Exploring the Diversity of Russia’s Religions
Exploring the Diversity of Russia’s Religions Russia is a culturally diverse and historically rich nation with a deep-seated tradition of religious practices and beliefs. Just as the Russian landscape is varied, so too is the spiritual landscape, with orthodox and folk religions representing the bulk of historic Russian religious activity. But does this still hold true in modern Russia? How much has religion changed over the last century, and what role does it play in the lives of citizens today? To begin to answer this question, it is first important to gain an understanding of the contentious relationship between the Russian state and religion. During Soviet rule, the government sought to control the population in part through control of religious outgrowths. This control included strict repression of public expressions of religion, including the destruction of churches and monasteries, and jailing or exile to those opposed to the regime. While in more recent decades the Russian gov...