Most of those polled who had religious beliefs identified as Orthodox Christians
Believers attend the Orthodox Easter service at the Cathedral of Three Saints in Simferopol, Russia. © Sputnik / Konstantin Mihalchevskiy
Nearly 70% of Russians consider themselves religious, Vedomosti newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing a new poll.
Most of the respondents who said they had religious beliefs identified as Orthodox Christians, according to data collected by the Center for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector at the HSE University in Moscow.
The proportion of followers of other branches of Christianity or Islam stood at 7% in the country, the study revealed. Another 1% of respondents said they were Buddhists, while a further 1% described themselves as followers of Judaism.
Out of the 28% who said they were non-religious, more than one-third were younger people between 18 and 24, the poll revealed.
According to the study, religious believers were more likely to participate in various volunteer activities compared to people who were not religious by a margin of 34% to 17%.
The study was based on in-person interviews conducted in 2023 and involved 2,002 adult residents of cities and villages across Russia. A similar survey was published by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) in early May. It found that there was an even higher number of religious people in Russia (78%). VTSIOM’s figures also suggested that 66% of these were Orthodox Christians, 7% were Muslims, 1% were Buddhists, and 1% were Protestants. A further 4% of respondents said they believed in God but didn’t belong to a specific religious denomination.
In his interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Orthodoxy had “deeply rooted itself in the consciousness of the Russian people.”
At the same time, however, Russia has always respected those who follow Islam, Buddhism and Judaism, he said. “This is its strength. This is absolutely clear,” the president said.
Because of this, people of different faiths “consider Russia their Motherland, they have no other Motherland. We are together, this is one big family. And our traditional values are very similar,” he explained.
