Religion in Russia. State religion in Russia

29.09.2019

Russia is a huge state that unites many nations with one word “Russians”. However, this does not prevent each nation from having its own religious traditions and customs. Many foreigners are surprised and delighted by how our country treats the issue of religion. In Russia, no religious movement can assume dominant status, since at the legislative level the country is recognized as a secular state. Therefore, peoples can choose for themselves the faith they want, and no one will persecute them for it. But still, what religions exist in Russia? Are there really so many different movements in the country that peacefully coexist with each other? We will try to answer these and other questions in the article.

Let's consider the topic through the prism of the law

Freedom of religion in Russia is constitutionally enshrined. Citizens decide for themselves what exactly to believe in and which churches to visit. You can also always remain an atheist and not support any of the faiths. And there are a lot of them on the territory of the country: according to the latest data, seventy religious denominations have been identified that are actively operating in the state. Based on this, we can safely conclude that the issue of religion in Russia is not a pressing issue. Believers respect each other's rights and freedoms without encroaching on alien religious traditions.

At the legislative level, there is a ban on insulting the feelings of believers and committing actions that can be interpreted as disrespect for them. Criminal penalties are provided for such acts.

This attitude towards religion ensures the inviolability and immutability of freedom of religion in Russia. Many scientists believe that this is historically predetermined. After all, our country has always been multinational state, where conflicts based on religious hatred have never arisen. All nations and peoples have respected each other's rights and beliefs for many centuries. This situation is still observed today.

However, many are interested in what religion in Russia can be considered the most important? Let's look for the answer to this question together in the following sections of the article.

Religious composition of the population of Russia

Types of religion in Russia are not difficult to determine. This can be done approximately by every resident of the country who has a sufficient number of friends and acquaintances. Most likely, among them there will be Christians, Buddhists and even adherents of Islam. However, these are not all religions represented in the state. In fact, each of them has branches and a few religious associations. Therefore, in reality, the religious “carpet” looks much more colorful.

If we rely on official statistics, then the main religion in Russia can be called Christianity. It is noteworthy that most of the population adheres to it. But at the same time, religion is represented by all the main branches:

Orthodoxy;
Catholicism;
Protestantism.

What religion in Russia can be placed in second place in terms of prevalence? Oddly enough for many, this religion is Islam. It is confessed mainly in the south of our country.

The third and subsequent places are occupied by Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism and other religious movements. In the next section we will talk in more detail about the religion of the peoples of Russia.

Statistical data

To find out about religion in Russia in percentage, you need to turn to official sources. However, there is some tension with them in the country. The fact is that thanks to freedom of religion, the state does not control the number of believers. It cannot provide accurate data on the confessions and religious self-identification of citizens. Therefore, for some time useful information It is possible to extract information only from sociological surveys of the population, and it is difficult to vouch for their reliability. Moreover, most of the data from sociologists are quite contradictory and only after careful comparative analysis we can draw some conclusions.

Based on the latest data Russian Academy Sciences (2012-2013), then in percentage terms the religious picture looks like this:

Seventy-nine percent of respondents consider themselves Orthodox;
four percent of Russians are Muslims;
no more than one percent of the country’s citizens identified themselves with other religious movements;
Nine percent of respondents did not identify themselves with any religion;
Seven percent of the population called themselves atheists.

And here is what the list of religions in Russia for the same years looks like in percentage according to data from one of the sociological organizations:

Sixty-four percent of Russians profess Orthodoxy;
other Christian movements - one percent;
Islam - six percent;
other religions - one percent;
About four percent of citizens cannot self-determinate.

As you can see, information from different sources a little different from each other. However, such statistics of religions in Russia do not distort the overall picture.

Christianity in Russia

Behind last decades the population of our country increasingly began to return to the religious traditions of their ancestors. People again flocked to churches and began to try to observe religious traditions and regulations. Most of the population remained faithful to the traditional religion - Christianity. In Russia it is professed by more than half of the country's population. However, not all of those who identify themselves with this religion attend temples and services. Most often they are called Christians nominally, meaning by this the centuries-old traditions of the Slavic people as a whole.

But we should not forget that the religion itself has several movements and representatives of almost each live on the territory of the Russian state:

Orthodoxy;
Catholicism;
Protestantism;
Old Believers and other movements that are not numerous in composition.

If we state the facts without going into details, then the overwhelming majority of followers of religion in Russia is Orthodoxy. And only then do the rest of the currents follow. But they all definitely deserve respect and attention.

Orthodoxy

If we are talking about which religion in Russia - Orthodoxy or Christianity - can claim the title of “main religion,” then it is worth noting the incompetence of the question itself. For some reason, many who are ignorant of religious issues separate these concepts and place them on opposite sides of the barrier. However, in fact, Orthodoxy is just one of the equal denominations of Christianity. But in our country its followers are the majority of the population.

According to some estimates, more than eighty million people profess Orthodoxy. They live in different regions Russian Federation and dominate them. Naturally, the bulk of believers are Russian. But there are many Orthodox peoples among other peoples, and they include themselves:

Karelians;
Mari;
Chukchi;
Enets;
Evenks;
tofalars;
Kalmyks;
Greeks and so on.

Sociologists count at least sixty nationalities that, out of a large number of types of religions in Russia, make their choice in favor of Orthodoxy.

Catholicism

This religion has been present in Russia since the adoption of Christianity. Over the centuries, the size of the community has constantly changed, as has the attitude towards the confession. At some times Catholics were highly respected, at others they were persecuted by state power and the Orthodox Church.

After the revolution of the seventeenth year, the number of Catholics decreased significantly and only in the nineties, when attitudes towards religion in general changed, followers of the Latin rites began to actively open their churches in Russia.

On average, there are about five hundred thousand Catholics in our country; they have formed two hundred and thirty parishes, united in four large dioceses.

Protestantism

This Christian denomination is one of the largest in our country. According to data from three years ago, it has about three million people. Such an incredible number of believers may raise doubts about the accuracy of the calculations, but it must be taken into account that the Protestant community is divided into numerous movements. These include Baptists, Lutherans, Adventists and other communities.

According to sociological services, among Christian denominations, Protestants are second only to Orthodox Christians in terms of the number of believers.

Orthodox associations in Russia: Old Believers

We have already mentioned that numerous religions in Russia, including Christianity, are fragmented into small groups that differ from each other in rituals and forms of service. Orthodoxy is no exception. Believers do not represent a single structure; they belong to different movements that have their own parishes and churches.

The vast Russian expanses are home to a vast community of Old Believers. This Orthodox movement was formed in the seventeenth century after the rejection church reform. Patriarch Nikon ordered that all religious books be brought into conformity with Greek sources. This caused a split in the Orthodox Church, which continues to this day.

