The Institute of Europe hosted a presentation of the collection “Religious and Social Life of Russian Regions”

The presentation of the collection "Religious and Public Life of Russian Regions" took place at the Institute of Europe. The event was attended by Ksenia Dennen, Sergey Filatov, Anatoly Krasikov, Roman Lunkin and others.

March 11 at the Bolshoi Hall of the Institute of Europe RAS (IE RAS) hosted the presentation of the second volume of the information and analytical publication "Religious and social life of Russian regions" (Edited by S.B. Filatov. M.-SPb.: Summer Garden, 2016).

The publication continues the project "Encyclopedia of Modern Religious Life" (headed by sociologist of religion Sergey Filatov), ​​which has been implemented since 1998 by a team of Russian and British scientists. Field results research within the framework of this project are widely known in Russia, the European Union and in USA. The books “Religion and Society. Essays on Contemporary Religious Life Russia” (M.-SPb., 2002), “ Modern religious life in Russia . Experience systematic description" (Vol. I-IV, 2003-2006), " Atlas of modern religious life in Russia " (Vol. I-III, 2005-2009), "Religion and Russian diversity" (M.-SPb., 2012).

However, by early 2014 these works are largely outdated, in addition, specific background information - the number, addresses, manual, media, etc. religious organizations - has ceased to be inaccessible: now all this is easily can be found on the Internet. Much has changed in the very nature of religious processes. In order to make the publication up to date again, it was necessary not to just update the information, but change the research objectives themselves: this time the main the goal was to identify and understand the main trends in the development of religious and religious and social life in Russia. The project participants focused on on analytical than on practical problems, while the study remained field and, ceasing to be a reference, retained its information component.

The first volume of the series "Religious and public life in the Russian regions”, summing up the new sociological research, came out in 2014. It covered regions from the letter A to I. The second volume begins with the Irkutsk region, which was not included in the first volume, and continues with the regions with the letter TO.

Participated in the presentation Xenia Dennen, President of the Keston Institute (Oxford, England), Sergey Filatov, head of the Encyclopedia of Religious Life in Russia project and senior Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Anatoly Krasikov, Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Head of the Center for the Study problems of religion and society of the IE RAS, as well as Roman Lunkin, leading researcher an employee of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences and an employee of the Center for the Study of Problems of Religion and society of the institute. Anatoly Krasikov in his speech referred to a brochure on the religious situation in the Irkutsk region in 1914 year, noting how different the approaches of the participants in the two studies: in the work beginning of the twentieth century, Baptists, Adventists and other non-Orthodox groups otherwise than sectarians, were not called, the attitude towards them was the most negative, the authors set themselves the task of stigmatizing the Gentiles, and by no means drawing an objective picture of the existence of the denomination. Whereas the Encyclopedia modern religious life" tries to cover with an objective analysis all significant religious organizations in the region, which are visible due to their number or social activity (without hushing up and related scandals), convey the diversity of Russian religious life. Unfortunately said Krasikov, the “penetrating spirit” sometimes returns even today, often from the church environment, intolerant voices are heard against the same Baptists or Adventists, but experience shows that there are sectarians in the Russian Orthodox Church itself. Even balanced and cautious position of Patriarch Kirill at the meeting with the Pope caused a violent negative reaction in chauvinist circles, it came to demands to expel the patriarch. Professor Krasikov foresees that the Russian the church will have to face serious problems - too much freedom got reactionary circles in it.

President of the Keston Institute Xenia Dennen , one of the initiators encyclopedic project, told the story of the institute, which started as a public organization, a center for the collection and dissemination of data about the religious situation in the USSR and the countries of the socialist camp. Later Center became Keston College. Canon College founder Michael Burdo in 1959 came to practice at Moscow University and witnessed the Nikita Khrushchev new persecution of the church. The requests of believers to speak on West, what is really happening in the Soviet Union with the Church, pushed him to the creation of an institute, which by the beginning of perestroika had up to 30 employees. Monitoring the situation in all countries of the socialist camp for more than 20 years, Institute has collected a huge archive, which is now stored in the Baylor University of Texas (USA). Now the institute is represented in the UK tiny organization, Xenia Dennen noted, but continues her research, in particular provides scholarships to those who want to work in Baylor Archives. For her own trip to Russia and participation in field research already in the post-Soviet era have become "the biggest life impression."

Professor of the Higher School of Economics Tatyana Koval noted the weighted, a truly scientific approach to the researched object of the project participants. "This a chronicle that will be read in 100 years, she said, because The books in the series have already become the primary source.

Archpriest Alexei Polyakov from Obninsk, one of the heroes of research, emphasized that the material of the collections is of great interest, including for priests, because they are often so immersed in the affairs of their own parish that do not really notice what is happening around. Editions of Keston institutes help to see all the diversity of life in its constant variability.

Professor of the Kazan Federal University Anatoly Leshchinsky believes that the work of the encyclopedia project team will be included in the treasury religious studies, since they lay the foundation for further research of the first quarters of the 21st century. In his opinion, it is very important to continue the work, because the length of the research provides rich material for comparison. IN USSR publications of Keston College were considered anti-Soviet, he recalled, and starting from 1990, even at the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU, they began to celebrate them objective value.

With her review of the publication, she made also one of the leaders of the Summer Garden publishing house, which publishes the series, Olga Fadina. In her opinion, the series has not only scientific, but also literary merits: the material is often presented as a clash of characters, and this gives the story tension exciting detective.

Member of the Board of Trustees Keston Institute, co-author and presenter of Russian religious programs on the BBC and Radio Liberty for 14 years old Elena Kozhevnikova, who herself for many years took part in collecting information, is not ready to accept accusations of anti-Sovietness. She believes that he and his colleagues simply honestly collected human stories and tried bring this information to society in order to remind him that there is suffering. “However, we have never lost sight of the fact that the Church with a capital letter is eternal and immaculate, and the church with a small letter is actually all of us sinners,” she said.

Supervisor project Sergey Filatov admitted that the ongoing research for 17 years, make him look at life more optimistically. We are already accustomed to critical reviews from all sides and we ourselves see a lot of negative, he said, but trips across the country over many years of work on the project show that there is a slow process of recovery of society. Increasingly rare face savagery and reactionary spirit. If, for example, we take social work, then in the late 90s it was often perceived in the Church almost not as apostasy, but now there are only a few dioceses where it does not is underway. Therefore, the researcher considers alarmist sentiments exaggerated.

Nearest associate of Sergei Filatov and also a long-term participant in the project Roman Lunkin dwelled in his speech on trends in the development of the Protestant community the main topic of his research. His main thesis is in the post-Soviet period Christian culture in Russia has changed: Protestant churches have become significant phenomenon. For a significant part of society, it was they who became the Church. This is especially evident in the regions. Often comes to Sunday services more Protestants than Orthodox. Protestants take pride in being athletes win awards, singers participate and win competitions. Protestants very successful in social activities, they often push the Orthodox to activity. Protestants took a lot from the Russian religious mentality - both bad and good: not the same attitude to theology, to work. Therefore, they you have to “return” yourself to Protestant roots from time to time in order to fix roll. Nevertheless, Lunkin believes, Protestantism in Russia has won strong positions, although this is not yet fully realized either in religious or in political plan.

Traditionally, at the end presentation, the daughter of Sergei Filatov - Martha - invited all the guests to a modest buffet.