6 curious facts about Russia's religious scene

Knowing the main curious facts about how the religious scene in Russia is today is very important, as it allows you to better understand how this country works. For this, we present the main curiosities for you, from which religions are present in the country today to what the ceremonies are like. 

Learn the most curious facts about Russia's religious scene

Russia has the largest territory in the world and borders more countries than any other. Currently, Russia has more than 144 million people living in the country.

What is the religious landscape in Russia anyway, what is the predominant religion, and how does it work inside the churches? Rest assured that you will find out all of this below.

Although many people think that there is no religion in Russia, that people are all atheists, you should know that there are churches spread all over Russia. Check out the 6 curiosities below in more detail!

Most are orthodox

First of all, you should know that the Orthodox Church is different from the Catholic Church, but that it has some similarities. This is because it has a priest who celebrates the services and has pictures with the image of Mary with the Baby Jesus inside the churches and in their homes.

Thus, about 81% of Russians are Orthodox, while only 7.7% are Muslim, and 9.5% of adults do not consider themselves to belong to any religion. Thus, other types of religions are very rare to be found in the country in a public way, such as the Catholic and other religions.

The church has no power with the government

Moreover, currently the Orthodox Church, although it has a large number of believers, does not have any power over the government with regard to participation in decision-making. Therefore, during the legalization of abortion in Russia, the church was against, but could not prevent the government from passing the law. 

Attend church infrequently

Another curiosity about the current religious scenario in Russia is that unlike Brazil, where people, regardless of the religion they follow, participate frequently, in Russia this is not the case. According to surveys conducted in the country, only 6% of the people who consider themselves Orthodox go to church more than once a month.

As well, it was observed that the people who attend the Orthodox church's religious events the most are women and people who are over 60 years old. Only 35% of people attend Orthodox services at least once. 

Some churches are used as museums

Still related to the topic that religion in Russia, whether Orthodox or Muslim, has no power with the government, there are many churches that currently serve as museums. That's right, the Orthodox leaders are fighting in the courts to get back the churches to celebrate their services, but they have not succeeded yet.

One of the reasons why the Russian government does not want to liberate the churches is because of the large number of tourists who visit the cathedrals. Therefore, these tourists must pay a fee to enter the church, which generates a profit for the Russian state.

People need to stand up

Although years have passed since the breakup of the Orthodox church from the Catholic church, it emerged from the Catholic church. Know that to this day people must stand during the celebration and the priest must stand with his back to the faithful during the mass.

But chairs are always available in case an elderly person needs to sit down or if something unexpected happens, such as someone falling ill, for example. In this way, the churches do not have pews.

Women must wear the veil

Finally, know that women must wear a veil to stay inside the church. Although we are living in the 21st century, the Orthodox Church is very strict with its dogmas, as is the Muslim Church.