At the same time, the Old Believers themselves are not united either. They are divided into several church associations:

priests;
Bespopovtsy;
fellow believers;
Old Orthodox Church;
Andreevtsy and similar groups.

According to fairly rough estimates, each association has several thousand followers.

Islam

Data on the number of Muslims in Russia are often distorted. Experts say Islam is practiced by about eight million people in the country. But the highest clergy themselves give completely different figures - approximately twenty million people.

In any case, this figure is not static. Sociologists note that every year there are two percent fewer adherents of Islam. This trend is associated with military conflicts in the Middle East.

It is noteworthy that the majority of Muslims call themselves “ethnic”. They are traditionally associated with this religion, but they themselves do not adhere to certain rituals and traditions and very rarely visit the mosque.

Historians note that the Slavs are very closely associated with Islam. In the fourteenth century it was the state religion in parts Russian territories. Once they were Muslim khanates, but were annexed to the lands of Rus' as a result of conquest.

Most numerous people who profess Islam are Tatars. They play an important role in the management of the denomination and the preservation cultural traditions their ancestors.

Judaism

There are at least one and a half million representatives of this religious movement in Russia. The majority of them are Jewish people. Jews live mainly in major cities. Approximately half of the believers settled in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Today there are seventy synagogues operating in the country. A distinctive feature of Jews living in Russia is their adherence to traditions. They regularly attend the synagogue with the whole family and perform all the required rituals.

Buddhism

There are about two million Buddhists in our country. This is mainly the population of three Russian regions:

Buryatia;
Tuva;
Kalmykia.

The majority of representatives of this faith are ethnic Buddhists. From generation to generation they profess one religion and pass on traditions to their children. Over the past decades, Buddhism has become extremely popular. Many people begin to study its basics out of interest and then become its active followers.

The popularization of this religious movement is evidenced by plans to build a datsan in Moscow. This temple should turn out to be one of the largest and most luxurious in Russia.

Other religions and common beliefs

The low percentage of followers of some faiths does not allow them to be identified as large and significant denominations, however, last years The activation of all kinds of religious associations was noted.

Of great interest is the occult, eastern practices and neo-pagan cults. These movements have their own rituals, traditions and norms of service. Every year, the Orthodox Church notes with great concern the growth of followers of various religious beliefs. However, they have not yet been able to contain it.

Don't forget about shamanism. Many peoples, including the Udmurts, Mari and Chuvash, despite the fact that they self-identify as Orthodox, remain committed to the ancient rites and rituals of their ancestors. Shamanism is very developed in these territories.

Residents of remote Russian villages are also returning to the faith of their ancestors. In settlements you can often meet followers of the Rodnovers. They have been reviving for a long time forgotten traditions and worship the forces of nature. There is also such a movement as folk Orthodoxy. It is somewhat akin to paganism, but has bright distinctive features.

Prohibited religions in Russia

Despite the fact that freedom of religion is sacredly observed in our country, there are certain organizations that are prohibited in Russia. Destructive sects and extremist groups fall into this category. What should be understood by this formulation? Let's try to figure it out.

A person does not always come to faith in a simple and understandable way. Sometimes on his road he meets people who are members of religious groups. They obey the spiritual leader and are often completely under his control. The organizers of such groups have hypnotic abilities, knowledge of neurolinguistic programming and other talents that allow them to control the masses. Aligning with leaders who skillfully manage and guide their flock in ways that are detrimental to their mental and physical health, as well as material well-being, are called "sects". Moreover, most of them have the prefix “destructive”. They influence people's consciousness and make money at their expense. Unfortunately, many such organizations appeared in Russia. We will mention some prohibited sects in this section in more detail:

"White Brotherhood" The leader of the organization was former employee KGB, which skillfully applied its knowledge in practice. About ten years ago, the leadership of the sect found itself in the dock, but before that they managed to literally zombify several thousand people. They completely lost their property and went to live in a sect, where they eked out a powerless existence from hand to mouth.
"Neo-Pentecostals". The sect that came to us from America managed to recruit about three hundred thousand adherents into its ranks of different ages. The goal of the organization's leaders was enrichment. They skillfully controlled the crowd, bringing them to almost ecstasy with their words and colorful show. In this state, people were ready to give all their property to the leaders and be left with nothing.
"Jehovah witnesses". This sect is familiar to almost every Russian; its adherents have a habit of knocking on every apartment in search of new members of the organization. The technology for recruiting sectarians is so finely thought out that people did not even notice how they became part of religious organization. However, the leaders’ activities pursued purely mercantile goals.

Many extremist organizations that base their activities on religious beliefs and exist for the sake of terror to an ordinary person unknown. However, their list is quite extensive; we cannot list it in full within the scope of this article. But let's list some groups:

"Islamic State". There is hardly a person who does not know this name. Organization that arranges Act of terrorism worldwide, has been banned in Russia for two years.
Jabhat al-Nusra. The group is also considered a banned religious terrorist group.
"Nurcular". This organization is international and its activities on the territory of our country are punishable by the laws of the Russian Federation.

Many countries believe that the example of Russia, which managed to unite many peoples and religious movements, must be considered on a global scale. Indeed, in some states the problem of religion is very acute. But in our country, every citizen chooses for himself which god he should believe in.

The main religious denominations on the territory of Russia and their role in the spiritual education of defenders of the Fatherland

QUESTIONS:

1. The main religious denominations on the territory of Russia.

2. The role of religion in the spiritual education of military personnel of the RF Armed Forces.

“If the Rosses will always fight for the faith of their ancestors and the honor of the people, then Glory will be their eternal companion, and woe to the villain who encroached on holy Rus', preserved by God.”

Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov

Religion in modern world remains a constantly operating significant factor of social development, covering all spheres of life of society and, in particular, its armed part. Moreover, by the beginning of the third millennium, world and some national religious confessions increased their influence on the politics of both individual states and the world political process as a whole.

In the world, according to data provided by Colonel General V.A. Azarov, there are 1 billion 890 million Christians (1 billion 132 million Catholics, 558 million Protestants, 200 million Orthodox); 1 billion 200 million Muslims; 359 million Buddhists. If we take into account the quantitative composition of the Chinese, Hindus and Jews, we get a huge number of adherents, respectively, of such national religions (philosophical systems) as Confucianism, Taoism (at least 500 million people), Hinduism (859 million) and Judaism (20 million). .

The ratio of believers in Russia by confessional adherence (based on the same data) is presented as follows. Orthodox Christians - 67 percent; Muslims - 19 percent; Orthodox Old Believers - 2 percent; Buddhists - 2 percent; Protestants - 2 percent; Jews - 2 percent; adherents of other traditional religious denominations - 1 percent; non-traditional - 5 percent.

