Last Friday, November 22, a proposal to constitutionally give Orthodoxy a special status was introduced by the notorious deputy Mizulina.
What could this lead to?
There are many opinions, here are some:
Mikhail Leontyev: "In fact, this is all correct. Undoubtedly, this is historically, politically, and ethically justified. I would ultimately baptize everyone, perhaps practically by force. Because you cannot leave people without grace. Children are baptized without asking, Why should we ask the rest? Vladimir the Holy did not ask when he drove people into the Dnieper. As a result, we have Russian statehood."
Nikolai Svanidze: “Clumsy attempts to increase such an official status of religion can only turn people away from it. As history shows, in particular the history of the Russian Empire, when the Bolsheviks after the revolution began to simply trample the church in the literal sense of the word, kill priests, destroy church buildings, rob churches, there was resistance, I would say, not very serious on the part of the public. Not very serious. And in many ways I attribute this to the fact that Orthodoxy was the official religion. They got enough of it. People don’t like it when they get picked on in the liver."

Now Orthodoxy is considered equal to all religions in Russia, but nevertheless...
- Although in de jure Russia is a secular state in which religion is separated from the state, and all religions are equal in their rights, de facto the authorities officially finance the Russian Orthodox Church MP so that it is engaged in “strengthening the unity of the Russian nation and cultural development peoples of Russia".
- the basics of Orthodox culture are introduced in schools, Orthodox departments in universities
- Soviet holidays are replaced by Orthodox ones and the turnout for these holidays is the same as in the past.
- the institute of regimental priests is being introduced in the army
- in addition to the fact that on TV there is an official Orthodox channel; on all channels, among the main news, events that take place in the Russian Orthodox Church MP are covered, although

1. The Russian Federation is a secular state. No religion can be established as state or compulsory. Religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law.

2. In accordance with the constitutional principle of separation of religious associations from the state, the state:

does not interfere in a citizen’s determination 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;

does not impose on religious associations the functions of state authorities, other state bodies, state institutions and local government bodies;

does not interfere with the activities of religious associations if it does not contradict this Federal Law;

ensures the secular nature of education in state and municipal educational institutions.

3. The state 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 history and culture, as well as in ensuring the teaching of general educational disciplines in educational organizations created by religious organizations in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on education.

4. The activities of state authorities and local governments are not accompanied by public religious rites and ceremonies. Officials of state authorities, other state bodies and local self-government bodies, as well as military personnel, do not have the right to use their official position to form one or another attitude towards religion.

5. In accordance with the constitutional principle of separation of religious associations from the state, a religious association:

is created and operates in accordance with its own hierarchical and institutional structure, selects, appoints and replaces its personnel in accordance with relevant conditions and requirements and in the manner provided for by its internal regulations;

(see text in the previous edition)

does not perform the functions of state authorities, other state bodies, state institutions and local government bodies;

does not participate in elections to state authorities and local self-government bodies;

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 in the eastern and southern regions of the country, prefer Islam. In Khakassia, Buryatia and some regions of Altai, the population leans toward 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 of the Blessed 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 a holistic worldview, which includes three principles, without which no traditional religion is possible:

1. Belief in the existence of God.
2. Recognition of the ideology of a given religion.
3. 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 the 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 an official religion in Russia, the same as Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.

In Orthodoxy, God personifies all the best qualities of a person - truth, wisdom, love, bliss, goodness, beauty, power, eternal life. All of them are in 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, the immortality of the human soul, 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 considered traditional rites. 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 building that is completely unsuitable for worship, because, according to believers, it should be focused not on contemplating a 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 worship 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 split 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 Khlysts still attended Orthodox churches, then they formed their own communities, which they called “ships.” After the abolition of Serfdom, these ships acquired their own symbolic names, such as Old or New Israel and Postniks.

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 of the 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.

By the end of the 19th century, the Molokans were divided into regulars and “jumpers”. The last name reflects the peculiarity 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 AD. It absorbed much of the dogma of Judaism and Christianity, including their mythology. This allowed Islam to become a full-fledged religion in a fairly short time with its own Bible, which is called the Koran here, and the sayings of God (Allah) - the 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: neither the stars, nor the angels, nor 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 to their faith 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 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 faith 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 surrounding world, allows us to comprehend ourselves in it, and contribute to the unification of society.

“The attitude of society towards religion is one of the key characteristics of the national self-identification of every people. With the advent of Orthodoxy to the Eastern Slavs, the Spirit of the Russian World, its spiritual basis (“soul of the soul”) was born and refined. Orthodoxy for a Russian person is not one of many religions, but a system of the very spiritual life of our people,” says an article by the famous politician, Doctor of Law Sergei Baburin, published by the newspaper “Rus Derzhavnaya” (the text of the article is provided by the portal “Interfax-Religion”) .

In this regard, the politician believes, “the main obstacle to ridding our Fatherland from spiritual and social defilement, from the new great Troubles, is a number of norms of the constitutions in force in the post-Soviet space, they are the ones that hinder the real return of Orthodoxy.”

