Religion in Russia

The main Christian religion in Russia is called Greek Orthodoxy.Vladimir I, in 989, decided to ally himself with Constantinople and the West. This site gives a comprehensive history of Greek Orthodoxy and also has information about the Church today. It is also the official site for the Moscow Patriarchate.

During Communist times, only 24 out of 2400 churches remained standing. It is only since the fall of Communism that the Russian people have been allowed to worship freely.

Judaism also has a long history in Russian culture. This site gives a very comprehensive outline of its history, not only in Russia but from its earliest beginnings. You can choose which histories might interest you. Below is a picture of one of the oldest Temples in Russia. Because of its size and the trees it was hard to get a great picture! Two of the members of our group wanted to attend services here and had a difficult time getting service hours because they didn't speak Russian and the gentlemen at the synagogue didn't speak English or Hebrew. Because of Jewish persecution, the language has almost disappeared in Russia.Ultimately, our group members learned that services are held at sundown, so they had to wait until 4 am!

The other two pictures are of a holocaust memorial that was erected in a park in Moscow. It's made up of concrete blocks, wire, and stone. The stones each have a face carved onto it, which can be seen in the picture below. 

Russain Orthodox Religious Holidays

An Example of Ministry in the Russain Orthodox Church

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