Tag: Russian Orthodox Church

Cautious welcome to Russia’s praise of Protestantism

November 9, 2017 Russia Protestants, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Putin, Yarovaya Law

A senior official in the Putin administration has acknowledged the “value” Protestants bring to Russian society, reports Radio Free Europe. Marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, First Deputy Chief Sergei Kiriyenko said: “The followers of the Reformation idea appeared in our country immediately after it started. Those people contributed . . . Read More

Uzbekistan ‘violates religious freedom through coercion and sexual violence’

September 14, 2017 Uzbekistan Religious freedom, Russian Orthodox Church, Uzbekistan, Women

Russian Orthodox St. Alexey Cathedral in Samarkand, southeast Uzbekistan. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

The Uzbek regime continues to hold its citizens, including Christians, “in constant fear”, subjecting them to surveillance, threats, raids, fines and short-term imprisonments, according to regional news agency Forum 18’s analysis of religious freedom in Uzbekistan. In a comprehensive overview, Forum 18 highlights a number of incidents, including two in . . . Read More

Kyrgyzstan: ‘We will kill you’ sprayed on church wall

August 2, 2017 Kyrgyzstan Central Asia, Converts, Islamic extremism, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Orthodox Church, Soviet Union, Tokmok

A church in the northern Kyrgyzstan city of Tokmok had a death threat sprayed across one of its walls following a night-time robbery last week. Sources told World Watch Monitor that the graffiti was by local Islamic radicals who broke into the church building, damaged furniture and wrote: “We will kill . . . Read More

Turkmenistan President’s reelection ‘guaranteed’

February 15, 2017 Turkmenistan Ashgabat, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Russian Orthodox Church, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov secured a third term in office this week by winning a landslide election victory. As RFE/RL reports, “Berdymukhammedov maintains strict control over all aspects of society and was all but guaranteed to defeat the other eight candidates, who were widely seen as window dressing for the . . . Read More

Roman, Russian patriarchs to meet in Cuba

February 5, 2016 Russia Moscow, Patriarch Kirill, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church

The first-ever meeting of the Roman pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church is scheduled for 12 Feb. in Cuba, . that the subject of their conversation will be “persecution of Christians in the modern world”. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia is the only patriarch of . . . Read More

Ukraine rebels accuse Christians of spying

May 14, 2015 Ukraine Catholics, Donetsk, Protestants, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Ukraine

Rebels in the Donetsk region of Ukraine have declared an autonomous region complete with an official religion: The Russian Orthodox Church. that commanders of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” have shelled churches and the buildings of other religious minorities, and have arrested Protestant and Catholic leaders on suspicion of spying . . . Read More

Ukraine Christians living in fear

March 18, 2015 Ukraine Catholics, Donetsk, Kiev, Protestants, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Ukraine

Christians in eastern Ukraine fear growing persecution from pro-Russian separatists who have declared religious groups not affiliated to the Russian Orthodox Church to be their potential enemy. Since the Russian-backed rebels established the Donetsk People’s Republic in April 2014, their self-declared government made Russia’s Orthodox Church their official faith. The . . . Read More

Russian dissident and priest Yakunin dies at 80

January 8, 2015 Russia Exile, Moscow, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Soviet Union

We’re getting to this news a bit late owing to the holidays, but wanted to share that Rev. Gleb Yakunin, a priest who was famous for protesting against corruption within the Russian Orthodox Church and Soviet Union died in Moscow on 25 December. According to the New York Times, Yakunin, . . . Read More

‘Secret church’ served with coffee & cakes in Central Asian cafes

December 5, 2014 Azerbaijan, Central Asia, House churches, Islamic extremism, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Orthodox Church, Uzbekistan

In a country where Christians often must meet secretly to avoid arrest, a group of women have taken the opposite approach: hiding in plain sight. They meet to pray and encourage each other in a coffee shop, in one of the largest cities in Central Asia. “It is better for . . . Read More

Russian takeover of Crimea leads to inter-Church tensions

June 9, 2014 Ukraine Crimea, Donetsk, Kiev, Patriarch Kirill, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Soviet Union, Sunni, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin

Reports of violence and intimidation by pro-Russian groups against non-Russian Orthodox Christians in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine are beginning to emerge. According to Ukraine’s Liga News website, on June 1, a group of armed men in traditional Cossack clothes attacked the Holy Virgin Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchate (the UOC-KP) . . . Read More

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