Data on the number of Orthodox priests in the Russian army

On April 9, First Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of Educational Work of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Buslovsky, said that about two thousand priests of the Russian Orthodox Church are serving on a voluntary basis in the Russian army. Among them, 950 people work on a permanent basis.

V. Buslovsky also noted that the Armed Forces work with representatives of all major religions, including Judaism and Islam. "Cooperation agreements have been concluded with all leading religious organizations, but priority is given to the Russian Orthodox Church, since the majority of military personnel are Orthodox, and there are much fewer representatives of other faiths, especially Jews," Interfax reports .

Sources

• 950 Orthodox priests voluntarily perform spiritual service in the Russian army on a permanent basis // Interfax-religion. 2008. 9 April.