Russia is a multi-religious state

Russia is a multi-confessional country, inhabited by Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists, Jews and representatives of other religions.

The acceptance of Orthodox (Eastern) Christianity in 998 marked the start of a new historical period, linking Russia to Christian culture and making Orthodox Christianity the basis of the way of life of its people. As late Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia said, the Russian Orthodox Church is a "unique custodian of the historical and cultural memory of our people.

Along with holy biblical memories, the church calendar cultivates the memory of the battles of Kulikovo, Poltava and Borodino against foreign invaders." All main events in Russian history are closely associated with Orthodoxy. The popular belief in a single, holy, congregational, apostolic church helped the nation to overcome foreign invaders and defend its political independence. The path trodden by Russian Orthodox pastors and believers in the twentieth century was not an easy one.

Orthodoxy was affected by all the tragic events - revolutions, wars and political repressions. The faith of the elders in the Russian people, however, remained unshakeable.

The level of their faith was reflected in the extensive celebrations marking such memorial dates as the thousandth anniversary of the baptism of Russia in 1988 and the two-thousandth anniversary of Christianity in 2000.

Church life is experiencing a popular revival in the Russian Federation. Old churches are being restored, while new places of worship are built. Icons and other holy objects are being restored to their rightful places. Monasteries and seminaries are opening. The name of the Lord is worshipped in every corner of this vast country. The Russian Church is a leading bastion of ecumenical Orthodoxy.

There are at least fifteen million adherents of Islam in Russia.

They are mostly concentrated in the Volga region of central Russia, Western Siberia, the Caucasus, Moscow Region. St. Petersburg Mosque, when built, was the largest in Europe and the most northern in the world. Recently the newly constructed mosque in the capital of Chechnya - Grozny city has become the biggest.

The main dogma of Islam is the belief that there is only one God Allah and Mohammed is his messenger. Islam arose on the territory of what is now the Russian Federation in 642, when Arabs came to Daghestan on Caspian sea.

The practice of Islam is a vital element in the self-identification of the Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Daghestan and many other indigenous nations, reflecting their environments, education and the settings in which they grew up and live.

A true Moslem does not limit himself to saying prayers or attending mosque.

His aim is profound religious knowledge, mastering the wisdom of the Koran and following its tenets in everyday life. The Islamic peoples of the Russian Federation are currently experiencing a rise in religious self-consciousness and a ceremonial revival. The number of mosques is growing and new Islamic study centers are opening.

In 1841, Buddhism - in the form of Lamaism or Tibetan Buddhism - was recognized as one of the official religions of the Russian Empire. The first Buddhist university monastery - Tamchinsky Datsan - was founded in Buryatia. A datsan was even opened in St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire.

A Buddhist temple continues its functioning in St. Petersburg now. Besides Buryatia, the other principal Buddhist region of Russia is Kalmykia.

The capital of Kalmykia, Elista, is home to an Institute of the Rebirth of Buddhism.

Judaism is also a traditional confession in Russia. Our country has the world's third largest number of Jewish religious communities after Israel and the United States. More than a hundred years ago, large synagogues were built in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. Synagogues also function in many other towns.