Russia is a huge state uniting many nations with one word "Russians". However, this does not prevent each people from having their own religious traditions and customs. Many foreigners are surprised and delighted by the way the issue of religion is treated in our country. In Russia, none of the religious movements can take the status of the dominant one, 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 this. But still, what religions exist in Russia? Are there really so many diverse movements in the country that peacefully coexist with each other? We will try to answer these and other questions in the article.
Consider the topic under the prism of the law
Freedom of religion in Russia is constitutionally enshrined. Citizens decide for themselves what to believe in and which temples to visit. Also, you can always remain an atheist and not support any of the confessions. And there are a lot of them on the territory of the country: according to the latest data, seventy religious denominations active in the state. Based on this, we can safely conclude that the issue of religion in Russia is not acute. 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. There are criminal penalties for such acts.
Such an attitude towards religion ensures the inviolability and invariability of freedom of religion in Russia. Many scientists believe that this is predetermined historically. After all, our country has always been a multinational state, where conflicts on the basis of religious hatred have never arisen. All nations and peoples have respected each other's rights and beliefs for many centuries. This situation is observed even 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.
The religious composition of the population of Russia
It is not difficult to determine the types of religion in Russia. This can be approximately done by every resident of the country, having a sufficient number of friends and acquaintances. Most likely, among them will be Christians, Buddhists and even adherents of Islam. However, these are far from all the 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 focus on official statistics, then Christianity can be called the main religion in Russia. It is noteworthy that it is followed by a large part of the population. But at the same time, religion is represented by all the main branches:
- orthodoxy;
- Catholicism;
- Protestantism.
What religion in Russia can be put in second place in terms of prevalence? Oddly enough for many, but 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 as a 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 confessions and religious self-identification of citizens. Therefore, it is possible to extract any useful information only from sociological surveys of the population, and it is difficult to vouch for their reliability. Moreover, most of the sociologists' data are rather contradictory, and only after a thorough comparative analysis can any conclusions be drawn.
Based on the latest data Russian Academy sciences (2012-2013), then in percentage terms the religious picture is as follows:
- Seventy-nine percent of the respondents consider themselves Orthodox;
- Muslims - four percent of Russians;
- 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 identified themselves as atheists.
And here is what the list of religions in Russia looks like for the same years as a percentage, according to data from one of the sociological organizations:
- Orthodoxy is professed by sixty-four percent of Russians;
- other Christian movements - one percent;
- Islam, six percent;
- other religions, one percent;
- about four percent of citizens cannot self-determine.
As you can see, information from different sources is slightly different from each other. However, such statistics of religions in Russia does not distort the overall picture.
Christianity in Russia
Over the past decades, the population of our country has increasingly begun to return to the religious traditions of their ancestors. People again reached out to the temples and began to try to observe religious traditions and prescriptions. Most of the population remained faithful to the traditional religion - Christianity. In Russia, it is practiced by more than half of the country's population. However, not all of those who identified themselves with this religion attend temples and services. Most often they are called nominally Christians, meaning by this the centuries-old traditions of the Slavic people as a whole.
But do not forget that religion itself has several currents and representatives of almost everyone live on the territory of the Russian state:
- orthodoxy;
- Catholicism;
- Protestantism;
- Old Believers and other few currents.
If we state the facts without going into details, then the overwhelming majority of followers in Russia is Orthodoxy. And only then the rest of the currents follow. But all of them 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 put them on different sides of the barrier. However, in reality, 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 reports, more than eighty million people profess Orthodoxy. They live in different regions Russian Federation and dominate them. Naturally, the main part of believers is the Russian population. But there are many Orthodox peoples among other peoples, they include themselves:
- Karelians;
- Mari;
- Chukchi;
- Enets;
- Evenks;
- tofalars;
- Kalmyks;
- Greeks and so on.
Sociologists count at least sixty nationalities, which, 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 well as the attitude towards the confession. In some times, Catholics were highly respected, in others they were persecuted by the state authorities and the Orthodox Church.
After the revolution of the seventeenth year, the number of Catholics was significantly reduced, and only in the nineties, when the attitude towards religion in general changed, the 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 into four large dioceses.
Protestantism
This Christian denomination is one of the largest in our country. According to three years ago, it has about three million people. Such an incredible number of believers may raise doubts about the correctness of the calculations, but it must be borne in mind 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 in the number of believers.
Orthodox associations in Russia: Old Believers
We have already mentioned that numerous religions in Russia, including Christianity, are divided 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 various currents that have their own parishes and churches.
A vast community of Old Believers lives in the vast Russian expanses. This Orthodox trend was formed in the seventeenth century after the rejection church reform. Patriarch Nikon ordered that all religious books be brought into line 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 also not united. They are divided into several church associations:
- priests;
- bespopovtsy;
- co-religionists;
- ancient Orthodox church;
- andreevtsy and similar groups.
According to rather rough estimates, each association has several thousand followers.
Islam
Data on the number of Muslims in Russia is often distorted. Experts say that Islam is practiced by about eight million people in the country. But the highest clergy themselves give completely different figures - about 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 most of the Muslims call themselves "ethnic". They are traditionally associated with this religion, but they themselves do not adhere to certain rituals, traditions, and very rarely visit the mosque.
Historians note that the Slavs are very closely connected with Islam. In the fourteenth century, it was the state religion in part of the Russian territories. Once they were Muslim khanates, but were annexed to the lands of Rus' as a result of conquests.
The most numerous people professing Islam are the Tatars. They play an important role in governing the denomination and preserving the cultural traditions of their ancestors.
Judaism
Representatives of this religious trend in Russia are at least one and a half million people. Most 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 in the country. A distinctive feature of the Jews living in Russia is their adherence to traditions. They regularly visit the synagogue with the whole family and perform all the prescribed rituals.
Buddhism
There are about two million Buddhists in our country. This is mainly the population of three Russian regions:
- Buryatia;
- Tuva;
- Kalmykia.
The main part of the representatives of this confession are ethnic Buddhists. They profess one religion from generation to generation and pass traditions on to their children. Over the past decades, Buddhism has become extremely popular. Many begin to study its basics for the sake of interest and then become its active followers.
The plans to build a datsan in Moscow testify to the popularization of this religious movement. This temple should turn out to be one of the largest and most luxurious in Russia.
Other religions and common beliefs
A low percentage of followers of some beliefs does not allow them to be distinguished into large and significant denominations, however, in recent years there has been an increase in all kinds of religious associations.
Of great interest is the occult, Eastern practices and neopagan 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 yet to be able to contain it.
