Category:Russia
Russia is a country in Europe-Asia.
- See Russian -/- Russian language -/- Russian Scholarship -- Russian Scholars -/- Russian Fiction -- Russian Authors
Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Russia
Christianity spread in Russia since the 10th century and grew to become the State religion. It remained such over the centuries by strengthening his ties with the ruling monarchy. The Russian Revolution of 1917 not only challenged the power of the Russian Church but also began an experiment of an atheistic state that persecuted all organized religions.
Jews have a long and tormented history in Russia. Since the Middle Ages they were a very influential and highly visible component of Russian society, but faced a continuum of persecution and violence, that between 1880 and 1920 caused the emigration of more than two million people, mostly to America. The situation did not improve under Communist Russia. The Holocaust hit very hard Soviet Jews. In post-WW2 Russia, anti-Zionism fostered antisemitism and the fate of Russian Jews (and their right to migrate to the State of Israel) became a central point of contention during the Cold War. The end of the Communist regime resulted in a mass emigration of Russian Jews to Israel, the United States and Germany.
Muslims also have a long and tormented history in Russia. They were such an established presence in some parts of the Russian Empire that they could not be completely removed, in spite of any campaign of Russification. Under Communist rule, Islam was oppressed and suppressed, and the old practice of mass deportation continued.
Contemporary times
Today, the overwhelming majority of Russian population (70-80%) belong to the Russian Orthodox Church; with small Catholic and Protestant minorities.
Islam is the second and fastest growing religion in Russia (4-6% of the population).
In spite of massive emigration, the Jews residing in Russia (less than 1% of the total population) still constitute one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe.
The new Russian constitution grants freedom of religion, while recognizing the special role of the Russian Orthodox Church
External links
Pages in category "Russia"
The following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total.