Russian Beliefs
An overview of faith and worship in Russian history.
Pre-Christian Beliefs of Russia
The original Slavic faith varied by region and was typically localized among small communities. Its tribal followers generally worshipped a shared polytheistic pantheon headed by a supreme creator being. This creator, Rod, represented dualities in nature such as night and day or male and female. A host of lesser gods and spirits inhabited both the natural and human realms. Within each home, for example, dwelled an ancestral domovoi, or house spirit, who defended it from evil influences. Other gods like Svarog, Perun the Thunderer, Mokosh the earth goddess, Leshy the forest god, and the moon and sun were widely worshipped. Of these, Perun was likely the most recognized.
Russia and the Orthodox Church
Compared to much of Europe, Slavic groups converted to Christianity at a relatively late period. Serious conversion efforts began in the 10th century through missionaries from the Byzantine Empire to the south. This is also when the Cyrillic alphabet developed from Greek roots. After the Great Schism of 1054, Kievan Rus and its neighboring states sided with Eastern Orthodox Christianity over Catholicism. This was due in part to proximity and a shared cultural heritage with the Greek Roman world. Its neighbors to the west, including modern Poland, would instead become Catholic.
In more remote areas, elements of Slavic paganism survived and have remained in practice to the present day. These beliefs were typically held alongside the official Christian faith. Orthodoxy was stronger among the upper classes than the peasantry, who often performed its rites more out of deference to their landlord. For the elite, Christianity brought a written language and strong foreign ties to Kiev, increasing its prominence as a medieval trading power. The state remained devoutly Orthodox throughout the tsarist monarchy.
The Russian Empire, after gaining lands with a high Jewish population, also experienced periods of violent antisemitism. Jewish communities were held to the fringes of the empire, and periodic pogroms swept through their villages.
Religion in the Modern Era
During the Soviet era, religion was alternately shunned and embraced in Russia. Philosophically, the communist government embraced atheism and decried religion as a tool of state control. Practically, it sometimes encouraged worship to improve national unity. While Eastern Orthodox practice continued to a limited extent throughout the Soviet era, other religions such as Judaism were harshly discouraged. This religious suppression came to an end with the modern Russian Federation. Today, Russia is home to people of many faiths, primarily Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam. Pre-Christian Slavic practices, long out of sight, have seen a recent resurgence through movements like Rodnovery. As of 2006, the modern religious demographics of Russia are estimated as follows: Russian Orthodox 15-20% Muslim 10-15% Other Christian 2%
References
Bushkovitch, Paul. A Concise History of Russia. Cambridge University Press. 2012.
Moon, David. The Russian Peasantry 1600-1930: The World the Peasants Made. Routledge. 2014.
Rowland, Daniel Bruce. Medieval Russian Culture. University of California Press. 1984.
“The World Factbook: RUSSIA.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 29 May 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html.
Vernadsky, George. Kievan Russia. Yale University Press. 1973.
Ziegler, Charles. The History of Russia. ABC-CLIO. 2009.
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