Do not forget about shamanism. Many peoples, including the Udmurts, Maris and Chuvashs, 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 the settlements, you can often meet followers of the Rodnovers. They revive long forgotten traditions and worship the forces of nature. There is also such a trend as folk Orthodoxy. It is somewhat akin to paganism, but has bright distinctive features.
Prohibited Religions in Russia
Despite the fact that religious freedom is sacredly observed in our country, there are certain organizations that are banned in Russia. Destructive sects and extremist groups fall into this category. What is meant by this wording? 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 there are people who are members of religious groups. They are subordinate to the spiritual leader and are often completely under his control. The organizers of such groups have hypnotic abilities, knowledge of neuro-linguistic programming and other talents that allow them to control the masses. Associations with leaders who skillfully govern and direct their flock in ways that harm their mental and physical health, and material well-being are called "sects". Moreover, most of them have the prefix "destructive". They influence the consciousness of people and profit at their expense. Unfortunately, there were many such organizations in Russia. We will mention some of the forbidden sects in this section in more detail:
- "White Brotherhood". The leader of the organization was a former KGB officer who skillfully applied his knowledge in practice. Approximately ten years ago, the leadership of the sect was 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 get into its ranks about three hundred thousand adherents of different ages. The purpose of the work of the leaders of the organization was enrichment. They skillfully controlled the crowd, bringing it with words and a colorful show almost to ecstasy. In this state, people were ready to give the leaders all their property and be left with nothing.
- "Jehovah witnesses". This sect is familiar to almost any Russian, its adherents have a habit of knocking on every apartment in search of new members of the organization. The technology of recruiting sectarians is so subtly thought out that people did not even notice how they became part of a religious organization. However, the activities of the leaders pursued purely mercantile goals.
Many extremist organizations that base their activities on religious beliefs and exist for the sake of terror are unknown to the common man. However, their list is quite extensive, we cannot give it completely within the framework of the article. But we list some groupings:
- "Islamic State". There is hardly a person who does not know this name. An organization that organizes terrorist acts around the world has been banned on Russian territory for two years now.
- 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 punished according to the laws of the Russian Federation.
Many countries believe that the example of Russia, which has 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.
Formally, there is no state religion in Russia. But in fact, it's more likely to be. Clericalism in Russia is the norm, and this is most often associated with the so-called. traditions, while ignoring the basic law, according to which the state is separated from religion.
So why does the state need the ROC? This question was answered by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) in a secret conversation with the American Ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle. It is important to note that the secret report was "leaked" to the network by hackers from the well-known organization WikiLeaks.
It is important to note that in fact this is a state secret, for which some informants are now in prison. There, of course, it is not only about the ROC. In the United States, this was called "disclosure of state secrets."
It is clear that US officials want to know the real situation, whatever it may be. In general, the ambassador spoke frankly with the priest, and naturally, the priest told him that:
"The main role of the Russian Orthodox Church is to provide propaganda for the official policy of the government"
Actually, there can be no other motives. The state is actively promoting the ROC wherever possible. The Russian Orthodox Church is already promoting a religious cult in schools, concluding agreements with the Ministry of Health, and the patriarch also speaks in the State Duma, where he proposes to introduce the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" in all school classes, make theology a scientific specialty and ban free abortions. By the way, almost immediately after the speech of the chief priest of the Russian Federation, theology really became a scientific specialty.
Obviously, the church is used by the government in the same sense as state TV channels, various “social movements” like Nashi, NOD, ONF, and so on.
If they do not spare money for some paid provocateurs, then one should not be surprised that officials are ready to invest in the ROC, although the effectiveness of the ROC is very doubtful, despite popular opinions. And the main goal of officials today is to increase this very efficiency.
If the number of sincere supporters of the ROC grows, then there will be more "loyal" ones. Alas, the history of officials teaches nothing. Yes, and this once again confirms the well-known statement of Engels:
“Every religion is nothing more than a fantastic reflection in the minds of people of those external forces that dominate them in their daily life, a reflection in which earthly forces take the form of unearthly ones”
Ambassador Beyrle also noted that the ROC will expand its activities as much as possible. Moreover, the metropolitan pays special attention to children's education. And this is due primarily to a weak influence on society, which is recognized in the church. On everyday life For Russians, the church has practically no influence.
Therefore, administrative measures have to push the church there. Schools, hospitals, etc. social institutions. Hilarion said:
"We must overcome the cultural and psychological barriers that separate religious and secular life in Russia"
Here is the situation in 1992:
“In the article “The Orthodox Church in Russia: Recent Past and Possible Future,” Abbot Innokenty, referring to data from the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, noted that in 1992, 47% of the population identified themselves as Orthodox. Of these, only about 10% more or less regularly attend church services (the author, as a practicing clergyman, believes that this figure is too high). If we talk not only about these Orthodox, but also those who strive in life to comply with the norms of Christian morality, then their number, even 10 years later, is from 2 to 3% of the population. For the majority, this is not about religiosity, but about national self-identification: for these people, considering themselves Orthodox is a sign of their “Russianness” ”(Garadzha. Sociology of Religion)
Religion in Russia The current (1993) Constitution of Russia defines the Russian Federation as a secular state. The constitution guarantees "freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess, individually or jointly with others, any religion or not to profess any, to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them." Federal Law No. 125-FZ of 26 September 1997 “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” confirms “equality before the law, regardless of attitude to religion and beliefs.”
Religious and national restrictions, which were legally enshrined in the laws of the Russian Empire, were abolished by the Provisional Government on March 20, 1917.
In Russia there is no special federal state body designed to control the observance of the law by religious associations (which was the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the USSR); but, according to experts, amendments made in July 2008 to the Federal Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" dated September 26, 1997, may indicate the forthcoming creation of an appropriate "authorized executive body." On August 26, 2008, it was reported that by decree of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan M. Shaimiev, the Council for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of Tatarstan was transformed into the Department for Religious Affairs, thus regaining the powers of a state body.
The main religions represented in Russia are Christianity (mainly Orthodoxy, there are also Catholics and Protestants), as well as Islam and Buddhism.
Total number of believers
In Russia today there are no official statistics on membership in religious organizations: the law prohibits requiring citizens to declare their religious affiliation. Thus, the religiosity of Russians and their confessional self-identification can only be judged by sociological surveys of the population. The results of such polls are very contradictory.
According to the Russian Independent Institute for Social and Ethnic Problems (2007), 47% of respondents call themselves believers in God. Of these, almost half have never opened the Bible, only 10% regularly attend church, observe all the rites and rituals, and 43% go to church only on holidays.