Thus, the main - numerous, traditional Russian religious confessions that have persisted for a long time on the territory of our country are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.

If we talk about the most numerous religious denominations of our country - Orthodoxy and Islam (which is traditionally professed, for example, by the peoples of the Volga region and North Caucasus), then the experience of centuries of peaceful coexistence allows us to continue to hope for the elimination of conflicts on religious grounds between Russian Orthodox Christians and Muslims, and for the fact that in case of danger everyone will stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of Russia.

The “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church,” adopted in 2000, states: “Recognizing war as evil, the Church still does not prohibit its children from participating in hostilities if it comes to protecting their neighbors and restoring trampled justice... Orthodoxy in At all times, we have treated with the deepest respect the soldiers who, at the cost of their own lives, preserved the life and safety of their neighbors. The Holy Church canonized many warriors as saints, taking into account their Christian virtues and referring to them the words of Christ: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

“The main provisions of the social program of Russian Muslims” read: “Defending the Fatherland, the interests of the state, caring for its security is one of the most important duties of a person before Allah, a noble cause and worthy of a real man... Muslim organizations are ready to assist government agencies in preparing young people for service in the ranks of the Armed Forces, considering it the duty and responsibility of a citizen of the Russian Federation.” The spiritual basis of these social positions for Russian Muslims are the words of the Prophet Muhammad: “Love for the Motherland is part of your faith.”

The Russian Orthodox Church had a strong influence on the formation and strengthening of state power, especially in the first centuries of Christianity in Rus'. Thus, historian V.O. Klyuchevsky wrote that the church of that period “was a collaborator and often even the leader of secular state power in organizing society and maintaining state order.”

The Russian Orthodox Church turned into a state institution at the beginning of the 18th century by the will of Emperor Peter I. This form of state-church relations, with minor changes, existed until 1917. The church at that time also played the role of a state educational structure in the Russian Army and the Russian Imperial Navy. Peter I himself, admonishing Russian soldiers before the Battle of Poltava, said: “You should not think that you are fighting for Peter, but for the state entrusted to Peter, for your family, for our Orthodox faith and church.”

After October revolution 1917 relations between the Soviet state and the church began to be formed on the basis of the Decree on freedom of conscience, church and religious societies adopted on January 20, 1918 by the Council of People's Commissars, which is usually called “On the separation of the church from the state and the school from the church.” The decree of the Council of People's Commissars completely changed the essence of state-church relations, extremely complicated the position of the church, deprived it of the rights of a legal entity and the right to own property.

At the end of the 30s of the last century, some changes began to occur in state-church relations. As follows from the minutes of the meeting of the Politburo of the central committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) dated November 11, 1939, the surviving priests began to be released from places of imprisonment even before the start of the Great Patriotic War. One of the points of this document reads: “Instructions of Comrade Ulyanov (Lenin) dated May 1, 1919 No. 13666-2 “On the fight against priests and religion,” addressed to Pred. The Cheka to Comrade Dzerzhinsky, and all relevant instructions of the Cheka - OGPU - NKVD regarding the persecution of ministers of the Russian Orthodox Church and Orthodox believers - to cancel."

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the authorities represented by I.V. Stalin actually turned her face to the church. Temples, monasteries, and theological seminaries opened; the greatest Orthodox shrines, icons of the Mother of God, flew around the main Russian cities on airplanes; The Patriarchate, abolished by Emperor Peter I, was restored...

From the first days of the war, I.V. Stalin and his inner circle took the path of spiritual unity of society. In the Statement of the Soviet Government dated June 22, 1941, it was said that the war that had begun was “a Patriotic War for the Motherland, for honor, for freedom...”, that it was necessary to mobilize all the forces of the people for the sake of victory. It was a call to forget the grievances of the past and bring together all citizens of the country, regardless of their views, including in relation to religion. Personally I.V. Stalin used religious terminology in his radio address to the citizens of the USSR on July 3, 1941. He addressed the Soviet people with the words “brothers and sisters”, addressed the memory of the great Orthodox ancestors - Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Minin and Pozharsky..., and concluded his speech with the statement “Our cause is just - victory will be ours!” Speaking these words, the Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was not afraid of being misunderstood by all progressive humanity and the multi-confessional, as they say now, population of our country. With this speech he showed that persecution was ending and the time of cooperation with believers had begun.

On June 22, 1941, anti-religious works ceased to be published (before the war, there were about a hundred periodical publications alone, and in total until 1940, about 2 thousand titles of anti-religious literature were published annually in the Soviet Union with a circulation of more than 2.5 million copies). The Union of Militant Atheists ceased its activities.

During the Great Patriotic War, religious leaders various faiths The USSR called on believers to unite and mobilize all forces for the sake of victory. Examples include the appeals to the flock of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius in the message “To the Pastors and Flocks of Christ’s Orthodox Church”, the appeal to the Ummah - the Muslim community - by the Chairman of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims, Mufti Abdurakhman Hazrat ibn Sheikh Zainullah Rasuli (Rasulev), leaders of other faiths. These appeals are imbued with the spirit of patriotism, the desire to convey to believers the pain for the fate of the country and mobilize them to defend the Fatherland.

During the war, the Russian Orthodox Church could not provide comprehensive spiritual and religious support for major military operations. But its activities were multifaceted and carried out in the following main areas:

Justification for the defense of the Fatherland and Faith, the need to wage war against the aggressor, the righteousness of its goals;

Spiritual defense of the policy of one’s Fatherland and exposure of the state policy of the enemy, the godless misanthropic ideology of fascism;

Strengthening faith in God's mercy, which grants victory, and in God's will, which dooms the enemy, to whom, as an enemy of God, the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” does not apply, to defeat;

Appeal to the religious-spiritual and national-cultural sources of the traditions of patriotism, loyalty to Christian and military duty.

In May 1942, a Muslim congress met in Ufa, at which the “Appeal of representatives of the Muslim clergy to believers regarding the Nazi aggression” was adopted. In this document, Muslims were given tasks during the war: all possible assistance to soldiers and peaceful work in the name of victory were equated with participation in battle. It was explained to believers that victory over fascism would save the entire Muslim civilization, the entire world, from destruction and enslavement.

The Church prepared and carried out external actions to find ways to unite allies, sympathizers and consolidate with them in the fight against the enemy.

In September 1943, Metropolitans Sergius, Alexander and Nicholas were received by I.V. Stalin, and already on November 7 of the same year, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy served a solemn liturgy on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the October Revolution, said prayer of thanksgiving“About our God-protected country and its government, headed by a God-given leader.”

