A Polish edition of “The Baton and the Cross: Russia’s Church from Pagans to Putin”, a book by British journalist and longtime BBC correspondent Lucy Ash, has been published in Poland. The Polish edition is titled “Batem i krzyżem. Tysiąc lat nieświętego przymierza polityki i religii w Rosji” (“The Baton and the Cross: A Thousand Years of the Unholy Alliance Between Politics and Religion in Russia”).

The book is being published by Jagiellonian University Press (Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego), translated by Aleksandra Ćwojdrak. Lucy Ash herself announced the publication of the Polish translation, thanking the Felicity Bryan Associates literary agency and the Polish publishers.

The book examines the thousand-year history of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and state power, from the establishment of Christianity in Rus’ to the rule of Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill. Ash pays particular attention to how religious rhetoric becomes a tool of political influence, state propaganda and the justification of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

In January 2026, Lucy Ash gave an extensive interview to Libertas Fidei, in which she discussed her book, her years of research into the Russian Orthodox Church and the mechanisms through which the Church leadership interacts with the Kremlin.

“This toxic interdependence between church and state has existed for centuries and is poisoning Russian society,” the journalist stressed.

According to Ash, understanding the Kremlin’s current policies requires examining the historical origins of the idea of Moscow as the “Third Rome” and the belief in Russia’s special spiritual mission.

Another major topic of the interview was the use of religion to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ash described how Patriarch Kirill had gradually hardened his rhetoric and how, in 2024, the World Russian People’s Council declared the war against Ukraine a “holy war”.

Ash also highlighted attempts by Russian propaganda to influence Western audiences through allegations that Orthodox believers are being persecuted in Ukraine. While researching her book, the journalist visited Ukraine on numerous occasions and examined the impact of the war on religious communities.

The Polish edition of “Batem i krzyżem” contributes to the international debate on the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in modern Russia’s political system and the consequences of turning religion into an instrument of state power.

The 464-page book is being published as part of the Mundus series.