According to an all-Russian survey conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center in March 2010, the population of the country classifies itself as belonging to the following confessions:
- Orthodoxy - 75%
- Islam - 5%
- Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Buddhism - 1% each
- Other confessions - about 1%
- Non-believers - 8%
In addition, 3% of respondents expressed the opinion that they are believers, but do not identify themselves with any particular denomination. In the same time religious rites only 66% of Russians observe it, and then only on holidays or occasionally. For comparison: according to a 2006 survey, all the rituals of their religion were observed by 22% of all believers (regardless of confessional affiliation).
Christianity in Russia
All three main directions of Christianity are represented in Russia - Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. In addition, there are followers of various new Christian movements, cults and sects.
Orthodoxy
Federal Law No. 125-FZ of September 26, 1997 “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations”, which replaced the Law of the RSFSR of October 25, 1990 No. 267-I “On Freedom of Religion”, in the preamble contains recognition of the “special role of Orthodoxy in the history of Russia”.
Orthodoxy (in the understanding of the term by state bodies and religious scholars) in the Russian Federation is represented by the Russian Orthodox Church, Old Believer associations, as well as a number of non-canonical (alternative) Orthodox organizations of the Russian tradition.
The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest religious association in Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church considers itself historically the first Christian community in Russia: the official state foundation was laid by the holy prince Vladimir in 988, according to traditional historiography.
According to the head of the Russian Public Movement, political scientist Pavel Svyatenkov (January 2009), the ROC de facto occupies a special position in modern Russian society and political life:
Researcher Nikolai Mitrokhin wrote (2006):
The prevalence of Orthodoxy in Russia
According to an all-Russian poll conducted by VTsIOM in March 2010, 75% of Russians identify themselves as Orthodox Christians, while only 54% of them are familiar with the content of the Bible. About 73% of Orthodox respondents observe religious customs and holidays.
Mikhail Askoldovich Tarusin, head of the sociological department of the Institute for Public Design, commented on these data:
This number doesn't mean much.<...>If these data can be considered an indicator of anything, then only the modern Russian national identity. But not real religious affiliation.<...>If we consider as Orthodox "church" people those who participate in the Sacraments of Confession and Communion at least once or twice a year, then Orthodox 18-20%.<...>Thus, about 60% of VTsIOM respondents Orthodox people are not. If they go to the temple, then several times a year, as in a certain service of domestic services - to consecrate the Easter cake, Epiphany water take… And some of them don’t go even then, moreover, many may not believe in God, but at the same time they call themselves Orthodox. |
According to analysts, sociological polls indicate that the majority identify themselves with Orthodoxy on the basis of national self-consciousness.
Orthodox observance of church rites
According to a survey conducted by VTsIOM in 2006, only 9% of respondents who called themselves Orthodox noted that they observe all religious rites and participate in church life. At the same time, 36% noted that Orthodoxy is a tradition of their ancestors for them. According to a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation in January-February 2010, only 4% of Orthodox Russians regularly attend church and receive communion.
The Ministry of the Interior estimates that worshipers make up less than 2% of the population. So, on Easter 2003, from 8:00 pm on Great Saturday to 6 am on Easter Sunday, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 63,000 people entered the churches of Moscow (compared to 180,000 in 1992-1994), that is, about half of one percent of the actual population of the city. 4.5 million Russians took part in Easter services on the night of April 19, 2009. At the same time, 5.1 million people visited cemeteries on Easter. About 2.3 million Russians took part in Christmas services from 6 to 7 January 2008.
On January 10, 2008, the head of the press service of the Moscow Patriarchate, priest Vladimir Vigilyansky, expressed his disagreement with the statistics of attendance at churches in the capital at Christmas, which had previously been cited by law enforcement agencies, saying: “The official figures are very underestimated. It always amazes me where these numbers come from and what the purpose of this approach is. I think we can safely say that about a million believers visited Moscow churches on Christmas this year.” A similar opinion was expressed in April 2008 by a DECR officer, priest Mikhail Prokopenko.
Percentage of Russians attending church services
According to Andrey Kuraev, the problem is related to the acute shortage of churches in Moscow. He argues that according to sociological estimates, about 5% of Muscovites are actively churching, and churches can accommodate only a fifth.
The decline in practical religiosity in the Russian Orthodox Church compared to the 1990s was noted by Patriarch Alexy II in 2003: “Temples are empty. And they are emptying not only because the number of temples is increasing.”.
According to a 2008 VTsIOM poll, 27% of respondents who identified themselves as Orthodox do not know any of the Ten Commandments. The commandment “Thou shalt not kill” was able to remember only 56% of the survey participants.
Archpriest Alexander Kuzin, commenting on the results of the VTsIOM poll, according to which the majority of Russians call on the church to revise moral norms, noted:
Catholicism
The historical presence of Latin Christianity in the lands of the Eastern Slavs dates back to the early days of Kievan Rus. At different times, the attitude of the rulers of the Russian state towards Catholics changed from complete rejection to benevolence. At present, the Catholic community in Russia numbers several hundred thousand people.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the Catholic Church continued its free activity in Russia for some time, but from the beginning of the 1920s Soviet authority began a policy of eradication of Catholicism in Russia. In the 20s and 30s of the XX century, many Catholic priests were arrested and shot, almost all churches were closed and looted. Almost all active parishioners were repressed and exiled. In the period after the Great Patriotic War in the RSFSR, only two operating catholic temple, church of St. Louis in Moscow and the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Leningrad.
Since the early 1990s, the Catholic Church has been able to function freely in Russia. Two Apostolic administrations for Latin Rite Catholics were created, which were subsequently transformed into dioceses; as well as a college of Catholic theology and a higher theological seminary.
According to the data of the Federal Registration Service for December 2006, there are about 230 parishes in Russia, a quarter of them do not have temple buildings. Organizationally, the parishes are united into four dioceses, which together make up the metropolis:
- Archdiocese of the Mother of God
- Transfiguration diocese in Novosibirsk
- Diocese of Saint Joseph in Irkutsk
- Diocese of St. Clement in Saratov
The estimate of the number of Catholics in Russia is approximate. In 1996-1997 there were from 200 to 500 thousand people.
Protestantism
Protestantism is represented in Russia by the following denominations:
- Lutheranism
- Evangelical Christian Baptists
- Evangelical Christians (Pentecostals)
- Mennonites
- Seventh Day Adventists
Lutheranism
- Lutheran Church in Russia
Other
Antitrinitarians
Jehovah witnesses
population Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as of March 2010 is 162.182 people. In 2010, about 6,600 people in Russia were baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses. Despite the constant growth of the organization, they still remain a religious minority in Russia, accounting for about 0.2% of the country's population.
- Christadelphians
Spiritual Christianity
- Molokans
- Doukhobors.
