Religion in Russia

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Religion in Russia is diverse. The largest single faith is Orthodox Christianity, and Russia has the world’s largest Orthodox population.

The constitution guarantees freedom of conscience for all citizens and recognizes the importance of Orthodox Christianity in Russian history. It also respects Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and other religions and creeds that are part of Russia’s heritage, including ethnic religions and revived pagan traditions.

A group can be recognized as “traditional” if it existed before 1982. New religious groups must provide credentials and re-register every year for fifteen years; during that time they have limited rights.

The Russian Orthodox Church is the de facto privileged church. It often influences which other groups can register, and there have been disputes over church property and jurisdiction. Some older churches have limited rights, and the Catholic Church faces restrictions on its territorial presence.

Freedom of religion has been a topic of concern. Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned, and there have been crackdowns on religious groups in recent years. Western observers have noted growing restrictions since the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been a revival of traditional beliefs and the growth of new religious movements. Siberian shamanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and various modern and eclectic movements have appeared, alongside Islam, Judaism, and other faiths.

Counting how many people follow each religion is complex. Different methods (ethnic background, self-identification, or actual religious observance) can give very different results. Self-identification is often used, but it may not reflect how people actually practice.

In summary, Christianity—especially Orthodoxy—is the largest religious presence in Russia, but the country hosts a wide range of faiths and spiritual movements. The state gives special status to the Orthodox Church while continuing to grapple with questions about religious freedom and pluralism.