Subjects of the Russian Federation whose peoples profess religions table. Orthodox associations in Russia: Old Believers

Formally, there is no state religion in Russia. But in fact, it’s more likely that there is. 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 Russian Orthodox Church? Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) answered this question in a secret conversation with the American Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle. It is important to note that the secret report was leaked online by hackers from the well-known organization WikiLeaks.

It is important to note that in fact we are talking about state secret, for which some informants are now in prison. Naturally, we are talking not only about the Russian Orthodox Church. In the USA 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 to the priest, and naturally, the priest told him that:

“The main role of the Russian Orthodox Church is to provide propaganda for the official policies of the government”

Actually, there can be no other motives. The state actively promotes the Russian Orthodox Church wherever possible. The Russian Orthodox Church is already promoting religious worship in schools, concluding agreements with the Ministry of Health, and the patriarch also speaks in the State Duma, where he proposes to introduce “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 television channels, various “social movements” like “Nashi”, NOD, ONF, etc.

If they do not spare money on some paid provocateurs, then one should not be surprised that officials are ready to invest in the Russian Orthodox Church, although the effectiveness of the Russian Orthodox Church is very doubtful, despite popular opinions. AND the main objective officials today - to increase this very efficiency.

If the number of sincere supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church grows, then there will be more “loyal” ones. Alas, the history of officials teaches nothing. Yes and this is in Once again confirms famous saying Engels:

“Every religion is nothing more than a fantastic reflection in the heads 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 Russian Orthodox Church will expand its activities as much as possible. Moreover Special attention The Metropolitan devotes particular attention to children's education. And this is primarily due to the weak influence on society, which is recognized in the church. On daily life Among Russians, the church has virtually no influence.

Therefore, we have to use administrative measures to push the church there. To 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 as it was in 1992:

“In the article “The Orthodox Church in Russia: the recent past and possible future,” Abbot Innokenty, citing data from VTsIOM, noted that in 1992, 47% of the population called themselves Orthodox. Of these, only about 10% more or less regularly attend church services (the author, as a practicing clergyman, believes that this figure is overestimated). If we talk not only about these Orthodox Christians, but also those who strive in life to conform to the standards 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”” (Garaja. Sociology of Religion)

The Russian Federation is a multinational state, and this moment Representatives of more than 160 peoples and ethnic groups live in the country. According to the Constitution, all citizens of the Russian Federation, regardless of ethnicity, have equal rights and freedom of religion. Historically, different peoples living on the vast territory of Russia profess different religions and have different customs and traditions. The reason for such a difference in the culture and beliefs of different nationalities is that a few centuries ago, many peoples who live on the territory of the modern Russian Federation did not have any contacts with each other and lived and built their civilizations separately from each other.

If we analyze the population of the Russian Federation by belonging to one or another ethnic group, we can conclude that in different regions countries are dominated by representatives of certain peoples. For example, in the Central and North-Western regions of the country, Russian population, in the Volga region - Russians, Kalmyks and Tatars, in the regions of Western and Central Siberia - Altaians, Kazakhs, Nenets, Khanty, etc., in Eastern Siberia - Buryats, Tuvinians, Khakassians, etc., and in the Far Eastern regions - Yakuts, Chukchi, Chinese, Evens and representatives of many other small peoples. The religions of Russia are as numerous as the peoples inhabiting the state, because at the moment, representative offices of more than 100 religious organizations are officially registered on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Number of believers in Russia and their religions

IN modern Russia There are also adherents of Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, as well as people professing the traditional religions of the peoples of Russia, and members of religious organizations that are classified as totalitarian sects. According to studies by statistical agencies, more than 85% of Russian citizens believe in supernatural forces and belong to one or another religious denomination. In percentage terms, the religious affiliation of citizens of our country is as follows:

• Parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Christian Church - 41%
• Muslims - 7%
• Christians who consider themselves Orthodox, but are not parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church - 4%
• Adherents of paganism, Old Believers and traditional religions of the peoples of Russia -1.5%
• Buddhists - 0.5%
• Protestant Christians - approx. 0.3%
• Catholic Christians - approx. 0.2%
• Adherents of Judaism - approx. 0.1%
• People who believe in the existence of God, but do not identify themselves with any religious denomination - approximately 25%
• Believers professing other religions - 5-6%
• Atheists - approx. 14%.

Since he lives in Russia great amount representatives different nations, and thanks to migration processes, thousands of immigrants from Central Asian countries and a number of other countries move to the country every year for permanent residence, you can determine what religions exist in Russia by simply opening a reference book on religious studies. The Russian Federation can be called a unique country of its kind in terms of religious composition population, since there are both adherents of ancient beliefs and followers of many. Thanks to freedom of religion guaranteed by law, in every major city of the Russian Federation there are Orthodox and Catholic churches, mosques, and representations of numerous Protestant and religious-philosophical movements.

