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Drastic
changes in the status of the church and religion began following the
collapse of the communist regime and the beginning of democratic
reforms. Freedom of conscience and religion has become real, as
believers may now openly perform rites in congregations, publish
religious literature, and engage in charitable activities. |
Many old
churches are restored and new ones erected, including Orthodox
churches, Moslem mosques, Catholic cathedrals, and Jewish
synagogues. The colossal Cathedral of Christ the Savior, demolished
by the communists in the 1930s, has now been completely rebuilt in
Moscow. After decades-long neglect and abandonment, many convents
and monasteries come back to life. Theological academies and
religious seminaries have been reopened. National television
stations regularly show major religious festivals, church services,
and sermons.
Apart from
Orthodox believers, Russian Christians also include a smaller group
of Catholics (mostly ethnic Poles, Lithuanians, Letts, and Germans),
and Protestants. Russia’s second major religion is Islam, which is
followed by Tartars, Bashkirs, Chechens, Kalmyks, Dargins, Kazakhs,
and other ethnic groups. The overwhelming majority of Russian
Moslems are Sunnites.
Major cities,
such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Samara, and Nizhny
Novgorod, have considerable Judaist communities. There are also
significant numbers of Buddhists in Russia, most of whom adhere to
Lamaism. This is the traditional religion of the Buryats, Tuvinians,
Kalmyks, and other ethnic groups. The activity of religious
organizations in Russia is regulated by the Law on Freedom of
Worship, adopted by the State Duma in 1997.
Despite the
remarkable revival of religious worship during the post-Soviet
period, about 30 percent of respondents in Russian opinion polls
characterize themselves as non-believers.
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