Brief History of Russia

History of Russia

A key point in Russian history is religion. Like in most cultures, religion shapes the people and moral values in a society. In Russia, Russian Orthodox Christianity (ROC) is the main religion. During communist rule, atheism was encouraged by government. In modern Russia, 75% of the population considers themselves followers of the ROC. Russia never had problems with the separation of church and state. Over 50 million Russians consider themselves Christians, but a high percentage of these citizens would not openly confess their spirituality. During the 1980's, more than 1/3 of the population was considered Christians. During the 1990's however, 19% of the population were Muslims. The remaining percentage of the population is filled with Non-Orthodox Christians and a small population of Jews. During Communist rule, Russians were not allowed to openly express their faith. This habit stuck with the population, which is why many practicers of various religions will not admit their spirituality in public. The Communist regime died out in 1991 but citizens still will not comfortably admit their religion.

The ROC, or Russian Orthodox Church, is the central religion in Russia. In the year 988 AD, Prince Vladimir made Christianity the official religion of the Byzantine Empire. In 1453, the Byzantine Empire fell. Peter the Great then united the former Byzantines under the new Russian Federation. This is where the ROC got its start. The ROC took over as the central religion of the citizens of Russia. While Western Europe went from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, Russia was unaffected and isolated. This helped the ROC stay in power, while the Western European Churches went through reformations, the people in Russia still were united under a strong, central religion. In 1941, Germany invaded Russia, the people were in constant fear, so they re-opened churches.