The patriotic position of the Russian Orthodox Church and other religious denominations was expressed in significant material assistance to the warring army. In December 1942, Metropolitan Sergius appealed to believers to raise funds for the construction of a tank column named after Dmitry Donskoy. IN short term More than 8 million rubles and many gold and silver items came from the parishes. Total for 1941 - 1945 parishes collected more than 200 million rubles for the needs of the front (the average monthly salary of a worker at that time was 700 rubles). In addition to money, believers also collected warm clothes for the soldiers.

“The patriotic activity of the Church,” noted the report at the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in January 1945, “has been and is expressed not only in material sacrifices. This is, perhaps, the smallest share in the overall cause of assistance that the Church has provided and continues to provide during the time of military trial. Concern for our incomparable, valiant, great Red Army is manifested most importantly in constant prayer not only of individuals, but also of the Church as a whole, for the Lord to grant our defenders strength and victory over the enemy.”

On March 3, 1943, the Izvestia newspaper published a telegram from the head of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims, Mufti Abdurakhman Hazrat ibn Sheikh Zainulla Rasuli (Rasulev) I.V. Stalin. He reported that he personally contributed 50 thousand rubles for the construction of a tank column and called on Muslims to donate to it. In 1943, the TsDUM collected 10 million rubles for the construction of a tank column. Many Muslims contributed large sums for the construction of military equipment. In a short period of time, significant funds were collected in the regions where Islam traditionally spread: in Turkmenistan - 243 million rubles, in Uzbekistan - 365 million, in Kazakhstan - 470 million rubles. For example, Uzbek families of evacuated children left without parents received them as relatives. Their nationality and religion did not matter to the adoptive parents.

Great assistance was provided to wounded and sick soldiers. Thus, Archbishop Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky) of Krasnoyarsk, being a leading specialist in the field of purulent surgery, headed a military hospital in Krasnoyarsk.

From the first days of the war, the Church clearly defined its position towards traitors, both living on the territory of the USSR and those in exile. The White Guard general Krasnov, who was hanged after the end of the Great Patriotic War, admitted before his death: “The prevailing opinion among us was, even with the devil, but against the Bolsheviks...” The hierarchs of the Orthodox Church believed that by subordinating themselves to the devil, the devil, Satan, they took the path of Judas and on June 22, 1941, they crossed that line that a believer must never cross under any circumstances.

After the death of I.V. Stalin's persecution of the church began again, although it was not as large-scale as in the 20s and early 30s of the 20th century.

Today we can state a revival of the spiritual and religious consciousness of people living in Russia. This was facilitated by certain steps on the part of the state. And in particular, the example of Russian President V.V. Putin, who, without hiding his commitment to Orthodoxy, can serve as a model of religious tolerance and mutual understanding with representatives of various religious faiths.

The word “religion” itself (from Latin - reli-gio) means “conscientiousness, piety, reverence, holiness, worship.” The Western Christian thinker Lactantius, who lived in the 4th century, considering the definition of “religion”, concluded that the word comes from the Latin religio, -are (to bind, to unite) and, accordingly, religion is the union of human piety with God. It is believed that this definition reveals the most essential thing in religion: a living connection human spirit with the Creator, the desire of the human soul for God, the moral union with Him, the feeling of the existence of the Supreme Being.

The ideas of ecumenism, that is, the unification of religious confessions and the creation of a single world religion, as practice has shown, can hardly be realized on our planet. But, nevertheless, adherents of different religious faiths have to communicate closely. For example, in conditions of military service in the Russian Armed Forces. And here mutual respect, mutual understanding and religious tolerance are simply necessary.

The results of studies conducted by military sociologists and psychologists have shown that it is currently impossible to ignore the religious factor in military education. According to their observations, in a combat situation, the religiosity of military personnel increases. As they say, there are no atheists in war.

Many modern military personnel are characterized by a low degree of expression of religious feelings, superficial knowledge of the foundations of a particular religious doctrine, and low cult activity. When organizing and conducting educational work in military teams, it is necessary to take care of such rudiments of spirituality, and if the officer-educator does not have enough religious knowledge and his own spiritual and religious experience, then there is no need to engage in theological discussions.

Among the spiritual foundations of military education, an important place belongs to the subject of faith of military personnel. We are not talking only about religious faith, although it plays a large role in the spiritual life of society, but about the conviction in the historical correctness of the existence and development of the Fatherland. “Woe to those countries,” wrote the French military theorist G. Jomini, “in which the luxury of a tax farmer and the wallet of a stock exchange businessman will be preferred to the uniform of a brave warrior who dedicated his life, his health or his property to the defense of the Motherland.” Faith is what is accepted as the main and essential thing in life, what is truly the most important for people, what they value and what they serve; what constitutes the object of their desires and the object of their actions.

Faith in Russia, in one’s people, in the truth of the spiritual values and ideas being defended is the basis of military education. By the way, these ideas are expressed in the words of the National Anthem of the Russian Federation: “Russia is our sacred power... God-protected native land!”

The religious factor interacts with other factors of social life, and it is especially closely connected with the national factor. Its influence is not always positive. The main manifestations of the negative impact of the religious factor on the military security of Russia are the emergence of contradictions on religious grounds in military groups; penetration into the structure military organization ideas of mysticism and occultism; dissemination of ideas of religious pacifism among military personnel. However, the problem of evading military service on the basis of religious pacifist beliefs has actually been resolved: current legislation allows members of various religious associations that literally follow the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” to undergo alternative civilian service. As expected by specialists not involved in speculation on this problem, there were few “alternatives”.

Religious differences, if they are not taken into account when organizing and conducting educational work with military personnel, can become a reason for confrontation between groups of believers of different confessional affiliations. For example, over 20 percent of believers say that the religious affiliation of their co-workers is important to them. A worrying factor is the contradiction between the demands that the religious situation in military groups places on the religious knowledge of educational officers and the lack of such knowledge among most of them. What is required, in particular, is knowledge of the foundations of a particular faith, its cult, the peculiarities of the psychology of supporters of a certain denomination, and the requirements that religion makes of religious servicemen in relation to military service. Incompetence in these matters can cause actual insult to the religious feelings of believing military personnel, cause conflicts on religious grounds, and evasion of believers from performing official duties. We also have to state the following fact: at present, the possibility of realizing the rights of religious military personnel still seriously depends on the spiritual views of a particular commander or superior.

The rapidly developing process of relations between the armed organization of society and religious confessions is in conflict with the lack of development of the corresponding regulatory framework. There is an urgent need to determine the responsibilities of commanders to implement the rights of religious military personnel and the procedure for their implementation.

In this regard, we can turn to the experience of appropriate regulation in the Russian Army and the Russian Imperial Navy. By the way, considering that they were equipped not only Orthodox people, but also representatives of other faiths in the headquarters of military districts and in the fleets, as a rule, there were a Muslim mullah, a Catholic priest, and a Jewish rabbi. Problems of interfaith were also resolved due to the fact that the activities of the military clergy were based on the principles of monotheism, respect for other faiths and the religious rights of their representatives, religious tolerance, and missionary work.