Islam
According to experts (during the last census, the question of religious affiliation was not asked), there are about 8 million Muslims in Russia. According to the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the European part of the Russian Federation, there are about 20 million Muslims in Russia. According to VTsIOM data based on the results of an all-Russian survey (January 2010), the proportion of those who call themselves followers of Islam (as a worldview or religion) in 2009 in Russia decreased from 7% to 5% of respondents.
Most of them are the so-called "ethnic" Muslims, who do not comply with the requirements of the Muslim faith, and identify themselves with Islam in connection with tradition or place of residence (there are especially many of these in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan). Communities are stronger in the Caucasus (excluding the Christian region of North Ossetia).
Most Muslims live in the Volga-Ural region, as well as in the North Caucasus, in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Western Siberia.
Religious organizations and leaders
- Talgat Tadzhuddin - Supreme Mufti (Mufti Sheikh-ul-Islam) of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia and the European CIS countries (TsDUM) (Ufa).
- Ravil Gainutdin - Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, head of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the European part of Russia (Moscow).
- Nafigulla Ashirov - head of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Asian part of Russia, co-chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia.
- Muhammad-hadzhi Rakhimov - Chairman of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord (All-Russian Muftiate), Mufti of Russia (Moscow).
- Magomed Albogachiev - and. O. Chairman of the Muslim Coordinating Center North Caucasus.
Islam in the history of Russia
In a number of lands that are now part of Russia, Islam existed for centuries as the state religion. During the Islamic period of the Golden Horde (1312-1480), Christian principalities were in vassal dependence on Muslim uluses and khanates. After the unification of the Russian lands by Ivan III and his successors, part of the Muslim khanates began to be dependent on Orthodox monarchy, and part was annexed by the Russian state.
Islam was first adopted as a state religion in the Volga Bulgaria in 922 (modern Tatarstan, Chuvashia, Ulyanovsk and Samara region). The competition of the Volga Bulgaria with Kievan Rus ended in the middle of the 13th century, when both states were conquered by the Tatar-Mongols. In 1312 in Ulus Jochi(Golden Horde) Islam was adopted as the state religion. The state power placed the princes in submission to the emirs, Baskaks and other representatives of the Tatar-Mongol khans. The Great Yasa served as civil law in the Ulus of Jochi, whose authority dates back to Genghis Khan. The most important decisions were made jointly by the nobility at kurultais. On the territory of the Ulus Jochi, it was allowed to send Christian faith, although the Orthodox metropolitan and the clergy, under pain of death, were charged with the duty of "praying to God for the khan, his family and his army."
The successors of the Ulus Jochi were the Great Horde ( Ulug Ulus, 1433-1502), the Nogai Horde (XIV-XVIII centuries), as well as a number of khanates, some of which survived in Russia until the end of the XVIII century. For example, until 1783, part of the Crimean Khanate was located on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory.
In 1552, Ivan IV the Terrible, by way of conquest, annexed the Kazan, and in 1556 the Astrakhan khanates. Gradually, other Islamic states were annexed to Tsarist Rus' and Russia by military means.
In the eighteenth-nineteenth centuries, the North Caucasian territories, populated mainly by Muslims, were introduced into the Russian Empire.
According to the All-Russian census of 2002, the Tatars occupy the second largest place among the peoples inhabiting modern Russia (more than 5.5 million people). Tatars make up the vast majority of Muslims in Russia and are the northernmost Muslim people in the world. Traditionally, Tatar Islam has always been characterized by moderation and lack of fanaticism. Tatar women often played an important role in the social life of the Tatars. One of the very first Muslim women to become heads of state was Syuyumbike, the queen of the Kazan Khanate in the 16th century.
Simultaneously with the collapse of the USSR, the disintegration of the united spiritual administrations began in the country. The Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of the North Caucasus broke up into 7 directorates, after which two more were formed. Then the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the European part of the USSR and Siberia with its center in Ufa disintegrated. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan, then Bashkortostan, was the first to emerge from its composition, followed by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Siberia.
Only in 1993 did the reverse process begin and a decision was made to establish the Spiritual Board of Muslims in the European part of Russia. In July 1996, the heads of the most authoritative spiritual administrations decided to create the Council of Muftis of Russia. The Council meets at least twice a year for expanded meetings with the participation of leaders of Islamic educational institutions. The Chairman of the Council is elected for 5 years.
The Muslims of the North Caucasus created their own coordination center. At the same time, the spiritual administrations of Muslims of the Chechen Republic, the Republic of North Ossetia, the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Ingushetia are also included in the Council of Muftis of Russia.
Judaism
The number of Jews is about 1.5 million. Of these, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FEOR), about 500 thousand live in Moscow, and about 170 thousand in St. Petersburg. There are about 70 synagogues in Russia.
Along with FEOR, another large association of religious Jewish communities is the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia.
According to the 2002 census, the official number of Jews in Russia is 233,439 people.
Buddhism
Buddhism is traditional for three regions of the Russian Federation: Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia. According to the Buddhist Association of Russia, the number of people practicing Buddhism is 1.5-2 million.
The number of "ethnic Buddhists" in Russia, in accordance with the data of the All-Russian population census held in 2002, was: Buryats - 445 thousand people, Kalmyks - 174 thousand and Tuvans - 243 thousand people; total - no more than 900 thousand people.
In the 90s of the 20th century, through the efforts of foreign missionaries and domestic ascetics, Buddhist communities began to appear in large cities, usually belonging to the Far Eastern Zen school or the Tibetan direction.
The world's northernmost datsan "Gunzechoinei", built before the Revolution in Petrograd, now serves as a tourist and cult center of Buddhist culture. Preparations are underway for the construction of a Buddhist temple in Moscow, which could unite Buddhists around itself in joint practice.
Other forms of religion and paganism
The indigenous inhabitants of the Siberian and Far Eastern regions, as well as part of the Finno-Ugric peoples (Mari, Udmurts, etc.) and Chuvash, along with officially professed Orthodoxy, to a greater or lesser extent retain elements of traditional beliefs. Depending on the preservation of the traditional element, their beliefs can be characterized as shamanism or folk Orthodoxy. The term "folk Orthodoxy" (Christianity, which absorbed many pagan elements) can be applied to most Russians, especially those living in rural areas.
Many peoples of Russia are trying to revive traditional beliefs. All received religious movements are designated by the general term "neopaganism".
In the urban environment, in addition to traditional religions, new religious movements of the occult, eastern (Tantrism, etc.) and neo-pagan (the so-called "rodnovery", etc.) sense are widespread.
