Protestantism in Russia

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Protestants in Russia constitute about 1.5% of total population (about 2 millions of followers)[1]. By 2004, there were 4435 registered Protestant societies, or 21% of all registered religious organizations, which is second place after Orthodoxy. In 1992 the Protestants reportedly had 510 organizations.[2]

A large number of missionaries operating in the country are from Protestant denominations.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Protestantism in Russia was preceded by Strigolniki movement in 14th century, later in 16-18th centuries[3] the Molokan[4], Dukhobor[5], to some extent, Subbotniks, and in 19-th century Tolstoyan rural communes, who prepared the ground for the movements future spread. The first evidence on some of the above communes existence appeared in 16th - 17th centuries.[4] Large number of the above communities emigrated to Canada, the USA and Latin America in 19-th and 20-th centuries.

The first Baptist communities arose in unrelated strains in three widely separated regions of the Russian Empire (Transcaucasia, Ukraine, and St. Petersburg) in the 1860s and 1870s.[6] By the information of Christian History Institute, the number of baptists in Russia significantly grew after World War I. Some Russian prisoners were converted by German missionaries and returned home to preach for others. By 1950, there were an estimated 2,000,000 baptists in the Soviet Union, with the largest proportion in Ukraine.[7]

Many leaders and ordinary believers of different Protestant communes fell victims of the communist regime persecution, including imprisonment and executions. Leader of the Seventh-day Adventist movement in the Soviet Union Vladimir Shelkov (1895-1980) spent almost all his life after 1931 in imprisonment and died in Yakutia camp. Pentecostals were in mass number given 20-25 prison terms and many perished there, including one of the leaders Ivan Voronaev.[8]

In the period after the Second world war, Protestant believers in the USSR (baptists, pentecostals, adventists etc.) were compulsively sent to mental hospitals, endured trials and prisons (often for refusal to enter military service). Some were even deprived of their parent rights.[8]

[edit] Bible translation

The first attempts to translate books of the Bible into modern Russian language of that time took place in 16th and 17th centuries. But the mentioned works (by deacon of Posolsky Prikaz Avraamiy Firsov, pastor E.Gluk, archbishop Methodiy (Smirnov)) were lost during political turbulence and wars.[9]

The full-scale Bible translation into Russian language began in 1813 since the establishment of the Russian Bible Society. The full edition of the Bible with Old Testament and New Testament was published in 1876. This work, called also Russian Synodal Bible, is widely used by Protestant communities all over Russia and former USSR countries. Lately appeared several modern translations.[10] The Russian Bible Society since its establishment in 1813 and up to 1826 distributed more than 500 thousand of Bible related books in 41 languages of Russia. Several times in 19-th and 20th centuries activities of the Society were stopped by reactionary policies of the Russian Government.

It was restored in 1990-1991 after a pause connected with the Soviet regime restrictions.[11]

The opening ceremony of the Building of the Russian Bible Society in Moscow was visited by representatives of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches, who joined their efforts in Bible translation and distribution cause.[12] The editions of Society are based on the universal doctrine of the early Christian church and include non-confessional comments. Over 1,000,000 Bible related books are printed per year by that institution. The Bible is also being translated into native languages and dialects of Russia's ethnic groups.[12]

[edit] Present time

Lutheran Church in Arkhangelsk
Lutheran Church in Arkhangelsk

There are Evangelical Christians - Baptists (most numerous)[13], Lutherans [14], Pentecostals [15], Anglican Church[16] Adventists [17], Methodists, Quakers [18], Salvation Army[19], Mennonites and nearly all other known Protestant denominations presented in the country.

By the opinion of Keston Institute, Protestants are widely present and may well outnumber the Orthodox in some places of Siberia. There are very few "nominal" believers among them: everywhere they preach, pray and often struggle against local bureaucracy to acquire their rights. Anyway, they are also regarded as respectable, hard-working citizens.[20]

Some Protestants (especially at provincial level) report encountering local authorities obstruction of their activities and government restrictions.[21] In April 2007, the European Court of Human Rights obliged Russian state to pay EUR 10,000 (ten thousand euros) as a non-pecuniary damage for the refusal in registration of the Moscow branch of Salvation Army.[22]

Conducted in July - August, 2007, bycicle missionary expedition [23] of evangelical christians baptists faced, by their report [24], serious obstacles and suspicious attitude from local authorities in several regions of Russia. The evangelization meetings several times were banned in public parks. The initial goal of the above mentioned tour was to share the Gospel with people in towns and villages throughout the country and, by words of UECB President Yuri Sipko, to "fight their way through on foot or on bicycles to reach even the most remote village and the most despairing person in order to bring them the message of God’s kingdom."[23]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b US State Department Religious Freedom Report on Russia
  2. ^ PROTESTANTISM IN RUSSIA, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, Stetson University
  3. ^ The Dukhobors and Molokans, Spirit Christian Communities in Russia
  4. ^ a b Molokans around the world
  5. ^ Dukhobor History
  6. ^ Baptist beginnings in Russia and Ukraine
  7. ^ Baptist Union in Russia, by Christian History Institute
  8. ^ a b Book of L.Alexeeva, Memorial Page, Russian
  9. ^ B.A.Tikhomirov, The early history of the Bible translation into Russian and Russian Bible Society, Russian
  10. ^ Russian Bible Society, in Russian
  11. ^ History of Russian Bible Society, in Russian
  12. ^ a b Vladivostok Branch of the Russian Bible Society
  13. ^ Russian Baptists
  14. ^ Lutheran Church in Russia
  15. ^ Pentecostal Assosiation
  16. ^ St. Andrew's Church in Moscow
  17. ^ Worldwide Faith News
  18. ^ Quakers in Russia
  19. ^ Salvation Army Web Site
  20. ^ Timesonline Article
  21. ^ "RUSSIA: Urals Protestants kept out of sight?"
  22. ^ Legislation Online
  23. ^ a b Baptist World Alliance
  24. ^ Baptist Union News

[edit] External links