Historian and co-founder of the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA), Ilya Venyavkin, has published a new book titled Temple of War: People and Their Ideas That Made Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Possible with Meduza Publishing. Rather than focusing solely on political decision-making, the book explores how the biographies, ideas, and public roles of nine figures — from economists to media personalities — contributed to the normalization of militarism in Russian society.

Drawing on open sources and biographical analysis, Venyavkin argues that war emerges not from a single command but from a long accumulation of intellectual justifications, social expectations, and personal choices. The book’s title refers to the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces near Moscow, which the author interprets as a powerful symbol of how war has been sacralized and embedded into public life.

The publication of Temple of War is closely connected to the broader work of the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA). In 2025, Smolny Beyond Borders launched the RIMA Certificate Program: Data for Social Good, an educational initiative focused on working with independent Russian media archives, data analysis, and critical research in the public interest. The program addresses many of the same questions raised in Venyavkin’s book, particularly the role of media, narratives, and ideas in shaping collective consciousness.