Religion

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 860.

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Further reading: Паращук В.Ю. Теоретична фонетика англійської мови. —Вінниця, 2005. – С.191-206.

The acceptance of Christianity in 988 marked the start of a new historical period, linking Russia to Christian culture and making Christianity the basis of the way of the way of life of its people. As Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia said, the Russia Orthodox Church is a “unique custodian of the historical and cultural memory of our people… Along with holy biblical memory of the battles of Kulikovo, Poltava and Borodino.” All main events in Russian history are closely associated with Orthodoxy. The popular belief in a single, holy, congregational, apostolic church helped the nation to overcome foreign invaders, defend its political independence and remain an Orthodox country. The path trodden by Russian Orthodox pastors and believers in the twentieth century was not an easy one. Orthodoxy was affected by all the tragic events – revolution, war and political repressions.

The faith of the elders in the Russian people, however, remained unshakeable. The level of faith of the Russian people was reflected in the extensive celebrations marking such memorial dates as the thousandth anniversary of the baptism of Russia in 1988 and the two-thousandth anniversary of Christianity in 2000.

Church life is experiencing a popular revival in the Russian Federation. Old churches are being restored, while new places of worship are built. Icons and other holy objects are being restored to their rightful places. Monasteries and seminaries are opening. The name of the lord is worshipped in every corner of this vast country. The fifth among its sister churches, the Russian Church is a leading bastion of ecumenical Orthodoxy. Russia is a multi-confessional country, also inhabited by Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists, Jews and representatives of other religions.

There are at least fifteen million adherents of Islam in Russia. They are mostly concentrated in the Volga region, Western Siberia, the Caucasus, Moscow Region. St Petersburg Mosque, when built, was the largest in Europe, and it is the most northern in the world. The main dogma of Islam is the belief that there is only one God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger. Islam arose on the territory of the Russian Federation in 642, when Arabs came to what is now Daghestan. The practice of Islam is a vital element in the self-identification of the Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Daghestan and many other indigenous nations, reflecting their environments, education and the settings in which they grew up and live. A true Moslem does not limit himself to saying prayers or attending mosque. His aim is profound religious knowledge, mastering the wisdom of the Koran and following its tenets in everyday life. The Islamic peoples of the Russian Federation are currently experiencing a rise in religious self-consciousness and a ceremonial revival. The number of mosques is growing and new Islamic study centres are opening.

In 1841, Buddhism – in the form of Lamaism or Tibetan Buddhism – was recognized as one of the official religions of the Russian Empire. The first Buddhist university monastery – Tamchinsky Datsan – was founded in Buryatia. A datsan was even opened in St Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. Besides Buryatia, the other principal Buddhist region of Russia is home to an Institute of the Rebirth of Buddhism.

Judaism is a traditional confession in Russia. Our country has the world's third largest number of Jewish religious communities after Israel and the United States. More than a hundred years ago, large synagogues were built in both Moscow and St Petersburg. Synagogues also function in many other towns.