V. Klyueva, E. Shestakov. The religious situation in the Tyumen region in 2015

Leading researcher of the social sector anthropology of the Institute for Problems of the Development of the North SB RAS Vera Klyueva and lawyer Evgeny Shestakov prepared an overview of the confessional situation for the SOVA Center in the Tyumen region in 2015. Quantitative characteristics religious space of the region

When analyzing confessional situation in the Tyumen region, it is necessary to take into account the following nuances. Tyumenskaya oblast is a complex constituent entity of the Russian Federation, which includes Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (60 religious organizations), Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous district (about 167 religious organizations) and the Tyumen an area bounded by the southern regions of the large Tyumen region (214 religious organizations). Accordingly, large religious associations can be both interregional and limited administrative-territorial boundaries of districts. Interregional are West Siberian Deanery of the Transfiguration Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, Union of Evangelical Christian Missions, Ural-West Siberian regional administrative center of the New Apostolic Church, Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Asian part of Russia. Trying to spread their activities and obtain registration as a centralized and other associations.

Orthodox of Moscow Patriarchy until 2011 were also merged into a single Tobolsk-Tyumen diocese. To date, after structural changes, the former diocese divided into Tobolsk (with Tyumen and Ishim dioceses;) and Khanty-Mansiysk (with the diocese of Yugra) of the metropolis and an independent Salekhard diocese.

Muslim communities of Tyumen oblasts are organized primarily into regional Spiritual Administrations Muslims. In the Tyumen region - DUM TO, in KhMAO-Yugra - RDUM KhMAO-Yugra, in YNAO - RDUM YANAO. In all subjects there are communities of the SAM of the AChR; in the south the region and in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug there are TsDUMR communities; and in YNAO - and religious organizations, related to the DUM of Siberia.

Protestantism in the region and districts is represented by evangelical Christian Baptists; Evangelical Christians and Christians of the Faith evangelical - Pentecostals ( such the strange double name of representatives of one denomination is associated with requirements of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, which recently began to indicate that "Christians of the Evangelical Faith" and "Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals)" - they are different religions ) Evangelical Christians, Adventists, Lutherans, New Apostolic Church, Methodists, Presbyterians. throughout the region has the most registered religious organizations and groups, primarily Pentecostal directions (CPE and CPE-p), and Evangelical Christian Baptists. The number of other Protestants most registered in the southern districts of the region, insignificantly (about 20 organizations).

from other religious associations in the south of the region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra declared their existence Witnesses Jehovah; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons); Hindu religious groups; Buddhists; Greek Catholics; Old Believers and Orthodox communities that are not related to the ROC (MP). Yamal, being the most remote and closed territory, less religiously diverse than the south of the region and Yugra.

So the religious space in the Tyumen region is formed primarily by Christian and Muslim communities. Because of their tradition and longevity it is they who become the main newsmakers and actors of public policy.

In the south of the region, monitoring the number of believers attending services. Of course, such the calculations do not indicate the totality of the religious population, but they give an idea of ​​the confessional distribution of believers in the region. IN In April 2015, the calculations were carried out in Tyumen, and in Ishim, and in Yalutorovsk. In Tyumen and Yalutorovsk, Orthodox services were counted, in Ishim it was possible make calculations among the Orthodox, Protestants and Muslims. counting were held on Easter or in the week leading up to Easter. Orthodoxy. In Tyumen, 9763 came to 17 churches and chapels for Easter people (about 1.5% of the city's population). In Yalutorovsk, it came to 2 churches 905 people (Yalutorovo temples are also visited by residents of nearby villages). This is about 3% of the city's population. 3 temples came to Ishim 1388 people (2.15%). Catholics. Ishim. 4 April 2015 The festive service was attended by 50 people (0.1% of the city's population). Catholics. Ishim. April 12, 2015 d. Sunday service was attended by 25 people (0.05% of the city's population). Protestantism. Ishim. April 11 (ASD Church), April 12 (Pentecostals, Baptists, New Apostolic Church) 2015 4 Protestant churches of Ishim gathered for the holidays worship services 187 people (0.3% of the city's population). Islam . Ishim. April 10, 2015 Juma prayer at the Ishim mosque 52 people (0.1%) gathered.

A feature of the religious the space of the south of the region is an active presence and anti-religious organizations - the Union of Militant Atheists, who periodically declare itself by holding various actions and performances. In June, as part of the All-Russian campaign "Anticlericalism-2015" they held a rally in the regional center. Similar performances in the region occur regularly and do not cause any significant public outcry. There was no resonance this time either.

