RUSSIAN SILENT ANTICLERICAL MAJORITY

 

Governmental decrees do not mean much for the situation with freedom of religion in Russia. For example, attempts to make Moscow Patriarchy the only player in Russian school (Dec. 2000, p.e.) are blocked by the position of the teachers of Russia. They are mostly anticlerically minded women with the income lower than average (and much lower than priest's) - in Moscow about 50.00$. Most of them will not let even Russian Orthodox priest come to school. People with such salary are unlikely to fulfill any orders which they don't approve.

Another small but influential part of the Russian society which is opposed to dominance of any religion -- former Communist nomenclature of the middle range. In Moscow their interests are expressed by the stuff of the Department of Religion of the Academy of State Service of the President of Russia. They oppose introducing theology in schools and universities. Sergey Bocharov in "Radonezh" (#1-2, 2001, p. 7) criticize this Academy.