reforms. Christianity of Vladimir time "promised to Russia a bright future," as opposed to the current one, in which the system of morals and its dogmatic basis is radically changed".

Chudinov noted:

"The transition to Christianity at the early stageswas just a little renaming the Vedic gods. Goddess Mara was named as the Virgin Mary, God Yar - Jesus Christ. The apostles were portrayed as the Vedic gods. "

5. "Hybrid war" against Rus`.

"Foreign researchers insist, that Rome constantly, throughout the entire history of relations among our states, urged Russia to friendship and good neighborly relations.

Domestic researchers of history describe these relations is exactly the opposite: "the papacy was always a staunch ally of Western aggressors invaded the land of Russian people.[56]"