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Diana Gertsenshteyn
Mrs. Lucarelli
Comparative Civilizations
9 November 2016
Orthodox Christianity In Russia
85 million Russians identify as Orthodox Christians (Britannica 1).This is a substantial
number of people, making Orthodox Christianity the main religion in modern day Russia.
Orthodox Christianity has a large influence on Russian society today.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity has many defining principles that separates it from over
sub sects of Christianity. The Russian Orthodox Church is a self-governing body of the
Orthodox faith, in full communion with other autocephalous churches. Since 1322, albeit with
some interruptions, the church has been headed by the Patriarch of Moscow, currently Kirill I
(Jenkins 1). Kirill I is often seen as having great authority, but he leaves the rest of the church to
exercise power over faith. Traditions with how Orthodox Christians exercise their faith is
different as well. For example, Visitors should be prepared for a longer service than is typical
for many Western branches of Christianity. The Orthodox conception of time is different,
positing that during the service, earthly time fades into the background and the divine takes over
(Jenkins 1). Christmas is also celebrated on January 7th, while Western Christmas is on
December 25th. Orthodox Russians show great devotion to their religion on a daily basis. Every
Sunday, on the main TV channel in Russia, Kirill I gives a live broadcast of mass, and most of
Russia watches this. Russians also try their best to be as virtuous and selfless as possible, helping
as many people as they can. They are very expressive about their religion and are proud of it.

This religion has also played a role in the lives of Russians who are not religious or
devoutly Orthodox Christian, which is a very minimal number. Signature Russian architecture is
greatly influenced by Orthodox belief. Gold is the color most strongly associated with the
Heavenly Kingdom, and Russian Orthodox churches are typically topped by golden domes.
While there are many styles employed throughout history, the "onion dome" is most strongly
associated with Russian architecture. Both inside and out, Russian churches tend to make use of
a great deal of vertical space, drawing the eye upward toward heaven. Toward that end, Orthodox
churches often avoid electric lighting and use candles, creating an otherworldly feel (Jenkins 1).
A famous example of such a church is the Saint Basils Cathedral. Even the alphabet Russia uses,
the cyrillic alphabet, was created by two Saints to spread Orthodox Christianity. Anatoly
Arkadyevich Turilov, Senior Researcher at the Department of Medieval History at the Institute of
Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, states, ...They [Saints Cyril and Methodius]
created the literary Slavonic language on the basis of Bulgarian dialects, as well as the Slavonic
written language [Cyrillic]... They also translated Holy Scripture into Slavonic and laid the basis
for both Slavonic divine services and Slavonic literature.
These are only a few of the defining examples of how Orthodox Christianity plays a role
in Russia, with their culture and traditions all influenced by religion. A poll as conducted on
1,600 Russians. Many respondents believe the Russian Orthodox Church has a considerable
influence on the spiritual and moral state of society (64% of the respondents said they notice
such an influence (Interfax 1). Russians themselves see how significant Orthodox
Christianity is in their lives, in what they do, what they believe, and in their culture that is seen
by many as vibrant and rich.
Works Cited

"Interfax-Religion." Interfax-Religion. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016. <http://www.interfaxreligion.com/?act=news&div=10896>

"The Unknown Mission of Sts. Cyril and Methodius." A Russian Orthodox Church Website
RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016. <http://www.pravmir.com/the-unknown-mission-ofsts-cyril-and-methodius/>
"Russian Orthodox Church." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.
Web. 05 Nov. 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Russian-Orthodox-church>.
"Russian Orthodox Beliefs & Practices." Our Everyday Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.
<http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/russian-orthodox-beliefs-practices-4018.html>.