Therefore, S. Baburin suggests that it is necessary to fundamentally correct Articles 13 and 14 of the Russian Constitution, as well as the corresponding articles of the Constitutions of Belarus and Ukraine. “Remember the formula of Art. 13 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: “Ideological diversity is recognized in the Russian Federation. No ideology can be established as state and mandatory.” In the Ukrainian Constitution this is Part 2 of Art. 15: “No ideology can be recognized by the state as mandatory.” Of course, this is a belated fear of Marxism-Leninism. But if someone says that this norm is a triumph of pluralism, then he is seriously mistaken. Nihilism was proclaimed as a constitutional principle; good and evil were equalized in constitutions. Hypocrisy and sincerity, the ideology of labor and the ideology of fraud are declared equal. Ideological diversity, like the denial of ideology, is also an ideology that denies spiritual and moral values ​​with unconditional commitment and state coercion,” the publication says.

Further, Baburin notes, according to Art. 14 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: “No religion can be established as state or compulsory. Religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law,” however, he is sure that the identification of religion and religious association is unlawful, and this wording of the Constitution “was inherited from the Bolshevik revolutionaries.”

As an example, the politician cites articles of the Soviet Constitution. Art. 13 of the first Soviet Constitution - the Constitution of the RSFSR of 1918, adopted “at the moment of the decisive struggle of the proletariat against its exploiters”, established the norm: “In order to ensure real freedom of conscience for the working people, the church is separated from the state, and the school from the church.” This “separation” was repeated by the USSR constitutions of 1936 and 1977, corresponding to the constitutions of the union republics. “The current Russian “liberals” in the main ideological issues remain remarkably faithful to the harshest secular Bolshevism. Just like the Ukrainian pseudo-liberals, because in Part 3 of Art. 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine stipulates: “The church and religious organizations in Ukraine are separated from the state, and the school is separated from the church. No religion can be recognized by the state as compulsory,” states S. Baburin.

Meanwhile, it is said further, the modern approaches of many countries assume a completely different attitude to religion and believers, to ideological principles and historical traditions, to the national characteristics of each people than in the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

“Orthodoxy came to Rus' from Byzantium - the Eastern Roman Empire. The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, having absorbed over centuries the traditions and way of life of the Eastern Slavs, the Finno-Ugric and Turkic tribes that reunited with them, and created the Russian nation, its national identity, its civilizational values ​​and the Russian Spirit itself, which embraced both Great Russians and Belarusians, and Ukrainians. There is no reason, other than nihilistic and cosmopolitan malice, to talk about the equality of religions on the territory of the three East Slavic states. Although Article 16 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus says, unfortunately: “Religions and faiths are equal before the law.” Equal, but not religions and creeds, but religious associations,” emphasizes S. Baburin.

In this regard, the politician calls for a distinction between Orthodoxy as a religion and the Russian Orthodox Church as a religious association. “But we should also speak specially about the Orthodox religious association on the territory of historical Russia,” he writes. “This is written most accurately in the post-Soviet space in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus: “The relationship between the state and religious organizations is regulated by law, taking into account their influence on the formation of spiritual, cultural and state traditions of the Belarusian people” (Article 16).”

Therefore, S. Baburin emphasizes, “for us, the experience of the Greeks as a people, where the foundation of the entire Orthodox tradition is preserved, is especially significant. And not even that the Greek Constitution even regulates the status of Holy Mount Athos (Article 105 of the Constitution). The main thing is what is the general attitude of society and the state towards Orthodoxy.” Thus, the politician notes, in the Greek Constitution, Art. 3 begins with the words: “The dominant religion in Greece is that of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ.” According to the Constitution, the oath in the name of the Holy, Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity is included in the oath of both the president and deputies of the Greek Parliament. And this despite the fact that in Greece there are many citizens of other religions.

“I am convinced that similar norms are necessary for the constitutions of Belarus, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. Orthodoxy for us is an indispensable condition for national self-identification. All other religions are equally worthy, but historically for our peoples they are secondary. (...) It’s time to get rid of the nihilistic Bolshevism of constitutions, calls Sergei Baburin. - For the sake of preserving Russian civilization, Orthodoxy in Russia needs constitutional rehabilitation. In the Preamble, or in the 1st or 2nd article of the Constitution, it should be proclaimed: “The dominant religion in the Russian Federation is Orthodoxy - the religion of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ.”

According to the politician, “all world religions are interested in Russia in the constitutional rehabilitation of Orthodoxy, because this means the return of the state to God, and God is one.” “If we do not free ourselves from nihilism and Russophobia in the constitutions of our own states, then all talk about the return of spirituality, morality and their basis - Orthodoxy - to our lives will remain self-deception or deceit. For modern Russia it should become obvious: having freed itself from the poisonous influence of nihilistic delusions, having restored its integrity, Russian society will be able not only to revive the legitimacy of power, not only to strengthen the Russian Federation, but also to regain its civilizational attractiveness, and therefore once again become a reliable anchor of the Russian world ", concludes Sergei Baburin.

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 residents of Armenia states that Christianity of various denominations in the state is professed by 2,858,741 souls. 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 slightly 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 examined 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, we continue to further analyze this 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 of People's Commissars of the RSFSR proclaimed.

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

• Russia is a 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 a general idea of ​​Russian religions.