If we consider the religions of Russia on a geographical basis, we can conclude that Christians live in the western, northwestern and central regions of the Russian Federation, in central and eastern Siberia, along with Christians, adherents of the traditional religions of the peoples of Russia live, and North Caucasus predominantly inhabited by Muslims. However, in last years the situation is changing significantly, and in such megacities as, for example, St. Petersburg and Moscow, which during the existence of the Russian Empire were inhabited exclusively by Christians, more and more Muslim communities and Protestant religious organizations are appearing.

Traditional religions of the peoples of Russia

Despite the fact that many Russians are confident that Russia is a primordially Christian power, this is not the case. Christianity began to spread in the territories that are now part of the Russian Federation in the first half of the second millennium AD, and Christian missionaries came to the eastern regions of Russia and Siberia even later - in the 1580s-1700s. Before this, the peoples living on the territory of the modern Russian Federation believed in pagan gods, and their religions had many signs of the most ancient beliefs in the world -.

Slavic tribes that inhabited the territory in the pre-Christian era western Russia, were, like all Slavs, pagans, and worshiped a number of gods identifying the elements, natural and social phenomena. To this day, in different regions of Russia, monuments of pagan Slavic culture have been preserved - statues of ancient gods carved from wood, the remains of temples, etc., inhabiting Western Siberia, like the Slavs, were pagans, but their beliefs were dominated by animism and shamanism. But on far east, which in the pre-Christian era was sparsely populated, was inhabited by tribes whose culture and religion were significantly influenced by eastern religions - Buddhism and Hinduism.

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 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 most most 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.

So, total number Believers in our country, not counting atheists, are 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 out in the canonical and apocryphal Gospels, God the Father sent his son into our sinful world to correct the vices of people, to make them worthy of attention God's 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 philosophers 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 peculiar moral code 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 everything best qualities man - 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 split 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.

Besides, in Catholic faith doctrinal provisions are taken into account 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 Orthodox and Catholic Church also applies to 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 the presence of a priest is required;
• 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 languages. 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 the 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 (skoptchestvo) as a the only remedy from worldly temptation, leading to the salvation of the soul.

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

Molokans

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

TO end of the 19th century centuries, the Molokans were divided into permanent and “jumpers”. 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 countries. Basically they represent permanent Molokans, close to Protestants, but Russian.

Dukhobretsy

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

Islam

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

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

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

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

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

Judaism

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

The following principles are the foundation of Judaism:

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

Judaism is a monotheic religion. Its God is eternal, immaterial, omnipresent and incorporeal. Worshiping anyone other than Yahweh is a great sin: 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 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.

Surely you have heard the words - church, mosque, Judaism, Buddha, Muslim, Orthodoxy? All these words are closely related to faith in God. In our diverse and multi-ethnic country, there are four main religions. They are different, but they all talk about the need to love people, live in peace, respect elders, do good deeds for the benefit of people, and defend 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, Son, and 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 confirmation as official religion ancient Russian state - Kievan Rus which occurred, according to the chronicles, under the holy prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.

The first Christian church erected in the capital of Kievan Rus was the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Every Orthodox Christian must follow the 10 commandments that God gave to Moses and the people of Israel. They were written on stone tablets (tablets). The first four talk about love for God, the last six talk about love for one’s neighbor, that is, for all people.

The Bible, as the holy book of Christianity, is a collection of books that in Christianity are considered Holy Scripture, 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.

COMMANDMENTS OF CHRISTIANS

1st commandment.

I am the Lord your God; Let 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 likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that 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. It is not a sin to bow to icons or images, because when we pray in front of them, we bow not to wood or paints, but to God depicted on the icon or to His saints, imagining them in front of you in your mind.

3rd commandment.

Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. God forbids using the name of God when it should not, for example, in jokes, in empty conversations. The same commandment prohibits: cursing God, swearing by God if you are telling a lie. The name of God can be pronounced when we pray and have pious conversations.

4th commandment.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Work six days and do all your work in them, and the seventh day (the day of rest) is the Sabbath (shall be dedicated) to the Lord your God. He commands us to work six days of the week, and devote the seventh day to good deeds: pray to God in church, read spiritual books at home, give alms, etc.

5th commandment.

Honor your father and your mother, (so that it may go well with you and) that your days on earth may be long. - With this commandment, God commands us to honor our parents, obey them, and 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 prohibits adultery, excess in food, and drunkenness.

8th commandment.

Don't steal. You cannot take someone else's for yourself in any illegal way.

9th commandment.

Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. God forbids deception, lying, and sneaking.

10th commandment.

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, you shall not covet your neighbor's house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's. This commandment prohibits not only doing something bad to your neighbor, but also wishing bad things on him.

Defense of the Fatherland, defense of the Motherland is one of the greatest services Orthodox Christian. The Orthodox Church teaches that any war is evil because it is associated with hatred, strife, violence and even murder, which is a terrible mortal sin. However, 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 one who submits is called a "Muslim" (therefore "Muslim"). The number of Muslim citizens of the Russian Federation today is estimated at approximately 20 million people.

Allah is the name of the God of Muslims. 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. Two angels are assigned to each person: one records his good deeds, the other records his bad ones. At the bottom of this hierarchy are the jinn. Muslims believe that a line of jinn were created from fire, and 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 the bad will be rewarded with heaven; those whose evil deeds turn out to be more severe will be condemned to hell. But what deeds in our lives are greater, good or bad, is known only to God. Therefore, no Muslim knows for sure whether God will accept him into heaven.

