Russians

Russians (Russian:??????? - Russkiye) are an East Slavic ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.

Religion

Orthodox Christianity is a dominant faith among the Russians. More specifically, the vast majority of Russian believers belong to the Russian Orthodox Church, which played an important role in the development of Russian national identity. In other countries Russian faithful usually belong to the local Orthodox congregations which either have a direct connection (like the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, autonomous under the Patriarch of Moscow) or historical origin (like the Orthodox Church in America or a Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Related Topics:
Orthodox Christianity - Russian Orthodox Church - Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Autonomous - Patriarch of Moscow - The Orthodox Church in America - Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

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Even non-religious Russians mostly associate themselves with Orthodox faith for cultural reasons. Some Russians are Old Believers: a relatively small schismatic group of the Russian Orthodoxy that rejected the liturgical reforms introduced in the 17th century.

Related Topics:
Old Believers - Schismatic

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Despite continuing growth in religious observance since Soviet times, church attendance rates in Russia are relatively low.

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Other world religions have negligible representation among ethnic Russians.

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See also :category:Religion in Russia.

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