Religious Freedom as a Condition for Russia's Revival in the 21st Century

At a recent Kennan Institute talk, Anatoly Krasikov, Director, Center of Social and Religious Studies, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, and Galina Starovoitova Fellow on Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, Kennan Institute, argued that the future of Russia will depend in a large part on the religious climate in the country. There are many factors promoting disunity in the ethnically and religiously diverse Russian state. According to Krasikov, without a culture of religious freedom and tolerance, the Russian Federation is in danger of disintegration.

Krasikov noted the Russian state has allowed greater religious freedom since the end of the Soviet period than it has at any other time in its history, and that religiosity among the general population has increased dramatically. Survey data demonstrate that the Russian Orthodox Church has become the second most trusted institution in the country, after the president, and it is playing an increasingly visible role in public life. However, Krasikov argued that the Orthodox Church is losing its historical position of dominance. Orthodox parishes account for the majority of registered religious organizations in only two of Russia's seven federal districts. They constitute a plurality in four districts, and take second place to Protestant groups in the Far Eastern district. He noted that the numbers of both Protestant and Muslim believers are increasing more rapidly than the number of Orthodox believers.

Increasing religious pluralism has also led to increasing intolerance. According to Krasikov, the historically good relations between Orthodox and Muslims in Russia are becoming strained because many Russians perceive Muslims as a threat. At the same time, some segments of the Orthodox Church—which Krasikov believes was not prepared to handle the conditions of religious freedom—have spoken out very strongly against the presence of non-Orthodox varieties of Christianity in Russia. In 1997, with the support of the Orthodox Church, Russia passed a law that significantly limited the legal rights of "non-native" religious groups operating in the country.

As long as Russia holds to the principles of religious freedom included in its Constitution and in international conventions, Krasikov believes that it should be able to survive and prosper in the future. He contended that real religious freedom has not yet been seriously compromised by the culture of intolerance. Krasikov noted that religious and human rights groups successfully challenged the restrictive 1997 law in the court system, leading to significant limitations on its enforcement. President Vladimir Putin always speaks strongly in favor of religious tolerance. However, Krasikov warned that there are serious threats to the continued freedom of religion in Russia. For his personal spiritual advisor, Putin chose a priest known for his undemocratic and intolerant views. Krasikov argued that, while many Orthodox believers are firmly in favor of religious freedom, the more intolerant segments of the Church have been able to influence public opinion and to ally with politicians who wish to use religion to further their own goals.