Religion and State
According to the Constitution, Russia is a secular state in which no religion can be established as a state or obligatory one. The dominant trend in modern Russia is the clericalization of the country - the gradual implementation of the model with the dominant (some say - the state) religion. In practice, in Russia there is no clear demarcation line between the state and religion, beyond which state life ends and confessional life begins. Some supporters of Orthodoxy believe that the separation of religious associations from the state proclaimed by the Constitution is a consequence of communist stereotypes in public opinion. Member of the RAS Commission for Combating Pseudoscience and Falsification scientific research V. Kuvakin considers the desire to turn Orthodoxy into a state religion, that is, into a state ideology, a great historical mistake of the current leadership of Russia, which directly contradicts the Constitution.
Clericalization
Religion penetrates almost all spheres of public life, including those areas that are separated from religion according to the Constitution: state bodies, schools, the army, science and education. Thus, the State Duma agreed with the Moscow Patriarchate to hold preliminary consultations on all issues of doubt. In Russian schools, the subjects of "the foundations of religious cultures" appeared, in some state universities there is a specialty in theology. A new position appeared in the staff list of the Russian Armed Forces - a military priest (chaplain). A number of ministries, departments, state institutions have their own religious temples, often in these ministries and departments there are public councils for covering religious topics. Jan. 7 ( Orthodox Christmas) is an official non-working holiday in Russia.
Religious culture in schools
The introduction of the course "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into the program of general education public schools on an optional basis began in certain regions of the country in the late 1990s. Since 2006, the course has become mandatory in four regions: Belgorod, Kaluga, Bryansk and Smolensk. Since 2007, it was planned to add several more regions to them. The experience of introducing the course in the Belgorod region was criticized and supported. Supporters of the subject and representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church argued that "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" is a culturological course that does not aim to introduce students to religious life. They emphasized that acquaintance with Orthodox culture could be useful for representatives of other faiths. Opponents of the course pointed out that, in accordance with the law “On freedom of conscience and on religious associations”, the state must ensure the secular nature of education, that according to the Constitution all religions are equal before the law and none of them can be established as a state one, and that the compulsory study of such a subject violates the rights of schoolchildren belonging to other religions and atheists.
On April 1, 2010, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation included in the school curriculum the subject "Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics" as a federal component, first experimentally in 19 regions of Russia, and if the experiment was successful, in all regions since 2012. The subject includes 6 modules, from which students, at their choice or the choice of their parents (legal representatives), can choose one to study:
- "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture"
- "Fundamentals Islamic culture»
- "Fundamentals of Buddhist Culture"
- "Fundamentals of Jewish Culture"
- "Fundamentals of World Religious Cultures"
- "Fundamentals of Secular Ethics"
The experts made an unequivocal conclusion about the inadmissibility of using textbooks on the modules of the foundations of religious cultures, published in 2010, in Russian schools. Textbooks contain numerous signs of a gross violation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, aggressively impose on students a certain religious ideology that is openly hostile to a secular state. The textbooks are untenable in scientific terms, they do not define the concept of "religious culture" and instead of it, a flatly filed religious doctrine is introduced, leading to the substitution of culture for dogma. No scientific discussion of these textbooks was supposed, the process of creating a textbook in terms of the modules of the foundations of religious cultures was deliberately planned in such a way as to completely transfer it to confessions, removing scientists from any participation.
Discussion around the letter of academicians
In August 2007, the so-called “letter of academicians” caused a resonance in society and the media. Ten academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences, including two Nobel laureates V. L. Ginzburg and Zh. I. Alferov, addressed an open letter to the President of the country, in which they expressed serious concern about the “increasing clericalization of Russian society” and the active penetration of the church into all spheres of public life, including the public education system. The letter expressed concern that instead of a cultural subject on religions, schools were trying to introduce compulsory teaching of the dogma, that the inclusion of the specialty "theology" in the list of scientific specialties of the Higher Attestation Commission would be contrary to the Russian Constitution. The letter was supported by many public figures, including member of the Public Chamber VL Glazychev. The letter and its support by members of the Public Chamber provoked sharp criticism from representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, in particular, Archpriest V. Chaplin and the head of the press service of the Russian Orthodox Church MP V. Vigilyansky. The letter served as an information occasion for a broad discussion of issues related to the relationship between the church and society.
Interreligious relations
In 1998, the Interreligious Council of Russia (IRC) was created, which brings together spiritual leaders and representatives of the four traditional faiths in Russia: Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. Inter-religious relations in Russia are complicated by armed conflicts in the North Caucasus / The inter-ethnic contradictions existing in Russia between the Slavs and representatives of peoples who traditionally profess Islam (Chechens, Azerbaijanis, ...) are complicated by inter-religious contradictions. On March 11, 2006, the Council of Muftis of Russia opposed the introduction of the institution of full-time regimental priests in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the introduction of the subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" into the curriculum of the country's secondary schools. A number of muftis expressed disagreement with such statements, noting that they undermine the foundations of interreligious dialogue.
Liquidation and prohibition of the activities of religious organizations in post-Soviet Russia
In 1996, 11 criminal cases were initiated in Russia under article 239 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Organization of an association that infringes on the personality and rights of citizens”, in 1997 and 1998 - 2 and 5 cases, respectively.
Since 2002, the legal status of religious organizations has been regulated by the Federal Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" No. 125-FZ. According to Article 14 of this Law, a religious organization may be liquidated and its activities prohibited by the courts. The reason for this is, in particular, the extremist activity (extremism) of a religious organization in the definition of Article 1 of the Federal Law "On countering extremist activity" dated July 25, 2002 No. 114-FZ.
According to the Russian Ministry of Justice, during 2003, 31 local religious organizations were liquidated for gross violations of the norms of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal legislation. Repeated violations of constitutional norms and legislation were revealed in 1 centralized and 8 local religious organizations, which were also liquidated. In addition, 1 centralized and 12 local religious organizations were liquidated by court decisions for the systematic implementation of activities that contradicted the statutory goals. In total, in 2003, 225 religious organizations were liquidated by decisions of the judiciary, including those related to the Russian Orthodox Church - 71, Islam - 42, evangelism - 14, Baptism - 13, Pentecostalism - 12, Buddhism - 11.
To date, on the basis of the Federal Law "On Counteracting Extremist Activity", court decisions on the liquidation or ban on the activities of 9 religious organizations have come into legal force. In particular, such decisions were made in 2004 in relation to 3 religious organizations of the Old Russian Inglistic Church of Orthodox Old Believers-Ynglings, in 2009 in relation to 1 local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses "Taganrog" (as of January 1, 2008, 398 local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses were registered in Russia). Religious organizations whose activities have been suspended due to their extremist activities are currently absent.
The list of religious organizations in respect of which a court has made a decision that has entered into legal force to liquidate or ban activities on the grounds provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation, as well as a list of religious organizations whose activities have been suspended due to their extremist activities, is maintained and published by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.
