Religious Experience of the Special Military Operation Participants in the Pastoral Practice of Military Clergy

The main purpose of the study is to identify and analyze the religious experiences of soldiers in the special military operation. To achieve this goal, a detailed description of the phenomenon of religious experience in the Christian (Orthodox) tradition is given. The phenomenon of war is considered from the point of view of the official position of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the views of modern Russian theologians and philosophers are also presented. The study provides numerous examples of soldiers' religious experiences: participation in the sacraments, prayer, observance of military ethics and the fight against sin. The cases of awakening the religious feelings of soldiers in war in extreme conditions are of the greatest value. Finally, the thesis is put forward about the need for spiritual and moral unity of the entire people to overcome the disease of war.