Russian Orthodox Church
With the socio-political structure of communism eliminated, Russian sought refuge in religion. As a continuation of the upsurge in practice of the Christian faith after World War II, the new freedom to practice religion that was very prevalent in Russia continued. (Hopko and Alfeyev). During the rule of Lenin and Stalin, religion was perceived as unnecessary, and did not factor into the inner workings of Russia’s socio-political society (Hopko and Alfeyev). Mainly, citizens experienced the change from a strict authoritarian society, to one where individuals could profess their religious faith.
In 2003, “ 70 percent of Russians [thought] of themselves as belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church […] The total number of faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church living in Russia, the above-mentioned countries, and elsewhere comprises over 150 million”(Hopko and Alfeyev).
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One religious figure in Russia that helped improve the overall image of the Russian Orthodox Church was Patriarch Alexy II. This prominent religious figure passed away on December 5th, 2008, but his strong religious legacy affected many Russians (Benovska-Sabkova). Specifically, Patriarch Alexy II, was the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Moscow, and assumed office in 1990 (Benovska-Sabkova).Through this Post-Soviet period, Patriarch Alexy II lead the Russian Orthodox Church, addressing issues plaguing Russia, for example, one main goal was to revitalize the Church (Benovska-Sabkova). For the most part, Patriarch Alexy II achieved this important goal by a connecting to a multitude of audiences. (Benovska-Sabkova).When Patriarch Alexy II eventually passed away, he left his followers and the majority of Russians with the “widespread popular urge to pray for the departed Patriarch reflected the magnitude of the Orthodox revival” (Benovska-Sabkova).
This shift in perspective, further demonstrates that Russia is a changing country, choosing to practice religion from an inherent desire rather than a forced religious conviction. People respected Patriarch Alexy II at such a high level that celebrations of his death resulted in “Pictures circulating on the internet, TV and newspapers showed queues of people […]enduring the heavy rain, waiting to enter the church where the coffin of the Patriarch was on display” (Benovska-Sabkova). Although this transition had positive aspects, such as giving citizens the freedom to choose how they worship and how they express their beliefs which inevitably builds a greater trust in government leaders who previously did not allow such freedoms, it carried some negative aspects as well. Though the increase in popularity of religious affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church improved some issues in governance of citizens, it held major drawbacks for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community (Essig 39).