At the beginning of 2010, 23,494 religious organizations were registered in Russia.
1. The Russian Federation is a secular state. No religion can be established as a state or obligatory one.
2. Religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law.
Commentary on Article 14 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation
1. A state is considered secular in which there is no official, state religion and none of the creeds is recognized as obligatory or preferable. In such a state, religion, its canons and dogmas, as well as religious associations operating in it, have no right to influence political system, on the activities of state bodies and their officials, on the system of public education and other areas of state activity. The secular nature of the state is ensured, as a rule, by the separation of the church (religious associations) from the state and the secular nature of public education (separation of the school from the church). This form of relationship between the state and the church has been established with varying degrees of consistency in a number of countries (USA, France, Poland, etc.).
In the modern world there are states where the official religion is legalized, called the state, dominant or national. For example, in England such a religion is one of the main directions of Christianity - Protestantism (Anglican Church), in Israel - Judaism. There are states where the equality of all religions is proclaimed (Germany, Italy, Japan, etc.). However, in such a state, one of the most traditional religions, as a rule, enjoys certain privileges, provides known influence on his life.
The opposite of a secular state is the theocratic, in which state power belongs to the church hierarchy. Such a state today is the Vatican.
There are also a number of clerical states in the world. The clerical state is not merged with the church. However, the church, through the institutions established in the legislation, has a decisive influence on state policy, and school education necessarily includes the study of church dogmas. Such a state is, for example, Iran.
2. As a secular state, the Russian Federation is characterized by the fact that in it religious associations are separated from the state and no religion can be established as a state or obligatory one. The content of this provision is disclosed by Art. 4 of the Law on Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations, which states that religious associations are equal before the law.
The separation of religious associations from the state means that the state does not interfere in the determination by a citizen of his attitude to religion and religious affiliation, in the upbringing of children by parents or persons replacing them, in accordance with their convictions and taking into account the child's right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. The state does not impose on religious associations the performance of the functions of state authorities, other state bodies, state institutions and local governments; does not interfere in the activities of religious associations, if it does not contradict the law; ensures the secular nature of education in state and municipal educational institutions. The activities of public authorities and local self-government bodies may not be accompanied by public religious rites and ceremonies. Officials of state authorities, other state bodies and local self-government bodies, as well as military personnel are not entitled to use their official position to form one or another attitude towards religion.
At the same time, the state protects the legal activities of religious associations. It regulates the provision of tax and other benefits to religious organizations, provides financial, material and other assistance to religious organizations in the restoration, maintenance and protection of buildings and objects that are monuments of cultural history, as well as in ensuring the teaching of general education disciplines in educational institutions established by religious organizations in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on education.
In accordance with the constitutional principle of separation of religious associations from the state, a religious association is created and carries out its activities in accordance with its own hierarchical and institutional structure, selects, appoints and replaces its personnel in accordance with its own regulations. It does not perform the functions of state authorities, other state bodies, state institutions and local self-government bodies, does not participate in elections to state authorities and local self-government bodies, does not participate in the activities of political parties and political movements, does not provide them with material and other assistance. In the Russian Federation, as a democratic and secular state, a religious association cannot replace a political party; it is supra-party and non-political. But this does not mean that the clergy cannot be elected to state authorities and local self-government bodies at all. However, the clergy are not elected to these bodies from religious associations and not as representatives of the respective church.
Principle secular state in the understanding that has developed in countries with a mono-confessional and mono-ethnic structure of society and with developed traditions of religious tolerance and pluralism, allows in some countries to allow political parties based on the ideology of Christian democracy, since the concept of "Christian" in this case goes beyond confessional boundaries and denotes belonging to the European system of values and culture.
In multinational and multi-confessional Russia, such concepts as "Orthodox", "Muslim", "Russian", "Bashkir", etc., are associated in the public mind more with specific confessions and individual nations than with the system of values of the Russian people as a whole. Therefore, the constitutional principle of a democratic and secular state in relation to the constitutional and historical realities that have developed in Russia does not allow the creation of political parties on the basis of national or religious affiliation. Such a prohibition corresponds to the authentic meaning of Art. 13 and 14 of the Constitution in conjunction with its Art. 19 (parts 1 and 2), 28 and 29 (see comments to articles 13, 14, 19, 28 and 29) and is a specification of the provisions contained therein (see Resolution of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of December 15, 2004 N 18-P).
The separation of religious associations from the state does not entail restriction of the rights of members of these associations to participate on an equal basis with other citizens in the management of state affairs, in elections to state authorities and local self-government bodies, in the activities of political parties, political movements and other public associations.
Religious associations in the Russian Federation operate on the basis of their own rules, subject to the law. Such a law regulating these issues is the mentioned Law on freedom of conscience and on religious associations. According to this Law, a religious association in the Russian Federation is a voluntary association of citizens of the Russian Federation, other persons permanently and legally residing on the territory of the Russian Federation, formed for the purpose of joint confession and the spread of faith and having the following characteristics corresponding to this goal: religion; performing divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies; teaching religion and religious education of their followers. Religious associations may be created in the form of religious groups and religious organizations.
A religious group is a voluntary association of citizens formed for the purpose of joint confession and dissemination of faith, carrying out activities without state registration and acquiring the legal capacity of a legal entity. The premises and property necessary for the activities of a religious group shall be provided for the use of the group by its members. Religious groups have the right to perform divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies, as well as to carry out religious education and religious education of their followers.
A religious organization is a voluntary association of citizens of the Russian Federation or other persons permanently and legally residing on the territory of the Russian Federation, formed for the purpose of joint confession and dissemination of faith, registered as a legal entity in accordance with the procedure established by law.
Religious organizations, depending on the territorial scope of their activities, are divided into local and centralized. A local religious organization is a religious organization consisting of at least 10 members who have reached the age of 18 and permanently reside in the same locality or in the same urban or rural settlement. A centralized religious organization is a religious organization that, in accordance with its charter, consists of at least three local religious organizations.
State registration of religious organizations is carried out by the federal body of justice or its territorial body in the manner prescribed by the current legislation. Re-registration of religious organizations cannot be carried out contrary to the conditions, which, by virtue of paragraph 1 of Art. 9 and paragraph 5 of Art. 11 of the Law on Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations are necessary and sufficient for the establishment and registration of religious organizations. It follows from these norms that the re-registration of religious organizations established before the entry into force of this Law, as well as local religious organizations that are part of the structure of a centralized religious organization, does not require a document confirming their existence in the relevant territory for at least 15 years; such religious organizations are not subject to the annual re-registration requirement before the specified 15-year period; they cannot be limited in legal capacity on the basis of par. 3 and 4 paragraph 3 of Art. 27 (see Resolution of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of November 23, 1999 N 16-P).