State-confessional relationships and interfaith communication

In the Tyumen region, the sphere state-confessional relations are regulated by the Department of Religious Affairs Committee for Nationalities of the Government of the Tyumen Region. in YaNAO and KhMAO religious issues are under the jurisdiction of the Departments of Internal district government policies.

Top officials of the region try not to comment on the religious situation. Usually in public events mention the stability of the situation, tolerance multinational and polyconfessional population of the region. Although sometimes governors are marked by non-standard statements. In May, Tyumen Governor V. Yakushev announced the need for a new translation of the Koran: "An effective tool to counter social anti-Russian manifestations associated with religious and political concepts, for example, Islam, may be the preparation of a coordinated with various Muslim communities of Russia scientifically and theologically verified translation of the Koran and the main Works of the Islamic Heritage" . According to the governor, the translation should be carried out taking into account “how religious dogma, and the realities of our time . The range of reactions to such a proposal ranged from ironic to sharply negative. More serious in its consequences was the statement of the governor of Yamal D. Kobylkin on the need to develop a law on missionary activities to protect against foreign influence of representatives of indigenous peoples North. As a result, by January 2016 G. draft law was prepared. However in the project itself, the topic of the indigenous peoples of the north was not mentioned.

Formally, in the regions the principle of equality is respected, in which representatives of all officially registered large religious associations participate in public events are included in public and advisory councils. In every subject, several representatives of religious organizations are members regional public chambers. Accordingly, according to their presence, it is possible to make some conclusions on the informal hierarchy of relations to confessions. Of course, in each Public Chamber has representatives from the Russian Orthodox Church and Muslims. And in the OP The Tyumen region (OP TO) also has representatives from Jews and Protestants.

What was included in the OP TO representatives of "non-titular" confessions is an indicator of the activity and recognition of believers who managed to achieve legitimation from the regional authorities, incl. through self-organization within the framework of the Congress of Religious associations of the Tyumen region (KROTO) "against the will of the authorities."

KROTO has been operating in the region since 2005. Its uniqueness lies in that the association arose on the initiative of the Tyumen Protestants and without participation of authorities as a platform for interfaith communication. Now chairman KROTO is a Pentecostal Bishop S.E. Lavrenov (former chairman was Evangelical Christian clergyman E.N. Shestakov), and co-chairs Rabbi I.V. Varkin and Mufti G.M. Bikmulin. IN "Declaration of intent" METO declares its goal to ensure parity relations of the state to each religious organization, without taking into account its religious and confessional affiliation. So they partnered up with all-Russian human rights organizations: Slavic Law Center, center "Sova", etc. Also, under the auspices of the KROTO, seminars are held to improve the legal literacy of religious organizations, For example, in March there was a “Legal Seminar on the Basics of the Legal Activities of Religious Associations”, co-organizers which, in addition to the MCTO, the Commission on Interethnic Relations and freedom of conscience OP TO. Although it should be added that the initiative to conduct and the moderator of the seminar was a religious leader, a member of the KROTO and, at the same time, a member of the OP THAT.

KROTO fast enough responds to religious issues. So, when in the cathedral mosque Tyumen region was discovered "extremist" literature (Said bin Ali bin Wahf al-Qahtani "Fortress of the Muslim. Appeals to Allah with prayers. Treatment with the help of conspiracies found in the Koran and the Sunnah”, the book was excluded from the list in February 2015 extremist materials), CRTO immediately issued words of support in address of Tyumen Muslims. In December 2015, Mufti G. Bikmulin was acquitted.

Now KROTO is perceived regional authorities as a body with which it is possible and necessary to negotiate and discuss emerging problems of a state-confessional nature.

Presence religious community in public space

The most active were Orthodox - the clergy of the Tobolsk Metropolis and the Orthodox community. The most notable of them are representatives of the Tyumen City Parent committee (TGRK), which in April 2015 made a scandalous appeal to the Tyumen governor with a request to ban entry and performance in the Tyumen area of ​​Diana Arbenina and Leah Akhedzhakova. Such a request is connected with the events on Ukraine and "anti-patriotic, anti-state statements" of the artists. The organization has repeatedly made similar proposals, for example, in 2014 they demanded cancel the play "Kys" and check for pornography of the "Ice Show" Ilya Averbukh. In 2015, the Orthodox (TGRK and Pokrov Center) for the first time became to find common ground with the Protestants, “family” became common for them topics - joint activities against abortion, the fight against drunkenness and addiction. The work of the Tyumen branch of the VNRS also intensified, the beginning which was made in 2014.

