Russia’s Religious Revival

Russia is experiencing a religious revival, one cannot help but wonder, however, what course this revival will take. Will it result in more (religious) freedom and spirituality, or it will result in the excesses of the past, in which those who did not agree with the Russian Orthodox Church (on everything) were persecuted?

The ‘revival’ was noticed by A. James Rudin when he visited Russia’s capital Moscow recently. He saw the evidence of the revival immediately when he first walked through Moscow; more people walk around with crosses around their neck than they did in the past.

That’s an outward sign, which could also be ‘fashionable.’ It could also be an outward sign of strong felt faith. In Russia, however, there seems to be bond between religion and nationalism. ‘For some, the cross is a symbol of sincere religious belief. But as I discovered, for many others it is a public assertion of traditional nationalism that is inextricably linked to Russian Orthodoxy. An expert on the history and religion of the former Soviet Union told me that non-Orthodox citizens of Russia — Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Muslims and Buddhists — are not fully accepted as authentic “Russians” because they are outside the national church.’

This sentiment goes back a long time. In the Balkan wars, in the attempt to break up the Ottoman Empire, etc. those who were of other religions were treated barbarously. Quite some reports dating of before and during World War I show that Russian troops often committed the most horrendous crimes against those who belonged to other faiths. There were, one could say, seen as ‘untermenschen.’

For instance, Jews were often treated in a denigrating manner. Even if they were born and raised in Russia, and that for many generations, they were considered to be non-Russians and potential enemies of the state. Czar Alexander II, who was assassinated in 1881, for instance, was a reformer at first, but became repressive later. ‘Following his death, a series of cruel anti-Jewish laws were enacted that led to lethal pogroms and a massive Jewish exodus. Russian church leaders collaborated with the Romanovs in a systematic campaign of virulent anti-Semitism.’

It is important to note that today too, anti-Semitism is on the rise in Russia. It could very well be argued that this is partially due to the so-called ‘religious revival,’ which is not spiritual, but strictly religious and nationalist. The increase in anti-Semitism and racism in Russia has received a fair share of attention in the West in recent years, but most observers failed to see a potential connection between the religious and racist ‘revivals.’ To me, the two may very well be intertwined. If so, I fear that the ‘religious revival’ will result in many things, but more religious freedom not being one of them.

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