In the recommendations to military priests published in the “Bulletin of the Military Clergy” (1892), it was explained: “... All of us, Christians, Mohammedans, Jews, together at the same time pray to our God - therefore the Lord Almighty, who created heaven, earth and everything, that on earth there is one true God for all of us.”

Military regulations served as the legal basis for attitude towards foreign soldiers. Thus, the charter of 1898 in the article “On worship on a ship” prescribed: “Infidels of Christian denominations perform public prayers according to the rules of their faith, with the permission of the commander, in a designated place, and, if possible, simultaneously with Orthodox worship. During long voyages, they retire, if possible, to their church for prayer and fasting.” The same charter allowed Muslims or Jews on board the ship to “read public prayers according to the rules of their faith: Muslims on Fridays, Jews on Saturdays.” On major holidays, non-Christians, as a rule, were released from service and went ashore.

The issue of interfaith relations was also regulated by circulars of the protopresbyter (chief military priest). One of them suggested: “Avoid, if possible, all religious disputes and denunciations of other confessions” and ensure that regimental and hospital libraries do not receive literature “with harsh expressions addressed to Catholicism, Protestantism and other faiths, since such literary works can offend the religious feelings of those belonging to these confessions and embitter them against the Orthodox Church and sow hostility in military units that is detrimental to the cause.” The greatness of Orthodoxy was recommended to military priests to support “not by words of denunciation of those who believe differently, but by the work of Christian selfless service to both the Orthodox and those of other faiths, remembering that the latter also shed blood for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.”

By the way, imperial permission to build the first mosque in Moscow was given after the victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812. Precisely for the loyalty and blood shed by Russian Muslims for the Fatherland on the battlefield.

The development of the religious situation in the country and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation objectively requires the speedy and in-depth development by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation of a well-thought-out policy in relation to all religious organizations of the country. Continuing the development and deepening of productive cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church, it is necessary to cooperate in the spiritual education of military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces and with other religious faiths traditional for our country, which recognize the defense of the Motherland - Russia as a sacred duty and an honorable duty for their adherents.

When preparing for a lesson, you should, as far as possible, study spiritual sources, commentaries on them, and work with religious literature.

In opening remarks it is necessary to dwell on the historical role of religion in the life of our country and its people, to emphasize the importance of traditional Russian spiritual and religious values in achieving military victories. During the lesson, it is worth giving examples of the views of great Russian commanders, naval commanders, and military leaders on the phenomenon of religious spirituality, and talking about manifestations of the heroism of soldiers who fought for the Faith and the Fatherland.

It is advisable to tell students about the fundamentals of faith of traditional Russian religious denominations, especially emphasizing the common, unifying principles and attitude towards the defense of the Fatherland. Speaking about the inherent religious tolerance of our people, it is important to pay attention to the problems of spiritual security of Russian society, to focus the attention of students on the danger of religious expansion from non-traditional religious and pseudo-religious associations for Russia, and the replacement of traditional spiritual and religious values with alien spirituality of our people.

Using methods of systematization, historical comparison, historical-philosophical and socio-philosophical analysis, it is necessary to show students using specific examples and conclusions that the revival of traditional spirituality can become the key to the invincibility of our people, the basis of the vitality of Russia.

1. ZolotarevABOUT.Army Spirit Strategy. The Army and the Church in Russian History, 988 - 2005. Anthology: 2nd ed., additional: in 2 books. - Chelyabinsk:Society, 2006.

2. Ivashko M., KurylevIN.,Chugunov A.The Lord is my Banner.- M.,2005.

3. Hegumen Savvaty (Perepelkin).Christmas in Grozny. Notes of an Orthodox Pastor. // Reference point. - 2004. - No. 9.

4. Ponchaev Zh.For the revival of Russia, faith and morality are needed. // Reference point. - 2005. - No. 10.£M

5. Chizhik P. Spiritual security of Russian society as a factor in the military security of the state. - M., VU., 2000.

Captain 2nd rank

Mikhail SEVASTYANOV

The modern Constitution defines Russia as a secular state, however, despite this, religion in Russia plays a very important role. There is no single state religion in Russia, because Russian legislation affirms the human right to freedom of religion, as well as the equality of citizens before the law, regardless of their beliefs and religions.

Religion Surveys modern Russia, showed that 85-90% of the country’s residents consider themselves believers. However, no more than 15% of Russians regularly visit religious buildings.

The most widespread religion in Russia today is Orthodoxy, which is professed by about 75% of the country's residents. In second place in popularity is Islam, widespread among the peoples of the North Caucasus, as well as among visitors from countries Central Asia and Azerbaijan. The share of adherents of this denomination in Russia is about 5%. Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Buddhism and other religions in the country each account for approximately 1%.

History of religion in Russia: how it all began

The history of religion in Russia goes back centuries and begins approximately at the same time as the history of Russia as a whole. Already in Ancient Rus' Various cults and beliefs played a large role in the life of society. In the Slavic pantheon there were deities of fertility, sun, fire, wind, etc. In a word, everything that surrounded the inhabitants of Ancient Rus' and on which their well-being directly depended.

In 988, under the reign of Prince Vladimir, the baptism of Rus' took place, after which the folk traditional religions of Russia faded into the background. With the support of the authorities, Orthodoxy began to quickly spread throughout the country and gradually became the official religion in Russia.

For many centuries, public and political life countries were inextricably linked with religion. During the Soviet era, Orthodoxy was banned, but it was not possible to replace religiosity with party power. Now religion in Russia is gaining popularity again.

Orthodoxy: the main religion of Russia

So, at present Orthodoxy is the main religion of Russia. Everyone confesses him Slavic peoples, living in the country, as well as part of large non-Slavic ethnic groups (for example, Chuvash, Mordovians, Komi, Georgians, Ossetians, Armenians, etc.). Other religions of the peoples of Russia include Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, as well as some traditional beliefs that are still common in some ethnic groups.

Despite the fact that the Constitution of the Russian Federation provides for freedom of religion, as well as the equality of all religions, Orthodoxy still occupies a special place in the life of the country and society. Many even call it the national religion of Russia.

Sociological surveys on the topic of religion in Russia show that about 76% of Russians who call themselves Orthodox adhere to church traditions. True, almost every second person admitted that religion for him is more of a tradition of his ancestors than a conscious choice.

