Russia is a secular state, and whilst some take their faith seriously, overall Russia is not a hugely religious country. Sure, religious festivals are celebrated but note that New Year’s & 8^th March (see chapter 9 for more detailed information about Russian public holidays) are much bigger celebrations than Christmas or Easter.

Almost two thirds of Russians will claim adherence to the Orthodox Church, even if few actually regularly attend services. The communist period was officially atheist and all forms of religion were strongly discouraged, with many religious buildings having either been destroyed, left to decay or used for other purposes. Beautiful Orthodox Churches are recognizable from afar for their onion domed rooftops; many old buildings have been restored in recent years and new ones have been built. All visitors are welcome, but ladies should cover their heads (scarves are usually available at the entrance) and men should wear long trousers and remove any headgear.

Islam is the second largest religion in Russia with around 10% of the population, plus large numbers of migrant workers from majority Muslim CIS countries, particularly Central Asia. Some regions, such as Chechnya and Dagestan in the south are overwhelmingly Muslim, whereas in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, plenty of Russians reside. Most sizable Russian cities have a Mosque.

There are three majority Buddhist republics in Russia; Kalmykia in the south, and Buryatia & Tuva closer to Mongolia. They are now actively reviving their culture as monasteries were destroyed during the Soviet period and have had to be rebuilt.

The USSR used to have a healthy Jewish population, but those who weren’t killed by the Nazis faced constant discrimination and many emigrated to Israel or the USA in the 1980s & 1990s, as soon as they could. Some Jews do remain in Russia and a few cities still have functioning Synagogues. Note that Judaism is considered an ethnicity rather than just religion, so you may hear people saying “I’m not Russian, I’m Jewish”.