| We get a lot of questions about what happened | | | | between the Church and the state started to |
| to the Russian Church after the revolution of 1917 | | | | deteriorate again. Until Perestroika, public |
| and what religious life was like during the | | | | expression of religious beliefs - Christian or |
| Communist regime in Russia.As we know, in 1914 | | | | otherwise - was frowned upon; known |
| Russia had 55 173 Russian Orthodox churches and | | | | churchgoers were deprived of some social rights, |
| 29 593 chapels, 112 629 priests and deacons, 550 | | | | they could not become members of the |
| monasteries and 475 nunneries with a total of 95 | | | | Communist Party, which in turn, severely limited |
| 259 inhabitants.As the twentieth century | | | | their career opportunities and many lost their jobs |
| approached, Russia could boast the largest single | | | | and any privileges. All Soviet university students |
| national Church in the world.Although freedom of | | | | were required to take courses in so-called |
| religious expression was formally declared by one | | | | "Scientific Atheism".Cathedral of Christ the Savior |
| of the first decrees of the revolutionary | | | | was blown up in 1931 and turned into a heated |
| government in January 1918, both the Church and | | | | open-air pool. Restoration was started in |
| its followers were heavily persecuted and deeply | | | | 1995.Some priests of the Russian Orthodox |
| disadvantaged. Prior to the Russian Revolution, | | | | Church, as well as other churches in the Soviet |
| there were some 54 000 functioning parishes and | | | | Union were secretly employed by the KGB for |
| over 150 bishops. There were soon bloody and | | | | the government to discover who was a Church |
| cruel killings of bishops and priests, and massacres | | | | member. Despite the dangers, large numbers of |
| of believers during the Red Terror and the | | | | people remained openly or secretly religious. In |
| following years of repressions were shocking. | | | | 1987 in the Russian Federation between 40% and |
| These persecutions were even greater than the | | | | 50% of newborn babies were baptized, and over |
| persecutions of the Ancient Christian Church both | | | | 60% of all the deceased received Christian funeral |
| in the number of holy martyrs and the cruelty | | | | services.A pivotal moment in the history of the |
| and ingenuity of the persecutors.Many religious | | | | Russian Orthodox Church came in 1988 - the |
| hierarchs fled Russia during the revolution and the | | | | millennium of the Baptism of Russia. It appears |
| civil war that followed. They contributed to the | | | | now that the government had realized the |
| spread of the Orthodox Church in many countries. | | | | fruitlessness of its efforts in its war against |
| However, some hierarchs even formed their own | | | | religion and instead tried to use religion to gain the |
| organization that became known as the Russian | | | | support of the people.Throughout the summer of |
| Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. They split | | | | 1988, major government-supported celebrations |
| away from the Russian Church. During the | | | | took place in Moscow and other cities and many |
| 1920-30s, most church buildings were blown up, | | | | churches and some monasteries were reopened. |
| burned or converted into secular buildings; over 50 | | | | An implicit ban against religious propaganda on |
| thousand priests were either executed or sent to | | | | state TV was finally lifted. For the first time in the |
| labor camps. | | | | history of the Soviet Union, people could use their |
| By 1939, there were less than 100 functioning | | | | TVs to see live transmissions of services from |
| parishes and only four bishops.During World War | | | | central churches.Today, the Russian Orthodox |
| II, the religious persecution in Soviet Union | | | | Church is the largest of the Eastern Orthodox |
| became less pronounced, in part due to | | | | churches in the world. Over 90% of ethnic |
| cooperation of the Church with the state on | | | | Russians identify themselves as Russian Orthodox. |
| national defense issues. Years 1944-45 saw the | | | | The number of people regularly attending church |
| reopening of the Moscow Theological Academy | | | | services is considerably lower, but growing every |
| and Seminary that had been closed since 1918. | | | | year. The Church has over 23,000 parishes, 154 |
| After the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, relations | | | | bishops, 635 monasteries, and 102 clerical schools. |