There are many religious movements in our country. Freedom of conscience and religion, as well as the right to individually or collectively practice any non-aggressive religion and to publicly disseminate its beliefs and actions are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Religion in Russia is represented by the main world faiths and their ideological branches. The main one is Christianity; it is professed by the largest part of believers. Many citizens, especially eastern and southern regions countries prefer Islam. In Khakassia, Buryatia and some regions of Altai, the population leans towards Buddhism. In Jewish diasporas throughout the country, Judaism predominates.

Since the time of the baptism of Rus' by the Grand Duke Vladimir the Red Sun, Orthodoxy, borrowed from Ancient Byzantium, has become the dominant trend in Russian Christianity. And only in the western regions of the Russian Federation, adjacent to Belarus and the Baltic states, is Catholic Christianity and Protestantism professed.

So how many religions are there in our state, and what is the number of their adherents? According to RAS data from 2013:

Orthodox Christianity in Russia is professed by 79 percent of the country's residents;
spiritual Christianity, which has nothing to do with religion, is represented by 9 percent;
Muslims make up 4 percent;
About 1 percent belong to other faiths;
About 7 percent of Russian people consider themselves atheists.

Thus, the total number of believers in our country, not counting atheists, is close to 93%. Let us consider the features of each religion in Russia separately. All of them have certain historical and national prerequisites and are the spiritual basis for uniting the peoples of the country into one state.

Orthodoxy

The main symbol of Orthodoxy as one of the branches of Christianity is faith in Jesus Christ - the viceroy on earth of the true God and Savior of mankind. According to several versions set forth in the canonical and apocryphal Gospels, God the Father sent his son into our sinful world to correct the vices of people and make them worthy of God’s attention. Jesus showed people an example of piety and asceticism, and it cost him his life. He was crucified on the cross next to ordinary robbers, but on the third day after death, the resurrection occurred, and he showed people that he really knew how to perform miracles.

The main concept of Christianity is that God is one, but he can exist in three persons at once: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is where the very origin of the word “Trinity” comes from, the doctrine of which was introduced into Christianity by Theophilus of Antilochus at the time of the birth of this religion in the 2nd century AD.

Being born from Holy Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit, Jesus appeared on Earth to deliver humanity from Satan, who imposed curses, sinfulness and death on people. Having redeemed these misfortunes by the very fact of his death, the Son of Man rose again and thereby showed others the possibility of atonement for sins before the gates of Paradise, gave faith in the resurrection of everyone and eternal life for all the righteous.

Christianity is personified by the name of the founder - Christ, because he is directly related to the formation of this religion. This man deliberately sacrificed himself for the sake of his other contemporaries and predecessors, who suffered as a result of the excommunication of Adam and Eve from God. Christ again turned the face of God to them and through himself atoned for part of their sin.

Faith in Christ

Why did belief in Christ become one of the world's largest religions? The reason is in a holistic worldview, which includes three principles, without which no traditional religion is possible:

Belief in the existence of God.
Recognition of the ideology of a given religion.
Following its canons.

Otherwise, we can only talk about some kind of shamanism, fetishism, magic or something similar, which is an unconventional religious movement, or a pseudo-religion.

An important feature of Orthodoxy is the reliance of God on man. Only man, according to Christ, is the measure of everything in the world. This wisdom came from the philosophers of Ancient Greece. Christianity brought into it only a close connection between man and God. The Almighty corrects a person’s behavior and puts his thoughts in order.

The declaration of Christ's teaching is demonstrated by his "Sermon on the Mount", in which he shows his disciples and followers true path to the Heavenly Kingdom. This is a kind of moral code of Christianity.

The modern world is multifaceted. This also applies to religious movements, as well as their preachers. They impose certain ideals on believers, sometimes at odds with their own standards of life. Orthodoxy in this sense does not impose anything on anyone, but simply calls to believe in God as the highest personification of world justice, which does not conflict with national interests and is official religion in Russia, the same as Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.

In Orthodoxy, God personifies everything best qualities man - truth, wisdom, love, bliss, goodness, beauty, power, eternal life. All of them are in a harmonious relationship with each other.

Catholicism

The term “Catholicism,” which means “universal” in Greek, was first introduced by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, a follower of John the Theologian, in 110 AD. It was later formalized by the Council of Nicaea. This term indicated the beginning of a schism between the Byzantine and Roman Christian churches, which concerned mainly some basic church rituals.

This doctrine, just like Orthodoxy, is focused on the Holy Scriptures, the Bible and the Catechism, which sets out the sacraments of the Catholic Church. There are seven of them:

baptism, the procedure of which is described in the canonical gospels;
sacrament of marriage;
confirmation, or anointing;
Eucharist;
sacrament of confession;
consecration with oil;
sacrament of the priesthood.

In addition, the Catholic faith takes into account doctrinal provisions that distinguish it from other faiths that make up Christianity:

For Catholics, the Holy Spirit comes equally from the Father and the Son, and not from one of them (this is expressed by the term “filioque”);
The Virgin Mary conceived immaculately, only then did her pregnancy with Christ turn into bodily form;
Sinners who deviate from the teachings of the Catholic Church end up in Purgatory;
Repentant sinners receive indulgences that forgive their sins;
Cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Exaltation of saints, martyrs, blessed ones with honors equal to God;
Assertion of the dominion of the Roman Church over all the Catholic Churches of the world as the direct successor of St. Peter the Apostle;
Strict subordination of all branches of the Catholic Church (compare: the Orthodox Church is autocephalous, that is, independent of any other church);
The infallibility of the Pope in all matters relating to faith in God and morality.
The sanctity of marriage. It cannot be terminated only at the wishes of the parties, only with the permission of the church.

The difference between the Orthodox and Catholic churches

The difference between the Orthodox and Catholic churches also concerns rituals. Latin rituals have their own characteristics:

the name of the Son is always added to the creed of God in the filioque;
in any church parish there must be a priest;
Baptism among Catholics is carried out not by immersion in water, as in Orthodoxy, but by sprinkling the head with water;
Confirmation can only be carried out by a bishop; a simple priest has the right to do this only if the death of the person being confessed is approaching;
at the Eucharist, not leavened bread is used, like the Orthodox, but unleavened bread;
laity receive communion with the Body or Blood of Christ, priests receive communion only with the Body and Blood, that is, full communion;
The sign of the cross among Catholics is made from left to right and with all fingers of the hand, since they symbolize precisely the five wounds of Christ during the crucifixion.

Protestantism

Protestantism is one of the directions of Christianity, as important as Catholicism and Orthodoxy. It is a religious association of Protestant churches, ideologically originating from the era of the Reformation and opposing classical Catholicism in Europe, making it either more liberal or more conservative.