Islam teaches us to love people. Help those in need. Respect elders. Honor your parents.

Pray (salat). A Muslim must say seventeen prayers every day - rakats. 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. A minaret is a tower about 30 meters high from which the muezzin calls believers to prayer.

Muezzin, muezzin, azanchi - in Islam, a mosque minister who calls Muslims to prayer.

The main book of Muslims: the Koran - in Arabic this means “what is read, pronounced.”

The oldest copies of the Koran that have reached 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 the “Othman Koran,” is kept in Uzbekistan. This text received its name because, according to tradition, it was covered in the blood of Caliph Osman, who was killed in 656. There are indeed traces of blood on the pages of this list.

The Koran consists of 114 chapters. They are called "suras". Each sura consists of verses (“ayat” - from the Arabic word meaning “miracle, sign”).

Later, hadiths appeared in the Koran - stories about the actions and sayings of Muhammad and his companions. They were combined into collections called “Sunnah”. Based on the Koran and Hadith, Muslim theologians developed “Sharia” - the “right path” - a set of principles and rules of behavior obligatory for every Muslim.

3. BUDDHISM IN RUSSIA

everything you need to know

Buddhism is a complex religious and philosophical movement, consisting of many branches. Controversy regarding canon sacred texts have been going on between different faiths for many hundreds of years. Therefore, today it is almost impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question of which texts make up the holy book of Buddhism. There is no trace of such certainty as with the Holy Scriptures among Christians.

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 man who has achieved absolute enlightenment. Almost any person who has properly changed his consciousness can become a Buddha. Consequently, almost any guide to action from someone who has achieved some success on the path of enlightenment, and not any specific book, can be considered sacred.

In Tibetan, the word “BUDDHA” means “one who has gotten rid of all bad qualities and developed all good qualities.”

Buddhism began to spread in Russia about 400 years ago.

The first lama monks came from Mongolia and Tibet.

In 1741, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna officially recognized the Buddhist religion by decree.

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 a person’s karma and in the next life he receives what he deserved in the previous one. For example, if a person has done bad things in this life, in the next life he may be born as a worm. Even gods are subject to the law of karma.

The Third Noble Truth says that suppressing 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.

The fourth truth indicates the middle path, according to which the meaning of life is to obtain pleasure.This “middle path” is called the “eightfold path” 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 pacifies his thoughts and feelings, develops friendliness and compassion for people.

Buddhism, like Christianity, has its own commandments, the fundamentals of teaching on which the entire structure of belief is based. The 10 commandments of Buddhism are very similar to Christian ones. Despite all the external similarities between the commandments in Buddhism and Christianity, their deep essence is different. Besides the fact that Buddhism is not actually 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 purer, which means getting 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 significant number adherents mainly among the Jewish population in different countries of the world.

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 humanity.

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 the souls of some people, but not others. Those to whom He does not return their souls die in their sleep, and the Jews who wake up in the morning thank God for returning their souls.

A believing Jew is required to have a beard, grow long hair at the temples (sidelocks), wear a small round cap (kippah), and undergo the rite of circumcision.

In ancient times, the center of Jewish cult was the Temple of Jerusalem, where daily sacrifices were performed. When the Temple was destroyed, prayer took the place of sacrifices, for which 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 (the place where Jews pray). Jews believe that it was God who gave the Torah to people.

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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 countryWhat makes it so beautiful is that in it people of different faiths and nationalities live in peace and harmony. One is a Muslim, another is Orthodox, another is a Buddhist - we all must respect each other’s faith.

Because we are all RUSSIANS, citizens of one huge and great country in the world!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Religious composition of the population of Russia

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

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

• Orthodoxy;
• Catholicism;
• Protestantism.

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

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

Statistical data

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

If we focus on the latest data from the Russian Academy of Sciences (2012-2013), then in percentage terms the religious picture looks like this:

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

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

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

As you can see, information from different sources is slightly different from each other. However, such statistics of religions in Russia do 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 flocked to churches and began to try to observe religious traditions and regulations. Most of the population remained faithful to the traditional religion - Christianity. In Russia it is professed by more than half of the country's population. However, not all of those who identify themselves with this religion attend temples and services. Most often they are called Christians nominally, meaning centuries-old traditions Slavic people generally.

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

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

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

Orthodoxy

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

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

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

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

Catholicism

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

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

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

Protestantism

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

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

Orthodox associations in Russia: Old Believers

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

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

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

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

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

Islam

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

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

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

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

The most numerous people professing Islam are the Tatars. They play an important role in governing the faith and preserving the cultural traditions of their ancestors.

Judaism

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

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

Buddhism

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

• Buryatia;
• Tuva;
• Kalmykia.

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

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

Other religions and common beliefs

The low percentage of followers of some beliefs does not allow them to be identified as large and significant denominations, however, in recent years there has been an intensification of all kinds of religious associations.

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

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

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

Prohibited religions in Russia

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

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

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

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

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

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