Religious organizations have the right to establish and maintain religious buildings and structures, other places and objects specially designed for worship, prayer and religious meetings, religious veneration (pilgrimage). Divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies are freely performed in religious buildings and structures and in territories related to them, in other places provided to religious organizations for these purposes, in places of pilgrimage, in institutions and enterprises of religious organizations, in cemeteries and crematoria, as well as in residential premises.
Religious organizations have the right to conduct religious ceremonies in medical and preventive and hospital institutions, orphanages for the elderly and disabled, in institutions executing criminal sentences of deprivation of liberty, at the request of citizens in them, in premises specially allocated by the administration for these purposes. The command of military units, taking into account the requirements of military regulations, is not entitled to prevent the participation of military personnel in worship and other religious rites and ceremonies. In other cases, public worship, other religious rites and ceremonies are carried out in the manner prescribed for rallies, processions and demonstrations.
At the request of religious organizations, the relevant state authorities in Russia have the right to declare Religious holidays non-working (holiday) days in the respective territories. Such public holidays announced, for example, the Nativity of Christ, a number of Muslim religious holidays.
Religious organizations have the right to: produce, acquire, exploit, replicate and distribute religious literature, printed, audio and video materials and other religious items; carry out charitable and cultural and educational activities; create institutions for professional religious education (spiritual educational institutions) for the training of students and religious personnel; carry out entrepreneurial activities and create their own enterprises in the manner prescribed by the legislation of the Russian Federation; establish and maintain international relations and contacts, including for the purpose of pilgrimage, participation in meetings and other events, to receive religious education, as well as invite foreign citizens for these purposes.
Religious organizations may own buildings, land plots, industrial, social, charitable, cultural, educational and other purposes, religious objects, funds and other property necessary to ensure their activities, including those classified as historical and cultural monuments. Religious organizations may own property abroad.
It is prohibited to establish religious associations in state authorities, other government bodies, public institutions and local self-government bodies, military units, state and municipal organizations, as well as religious associations whose goals and actions are contrary to the law.
Religious organizations may be liquidated by a decision of their founders or by a body authorized to do so by the charter of a religious organization, as well as by a court decision in the event of repeated or gross violations of the norms of the Constitution, federal laws, or in the event of a religious organization systematically carrying out activities that contradict the goals of its creation (charter goals).
It must be said that certain provisions of the Law on Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations have repeatedly served as the subject of consideration by the Constitutional Court. However, each time the Court recognized them as not contradicting the Constitution.
Thus, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation adopted the Ruling of April 13, 2000 N 46-O on the complaint of the regional association "Independent Russian Region of the Society of Jesus" on violations of constitutional rights and freedoms, paragraphs 3-5 of Art. 8, art. 9 and 13, paragraphs 3 and 4 of Art. 27 of the Law on freedom of conscience and on religious associations * (77).
The Court concluded that the challenged provisions of the Law on Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations, as applied to their effect on religious organizations established before the entry into force of this Law, did not violate the applicant's constitutional rights and freedoms.
You certainly heard the words - church, mosque, Judaism, Buddha, Muslim, Orthodoxy? All these words are closely related to faith in God. In our diverse and multiethnic country, there are four main religions. They are different, but they all say that you need to love a person, live in peace, respect elders, do good deeds for the benefit of people, and protect your homeland.
1. RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
everything you need to know
This is the most widespread religion in our country, which has a long history (more than a thousand years). For a long time, Orthodoxy was the only religion professed by the Russian people. And to this day, most of the Russian people profess the Orthodox Faith.
The basis of Orthodoxy is faith in God the Trinity, in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In 1988, the Orthodox peoples of Russia celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity. This date marked the anniversary of his approval as official religion the ancient Russian state - Kievan Rus, which, according to the annals, occurred under the holy prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.
First Christian temple, erected in the capital of Kievan Rus, was the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Every Orthodox must fulfill the 10 commandments that God gave to Moses and the people of Israel. They were written on stone boards (tablets). The first four talk about love for God, the last six about love for one's neighbor, that is, for all people.
The Bible, as the sacred book of Christianity, is a collection of books that are considered Holy Scripture in Christianity, for everything that is written in the biblical books is dictated to people by God himself. The Bible is divided into two parts: Old Testament and the New Testament.
CHRISTIAN COMMANDMENTS
1st commandment.
I am the Lord your God; May you have no other gods besides Me. With this commandment, God says that you need to know and honor Him alone, commands you to believe in Him, hope in Him, love Him.
2nd commandment.
You shall not make for yourself an idol (statue) or any image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the waters under the earth; do not worship or serve them. - God forbids worshiping idols or any material images of an invented deity, Icons, or images, it is not a sin to bow, because when we pray before them, we bow not to wood or paints, but to God depicted on the icon or His saints, imagining them in the mind in front of us.
3rd commandment.
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. God forbids the use of the name of God when it should not, for example, in jokes, in empty conversations. It is also forbidden by the same commandment: to scold God, to swear by God if you speak a lie. The name of God can be pronounced when we pray, we have pious conversations.
4th commandment.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Work for six days and do all your works in them, and the seventh day (day of rest) is Saturday (let it be dedicated) to the Lord your God. He commands us to work six days of the week, and dedicate the seventh day to good deeds: pray to God in church, read soulful books at home, give alms, and so on.
5th commandment.
Honor your father and your mother (so that you may be well and) so that your days on earth may be long. - With this commandment, God commands to honor parents, obey them, help them in their labors and needs.
6th commandment.
Dont kill. God forbids killing, that is, taking the life of a person.
7th commandment.
Don't commit adultery. This commandment forbids adultery, immoderation in food, drunkenness.
8th commandment.
Don't steal. You cannot take someone else's property by any illegal means.
9th commandment.
Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. God forbids to deceive, lie, snitch.
10th commandment.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, (nor his field), nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, (nor any of his cattle), anything that is with your neighbor. This commandment is forbidden not only to do something bad to your neighbor, but also to wish him harm.
Defense of the Fatherland, defense of the Motherland is one of the greatest ministries of an Orthodox Christian. Orthodox Church teaches that any war is evil, because it is associated with hatred, discord, violence and even murder, which is a terrible mortal sin. However, the war in defense of one's Fatherland is blessed by the Church and military service is revered as the highest service.
2. ISLAM IN RUSSIA
everything you need to know
“Heart of Chechnya”, Photo: Timur Agirov
Islam is the youngest of the world's religions.