Protestant theology was formed in the 16th-17th centuries. The main ideologists of Protestant teaching during the Reformation were John Calvin, Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, and Ulrich Zwingli. Later it was developed by A. Harnack, F. Schleiermacher, E. Troeltsch and others. A new trend in Protestant theology marks the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The basis of Protestantism is the same beliefs in God, in his trinity, heaven and hell, immortality human soul the same as Christians. But unlike Catholics, Protestants reject the image of Purgatory, believing that only faith in Christ - his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the dead - can give final forgiveness to sinners.

Protestants believe that the only source of Christian teaching is the Bible. Studying its canons and applying them in one’s own practice is the most important task of true believers. At the same time, Protestant missionaries are trying to make the Bible accessible to all believers, translating it into all their national languages. This book, which is essentially the history of the ordeals of the Jewish people, has become an indisputable authority for Protestants. With its help, all other religious teachings, actions and opinions are evaluated. Anything that is not confirmed in the Bible is not subject to the fulfillment of believers.

The indisputability of Holy Scripture.
The priesthood is for all believers without exception.
Salvation through personal faith.

Protestant theology in its classical form is very strict about faith, the doctrine of salvation, the church and the sacraments. The external, ritual side of church life becomes less significant for Protestants. Hence the wide variety of formalities while simultaneously observing the basic tenets of the doctrine.

Teachings in Protestantism

Time has formed many of its own teachings in Protestantism. Some of them began to go beyond classical doctrines. For example, convincing adherents of certain teachings that they possess a prophetic gift. This is how the Seventh-day Adventist sect and some other movements were formed, based on the revelations and visions of their founders.

Of all the sacraments that Protestants adhere to, only two are supported by all teachings - communion and the sacrament of baptism. All others are considered conditional. In this case, baptism can be performed at any age, while in order to receive the sacrament the candidate must undergo confirmation - a special preparatory ritual.

Confession and marriage, as well as other similar sacraments among Protestants, are simply related to traditional rituals. They also welcome prayers in honor of the dead and saints, although they treat them with respect. They do not worship the relics of the dead, considering this ritual to be inconsistent with the Holy Scriptures and reminiscent of ordinary idolatry.

In the houses of worship, adherents of this faith do not have any of the decorations common to most churches. Prayers can be performed in any buildings that are completely unsuitable for worship, because, according to the conviction of believers, it should not be focused on contemplation beautiful interior, but on prayers, singing psalms, church sermons and singing hymns in the language of the flock.

Spiritual Christianity

Spiritual Christianity includes several movements that appeared in Russia at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. The most famous of them:

Doukhobors;
Molokans;
eunuchs;
Khlysty, or believers of Christ.

All these, as they called themselves, people of God lacked any Orthodox orthodoxy in their services. This can most likely be explained simply by the poverty of the flock, which came from runaway serfs. That is why they were persecuted in Russia during both the imperial and Soviet periods.

Whips

The Khlysty are the oldest non-traditional movement in the spiritual Orthodox Christianity of Rus'. According to one version, it developed from the Old Believers during the persecution of them by the official Orthodox Church under Patriarch Nikon and Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich. Later, the Khlysty sect was fragmented into several communities that were completely independent of each other, so their cult became different in many ways.

The Bible is interpreted by Christian believers as an allegory that allows the believer to communicate with God, the Son and the Holy Spirit directly without intermediaries in the form of the Orthodox Church. According to their belief, God is incarnated in a righteous person, and then he becomes a kind of image of Christ - a whip, a prophet or the Mother of God.

The religious tradition of the Christian believers was very ascetic. Basically, it consisted of so-called zeal - prayer rituals that brought believers to ecstasy and even clouding of consciousness. For some time the whips still visited orthodox churches, then formed their own communities, which they called “ships.” After the abolition of serfdom, these ships acquired their own symbolic names, such as, for example, Old or New Israel and Fasters.

The Soviet government, not inclined to recognize religion in general, also persecuted the Khlys. The number of their communities decreased significantly and by about the mid-70s last century There was no longer any information about the activities of the Khlys in Russia.

Skoptsy

They are the radical wing of opposition Orthodox Christianity. Etymologically it goes back to whips. Kondraty Selivanov, its founder, declared himself the son of God and began to preach the physical blindness of his flock (skopchestvo) as the only remedy for worldly temptation, leading to the salvation of the soul.

In contrast to Christianity, which affected mainly the peasantry, skopchestvo gained popularity among the merchants, even among the nobles. The latter circumstance gave their communities significant wealth. During the period of collectivization, this played a cruel joke on them. The Skoptsi communities were destroyed as kulaks.

Molokans

These are one of the later branches of Russian spiritual Christianity, essentially classical Protestantism. The Bible here acts as the basic law of behavior for believers. At their prayer meetings, the Molokans read texts from the Holy Scriptures. The Molokans do not welcome any religious rites, not even baptism with water. They are baptized with the Holy Spirit, that is, with constant faith in God. Piety is paramount to them, just as it is to Protestants.

TO end of the 19th century centuries, the Molokans were divided into permanent and “jumpers”. Last title reflects a feature of the prayer ritual: they raise their arms and jump during ecstasy. Because of their eccentricity, many Molokans were exiled to the Caucasus or emigrated to America.

Currently, Molokan centers operate in all major cities of the country. Basically they represent permanent Molokans, close to Protestants, but Russian.

Dukhobretsy

Russian Doukhobors are also close to Protestantism. They reject all attributes of external religiosity; there are no icons in houses of worship, there is no priesthood and no respect for the sacraments. They see God in all natural phenomena and objects and extol personal communication with God. They do not see the holy book in the Bible and prefer the Doukhobor psalms in their original presentation. A large number of Doukhobors now live in the Caucasus and Canada.

Islam

According to Muslim theologians, Islam arose around 662. New era. It absorbed much of the dogma of Judaism and Christianity, including their mythology. This allowed Islam to quite a short time to become a full-fledged religion with its own Bible, which here is called the Koran, and the sayings of God (Allah) are called sunnah.

The main canons of Islam are set out in the “Pillars of Faith”:

Allah is the only creator of everything that exists in the world, faith in him is immutable;
Polytheism is a sin worse than which there is no sin;
Angels are Allah’s closest helpers; faith in them should be as strong as in God himself;
All scriptures that were sent down to earth by Allah are sacred and are accepted blindly, on faith;
Prophets are considered messengers of Allah and should be received with the highest honors;
Judgment Day is inevitable, the world is facing a universal catastrophe. But he will perish and rise again;
Hell and heaven exist;
Man's destiny is predetermined. Everything happens only by the will of Allah.

The religious pillars of Islam practiced in the Muslim tradition include:

Shahad - rituals for confessing faith;
namaz - communication with God through prayer;
zakat is a type of tax on the congregation for the needs of poor Muslims;
saum - observance of religious fasting in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Ramadan);
Jihad is the fight for the purity of faith.