Among the events ethno-religious nature, in which the communities of the Russian Orthodox Church were involved, separately activities related to the Cossacks are highlighted. Spring 2015 status "Cossack temple" received one of the temples of Tyumen. In the Tobolsk Metropolis suggest that giving the temple the status of "Cossack" will serve to strengthen relationship between the Metropolia and the Cossacks. Yamal Cossacks together with Orthodox priests “conduct classes in educational institutions on Orthodoxy and Spiritual Education of Youth. In general, the Cossacks is perceived as a conductor of politics and an assistant to the local priesthood.

From events socio-religious nature, in the behavior of which the Tobolsk metropolis affiliated with the authorities, two can be named - Interregional Festival "Orthodoxy and the Media" and the scientific-practical conference "Orthodox Origins Russian culture and literature. The affiliation includes the presence of senior officials (governors and vice-governors) at these events. When holding events of other faiths, authorities usually represents an official at the level of chairman or vice-chairman of the committee Nationalities Affairs or the relevant department. Traditional an activity that is partly supported by the authorities under the program subsidizing socially significant projects is the Missionary Expedition "Slavic move-2015".

Among Orthodox leaders Metropolitan of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgutsky Pavel. In particular, at a press conference on the eve of Easter, he gave special attention to issues of tolerance, the topic of migration, as well as the situation in Ukraine. Regarding migrants, he said the following: “We must remember in what country we live, we are. I lived in America. For example, there are laws rules by which people should live. Who are you, where are you from, what nationality - doesn't matter. Nobody really cares there. Here is the order, and each person obliged to comply with it. If not, then everything will be sent from that state in 24 hours, even not the country, but the state where the person is located. Because in every state there are also laws. And maybe, I think that we need such laws, specifically in Yugra. Maybe someday we will come to this. By the way, I'm I spoke about this to Natalya Vladimirovna Komarova and in general with many leaders, that we have questions like this. And they say to me, well, Russian Federation, in Chechnya the Russian Federation and here it is, and the laws are the same. I speak, that the laws are the same, but there are still regions, districts, regions that can pass laws at the local level. That is, to make sure that if a person violates county law, for example, he must be evicted within 24 hours. America so lives, Europe is now striving for this, moving to this principle, realizing that it's easier to sort things out." .

Protestant organizations thanks to competent policy of the authorities of the Tyumen region are gradually becoming participants in public events and developers of socially significant projects. Thus, the Council of Christian Churches in Tyumen (CCC), which includes most of the Protestant churches of the regional center, the municipal authorities give the opportunity to organize all-religious holidays (Christmas, Easter) on city ​​level. For example, in agreement with the Tyumen city the administration determined a list of places (including central sites), where Easter events were held under the auspices of the SCC.

Regional government supports interfaith cultural events. Annually by initiative of the Jewish community hosts an interfaith music festival "David's harp", in which Tyumen Jews, Protestant churches and Muslims.

Muslims, especially in connection with constantly articulated topics of prevention of extremist manifestations and radicalism are also actively involved in public projects. For example, when holding a round table on countering radicalism and extremism in Muslim youth environment, held in April 2015. In his work leaders and representatives of Muslim religious organizations, the Committee for Nationalities of the Tyumen Region, teachers higher educational institutions, representatives of national public organizations. Similar round tables were organized later, especially often they became gather in November-December due to the appearance of reports of the departure of residents areas in Syria. With the support and approval of the authorities, the regular study of imams. However, authorities primarily interact with DUM TO as a regional structure. Although the attitude is gradually changing. So in September 2015, the Tyumen Kazyyat department of the DUM AChR received premises for an office in the center of Tyumen. At the same time, the rotation of personnel began, in January In 2016, Tobolsk mufti I. Sukhov became the head of KUMTO DUM AChR.

Problems and persecution

problematic topic for religious associations this year were issues of a legal nature. Especially those relating to the regulation, creation, operation and liquidation of religious associations. For example, according to the Notice Form on the beginning of the activities of a religious group (by order of the Ministry of Justice of Russia dated 05.10.2015 No. 234), required indicate the most complete information about the religious group - the names and addresses of its members and leader, information about the basics of religion, addresses of worship, etc. These requirements even exceed the requirements for registered religious organizations. And, of course, all this causes believers fear. Therefore, Tyumen religious associations, existing in the form of religious groups, try to ignore this norm or choose alternative paths. Although there are religious groups that have already decided submit the required notification to the territorial body of the Ministry of Justice. For example, religious group "Church of Christ the Savior" in Tyumen.