The term "Islam" means "submission" to the will of God, and the one who submits is called "Muslim" (hence "Muslim"). The number of Muslim citizens of the Russian Federation is estimated today at about 20 million people.
Allah is the name of the Muslim God. In order to avoid the righteous wrath of Allah and to achieve eternal life it is necessary to follow his will in everything and keep his commandments.
Islam is not only a religion, but also a way of life. Each person is assigned two angels: one records his good deeds, the other - bad. In the lower ranks of this hierarchy are the jinn. Muslims believe that the genus of jinn was created from fire, they are usually evil.
God has declared that the day will come when all will stand before His judgment. On that day, every person's deeds will be weighed in the balance. Those whose good deeds outweigh their bad ones will be rewarded with paradise; those whose evil deeds are more difficult will be condemned to hell. But what matters in our life more, good or bad, is known only to God. Therefore, no Muslim knows for sure whether God will accept him into paradise.
Islam teaches to love people. Help those in need. Respect elders. Honor your parents.
Pray (salat). A Muslim every day must say seventeen prayers - rak'ahs. Prayers are performed five times a day - at sunrise, at noon, at 3-4 pm, at sunset and 2 hours after sunset.
Giving alms (zakat). Muslims are required to give one fortieth of their income to the poor and needy;
Make a pilgrimage (hajj). Every Muslim is obliged to travel to Mecca at least once in his life, if only his health and means allow him.
Muslim temples are called Mosques, the roof of the mosque is crowned with a minaret. The minaret is a tower about 30 meters high, from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer.
Muezzin, muezzin, azanchi - in Islam, a mosque attendant who calls Muslims to prayer.
The main book of Muslims: the Quran - in Arabic it means "what is read, pronounced."
The oldest lists of the Koran that have come down to us date back to the 7th-8th centuries. One of them is kept in Mecca, in the Kaaba, next to the black stone. Another one is located in Medina in a special room located in the courtyard of the Prophet's mosque. Eat ancient list Qur'an in the National Library of Egypt in Cairo. One of the lists, called "Osman's Quran", is kept in Uzbekistan. This text got its name due to the fact that, according to tradition, it was covered with the blood of Caliph Osman, who was killed in 656. There are indeed traces of blood on the pages of this list.
The Quran consists of 114 chapters. They are called "suras". Each sura consists of verses (“ayats” - from the Arabic word meaning “miracle, sign”).
Later, the Koran appeared hadith - stories about the actions and sayings of Muhammad and his companions. They were combined into collections under the name "Sunnah". On the basis of the Qur'an and hadith, Muslim theologians developed "Sharia" - "the right way" - a set of principles and rules of conduct that is mandatory for every Muslim.
3. BUDDHISM IN RUSSIA
everything you need to know
Buddhism is a complex religious and philosophical movement, consisting of many branches. Disputes regarding the canon of sacred texts have been going on between different denominations for many hundreds of years. Therefore, it is almost impossible today to give an unambiguous answer to the question of which texts make up the sacred book of Buddhism. Such certainty as scripture among Christians, there is not a trace of it here.
It should be understood that Buddhism is not a religion, and therefore does not imply reckless worship of some divine being. Buddha is not a god, but a person who has achieved absolute enlightenment. Almost anyone can become a Buddha if they properly change their mind. Therefore, almost any guide to action from someone who has achieved some success on the path of enlightenment can be considered sacred, and not any particular book.
In Tibetan, the word "BUDDHA" means - "one who got rid of all bad qualities and developed all good qualities in himself."
Buddhism began to spread in Russia about 400 years ago.
The first lamas-monks came from Mongolia and Tibet.
In 1741 Empress Elizaveta Petrovna by her decree officially recognizes the Buddhist religion.
In their lives, Buddhists are guided by the Buddha's sermons on the "four noble truths" and the "eightfold path":
First truth says that existence is suffering that every living being experiences.
Second truth claims that the cause of suffering is "disturbing emotions" - our desires, hatred, envy and other human vices. Actions form the karma of a person and in the next life he gets what he deserved in the previous one. For example, if a person in real life committed bad deeds, in the next life he may be born as a worm. Even the gods are subject to the law of karma.
The third "noble truth" says that the suppression of disturbing emotions leads to the cessation of suffering, that is, if a person extinguishes hatred, anger, envy and other emotions within himself, then his suffering can stop.
Fourth Truth points to the middle path, according to which the meaning of life is to receive pleasure.This "middle path" is called the "eightfold" because it consists of eight stages or steps: understanding, thought, speech, action, lifestyle, intention, effort and concentration.Following this path leads to the achievement of inner peace, as a person has pacified his thoughts and feelings, develops in himself friendliness, compassion for people.
Buddhism, like Christianity, has its own precepts, the foundations of doctrine, on which the entire structure of belief is based. The 10 commandments of Buddhism are very similar to those of Christianity. With all the outward similarity of the commandments in Buddhism and Christianity, their deep essence is different. In addition to the fact that Buddhism is actually not a faith, it does not in any way call for belief in a god or deity of any kind, its goal is spiritual purification and self-improvement. In this regard, the commandments are just a guide to action, following which you can become better and cleaner, which means you can get at least one step closer to the state of nirvana, absolute enlightenment, moral and spiritual purity.
4. JUDAISM IN RUSSIA
everything you need to know
Judaism is one of the oldest religions that has survived to this day and has a significant number of adherents, mainly among Jewish population V different countries peace.
Judaism is actually the state religion of Israel.
This is the religion of a small but very talented people who have made a huge contribution to the development of mankind.
Judaism preaches that the human soul does not depend on the body, it can exist separately, because God created the soul and it is immortal, and during sleep God takes all souls to heaven. In the morning, God returns souls to some people, but not to others. Those to whom He does not return their souls die in their sleep, and the Jews who woke up in the morning thank God for returning their souls to them.
A believing Jew is ordered to have a beard, let go long hair on the temples (sidelocks), wear a small round cap (kippah), go through the rite of circumcision.
In ancient times, the center of the Jewish cult was the Jerusalem Temple, where the daily sacrifice was performed. When the Temple was destroyed, the place of sacrifice was taken by prayer, for which the Jews began to gather around individual teachers - rabbis.
The Torah is the main book of all Jews. It is always and at all times written by hand, the Torah is kept in synagogues (a place where Jews pray). The Jews believe that it was God who gave people the Torah.
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Now many beautiful temples are being built so that people can come and communicate with God. And it doesn't matter what religion you are if you live in Russia. Our countryit is beautiful because in it people of different faiths and nationalities live in peace and harmony. One Muslim, another Orthodox, the third Buddhist - we all must respect each other's faith.
Because we are all RUSSIANS, citizens of one huge and great country in the world!