Judaism

Judaism does not have any specific creed in the form of a briefly formulated doctrine. Jewish theologians are guided mainly by the commandments of Moses, bequeathed to the people along the way from Egyptian slavery. There are 613 of them in total, only 10 are better known. But, according to theologians and philosophers, this is simply the subjective point of view of some theologians.

The following principles are the foundation of Judaism:

faith in Yahweh, the one and undeniable God;
the belief that the Jewish people are God's chosen people;
faith in the appearance of the Messiah on earth;
belief in an immortal soul;
belief in the afterlife and eternal life.

Judaism is a monotheic religion. Its God is eternal, immaterial, omnipresent and incorporeal. Worshiping anyone other than Yahweh is a great sin: not the stars, not the angels, not the saints.

The world was created by God simply by looking in just seven days. Man is the pinnacle of this world. Man is both material and spiritual. Due to the fact of his creation by God, he cannot be inherently sinful in principle. All human sins are the result of insufficient faith in the Almighty.

Only Yahweh is the only true God, which means that only Yahweh, or Jehovah, must be worshiped. Betrayal of your God is the most serious sin. Jehovah specifically gave freedom to the Jews, elevated them so that they could adequately communicate with God. Only in this way do Jews become a truly free people. If a person from another religion converts to Judaism, he is recognized as having the right to make this choice. Refusal from Judaism is prohibited.

The Jews descended from Abraham by the will of God. The Lord entered into an eternal covenant with him and his descendants. The symbol of this union was the rite of circumcision. Followers of Judaism are prone to messianism. But they strive to convert others and punish their enemies.

Revelation is the core concept of Judaism. People in it are in second place after God and become the most perfect creation on Earth. Once upon a time, man foolishly turned away from God, hid from him, and went through the path of numerous mistakes associated with suffering and crimes. Only loyalty to God and love for him can return people to a happy life.

Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the oldest world religions, originating in Ancient India and is still the leading denomination there. On the map of the Russian state it is practiced in Buryatia and some regions of Altai. The main difference between Buddhism and other religions is the desire of believers not for God, but for nirvana.

One comes to it through self-denial from the temptations of external life, focusing on the main thing, that is, on the eternal good. Nirvana is achieved through meditation. Whoever completes this path to the end and with success can count on the laurels of Buddha. In other words, everyone will become God if they strive for this.

The diversity of the religious picture that exists in Russia makes it possible not only to realize the greatness and versatility of culture, but also to take advantage of its fruits to achieve the common good of the peoples of the country. Each of our religions creates a special fragment in the picture of the world around us, allows us to comprehend ourselves in it, and contribute to the unification of society.

In this article we will answer the question of what religions exist in Russia. Russian religion is a complex of church movements that have gained a foothold in the lands of the Russian Federation. As a secular country, Rus' is defined by the Constitution in force since 1993.

It is known that at the beginning of the 4th century (the traditional date is 301), King Trdat III declared Christianity the state religion. This is how Armenia turned into the first Christian state on Earth.

Faith and Orthodoxy are an integral part of the life of almost every Armenian. Thus, the 2011 census of Armenians states that 2,858,741 souls profess Christianity of various denominations in the state. This figure indicates that this country has 98.67% God-fearing population.

The religion of Armenians is not the same: 29,280 believers worship the Armenian Evangelical Church, 13,843 - the Armenian Catholic Church, 8,695 consider themselves Jehovah's Witnesses, 7,532 call themselves Orthodox (Chalkadonites), 2,872 - Molokans.

By the way, the Apostolic Armenian Church is among the Orthodox Oriental churches. These include: Coptic, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Malankara and Syrian.

Yezidism

It is known that freedom of religion also exists in Armenia. This country is home to 25,204 adherents of Yazidism (almost 1% of the state's devout population). These are mainly Yazidi Kurds. They live in villages in the Ararat Valley, a little northwest of Yerevan. On September 29, 2012, the Ziarat Temple was inaugurated in the Armavir region of the state.

It is considered the first temple built outside Northern Iraq, the original homeland of the Yazidis. Its task is to satisfy the spiritual needs of the Yezidis of Armenia.

Judaism

God is the Creator of all life on Earth. This opinion is shared by all believers, no matter what religion they belong to. Interestingly, there are up to 3 thousand Jews in Armenia, who mainly live in Yerevan.

Islam

We have analyzed the Christian religion of Armenia. Who in this country welcomes Islam? It is known that this creed is practiced here by Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Persians, Armenians and other peoples. A mosque was built specifically for Muslims in Yerevan.

Today in this state the Muslim Kurdish community includes several hundred souls, most of whom live in the Abovyan region. Some Muslim Azerbaijanis live near the northern and eastern borders of Armenia in villages. In general, there are about one thousand Muslims in Yerevan - Kurds, people from the Middle East, Persians and about 1,500 Armenian women who converted to Islam.

Neopaganism

Aren't you tired of studying the endless religions of peoples? So, let's continue to analyze this most interesting topic. The 2011 census shows that there are 5,434 pagan supporters living in Armenia.

The neo-pagan religious movement is called Getanism. It recreates the established Armenian pre-Christian dogma. Getanism was founded by armenologist Slak Kakosyan on the basis of the writings of Garegin Nzhdeh, the most famous Armenian nationalist.

All neo-pagan sacraments are constantly carried out in the Garni temple. The head of the Armenian pagan communities is the priest Petrosyan Zohrab. No one knows the specific number of followers of this faith. In general, Armenian neo-paganism is popular, as a rule, among fans of ultra-right and nationalist movements.

It is known that well-known Armenian politicians considered themselves titanists: Ashot Navasardyan (founded the ruling Republican Armenian Party) and Margaryan Andranik (former prime minister of the country).

Freedom of belief in Russia

The convictions and religion of the Russian people prompted Emperor Nicholas II in 1905 (April 17) to issue a personal imperial decree for the Senate. This decree spoke about strengthening the origins of religious tolerance. It was this paper that for the first time in the history of Rus' legislated not only the rights to freedom of belief of persons of non-Orthodox faith, but also established that leaving it for other faiths is not subject to persecution. Additionally, the tsar legalized the Old Believers and abolished previously existing prohibitions and restrictions for other Christian denominations.

The Law on Religion states that religion has been a personal matter in Russia since January 20, 1918. This is exactly what the decree of the Council proclaimed People's Commissars RSFSR.

And the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Part 2, Article 14) says that:

Russia is secular country. No religion here can be established as compulsory or state.
Religious communities are separated from the state and are equal before the law. the federal law“On religious coalitions and freedom of conscience” in 1997 recorded “the exclusive role of Orthodoxy in Russian history, in the formation of its culture and spirituality.”

We hope this article helped you get general idea about Russian religions.