In addition, destabilizing influenced by frequent amendments to federal legislation on freedom conscience, freedom of religion and freedom of religious associations, which establish in some cases contradictory norms. For example, the authorities regions and districts, based on the decisions of regional anti-terrorist commissions required religious organizations to provide information about all existing places of worship, regardless of their form of ownership and status, as well as appointment in religious organizations responsible for anti-terrorist security of facilities. Because of these requirements, some organizations (for example, in Pyt-Yakh, KhMAO-Yugra) had to discuss issues of the need to train your staff and seriously think about installing systems video surveillance. All this entails financial costs and is unbearable for small religious organizations with 10-50 members.

In addition, there are more cases carrying out inspections of religious organizations, primarily Protestant ones, regulatory and supervisory authorities on various complaints. So at the end of 2015 2009, the prosecutor's office began checking one of the Protestant communities in the south of the Tyumen area on a complaint allegedly from one of the parishioners.

2015 marked anti-sectarian struggle in the region. It should be noted that this surge is caused by illiterate and illegal actions of individual officials. At the beginning of the year in Yalutorovsk (south of the Tyumen region) to Christians of the Evangelical faith (religious organization "Mission of Evangelization and Charity of Christians of the Evangelical Faith "The Conciliator" of Yalutorovsk") was denied publication of the traditional Christmas greetings in the city newspaper "Yalutorovskaya Zhizn" in connection with that the organization is a "forbidden cult". Editor-in-Chief N.V. Tesalovskikh said in a personal conversation that “they work only with the Russian Orthodox Church, and Pentecostals on the Internet are listed as a "forbidden sect." This The situation was resolved only after the intervention of regional officials.

In May, in the newspaper "Surgutskaya tribune” (KhMAO-Yugra) published an article “Will they be able to gain power over people? Why they regularly try to recruit us and how not to get hooked sectarians." It cites an interview with the chief specialist of the department public security administration of the Surgut region D. Pechenkin. The article began with the words: “The administration of the Surgut region has a new direction of activity - the fight against extremism and sectarian organizations . The text of the article contained completely illiterate descriptions and reasoning about some denominations (Baptists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons) operating in KhMAO. On the situation The Union of Missions of the Pentecostal Union reacted to , and after appeals to the authorities and the intervention of lawyers, the prosecutor's office pointed out to the official the inadmissibility violations of Russian law.

In a number of schools in the Tyumen region there were orders from the authorities to identify children among students - "sectarians", and this despite the fact that this term has no legal definitions and, due to the prevailing opinion, has a negative connotation, capable of offend believers. In schools, there is a far-fetched struggle against the "hijabs" of Muslim girls. An incident that occurred in one of the Tyumen schools was settled after parents attracted independent lawyers.

In April, the mufti of Kazyatsky Department of Muslims of the Tyumen region F. Garifullin became a defendant criminal case under Art. 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Inciting hatred or enmity". According to investigation, he recommended for use in religious institutions extremist literature, as well as interpreted the surahs of the Koran and published them in newspaper "Truth". In the summer, investigators charged him. Reason for initiation of a criminal case were discovered during searches in the mosque "Sabr" Kazyyat Administration of Muslims of the Sverdlovsk Region (KUMSO) in Pervouralsk, along with extremist literature, issues of the newspaper "Truth" from August 2013 of the year. The examination carried out showed that the newspaper contained extremist materials. During the preliminary investigation, it was possible to establish that "Truth" spread through the mosques of the Sverdlovsk and Tyumen regions. Trial caused a flurry of indignation in Islamic forums and in religious media. The controversial publication was a reprint from the Kazakh edition of Nash Mir, made in August 2013 20 verses of the Qur'an about the fight against infidels. Release newspaper "Truth" was suspended by the editors.

Still celebrated persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the south of the Tyumen region for distribution of prohibited religious literature. In May, the Golyshmanovsky District Court fined a resident of the village Golyshmanovo under Art. 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (mass distribution of extremist materials) per thousand rubles. The reason was that in March 2015 a woman holding meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses at her home distributed to them the banned pamphlet What Does the Bible Really Teach? (ed. Watch tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. Brooklyn, New York, USA 2005). Center "Owl" by placing this information, pointed out : “We consider it unlawful to ban the literature of the Witnesses Jehovah for extremism and the persecution of believers for its distribution. We We regard these actions of the authorities as a violation of the right to freedom of conscience.” IN comments, you can see a kind of roll call with the information of the Tyumenskaya prosecutor's office, which emphasizes that "according to the current legislation everyone is guaranteed freedom of religion, but spreading extremist no one is allowed to read literature.

Summarizing the above, it should be noted that the confessional situation in the Tyumen region is significantly influenced by not only the current legislation and attitudes towards various religious associations on the part of representatives of the authorities, but also the desire themselves believers go to communicate with the secular part of society. In general, the score confessional situation as stable and calm is accurate, and such it is also recognized by the religious leaders of the region.