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In the early 1990s Xenia Dennen brought back from Moscow some spravki (reports) on certain Russian Orthodox dioceses written by Sergei Filatov, a scholar from Moscow’s Oriental Institute, and showed them to Michael Bourdeaux, then director of Keston Institute. These spravki formed the beginning of a major twelve-year project to produce an Encyclopaedia of Religious Life in Russia Today: A Systematic Description. Michael Bourdeaux found their contents fascinating and felt that here was an opportunity to make a detailed study of the religious situation in Russia which should not be missed, knowing from experience how quickly official attitudes towards religion could change and how open doors could suddenly slam shut. Perestroika, after all, might not last forever – as now indeed seems to be the case with the growth of a more authoritarian regime under Putin and now Medvedev.
The research has been carried out by a Russian team based in Moscow. In the autumn of 2008 the seventh and final volume was published in Russian. These seven volumes form two parts: Part I, Volumes1 - 4, covers all the religious denominations which exist in Russia. Each denomination is studied under the following subject headings:

organisational structure;
a short history;
basic doctrines, current theological position;
number of members, churches;
geographical distribution;
national composition;
mass media outlets and publications;
educational institutions;
monasteries (where relevant);
social and charitable bodies;
economic position;
bibliography.

In addition wherever possible names, addresses, telephone numbers, websites, and e-mail addresses are given.

Volume 1 covers Orthodoxy (the Moscow Patriarchate, the Free Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, the Catacomb or True Orthodox Church); Old Believers; Spiritual Christianity (Dukhobors , Molokans); Armenian Apostolic Church; Oriental Orthodox (Syrian); Catholic Church.

Volume 2 covers Protestant denominations: Anglicans; Lutherans; Reformed Church; Methodists; Baptists and Evangelical Christians; Plymouth Brethren; Pentecostals and Charismatics; Christian Scientists; Jehovah’s Witnesses; Mormons; The Church of Christ (Boston movement); Etika povedeniya (Behaviour Ethics).

Volumes 3 & 4 contain information on all non-Christian religions, for example, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, the Rerikh movement, the Vissarionovites, the White Brotherhood, paganism.
Part II, Volumes 5 - 7 is a geographical survey covering all 78 administrative subekty in the Russian Federation. These volumes study the religious make-up of each oblast, krai and republic which are listed in alphabetical order. Historical background is provided as well as the latest information on each denomination’s structure and activities, church-state relations, interdenominational relations and local intellectual life, with addresses, telephone numbers, websites and e-mail addresses listed wherever possible. This research has been based on thousands of interviews, coverage of the local religious and secular press, and study of any relevant books published locally.

Part I volumes 1 - 4 can be obtained from universitas@mail.ru and Part II volumes 5 – 7 from letsad@mail.ru. Contact us here Read More Here

Reviews....
Sergei Filatov's Review

Russian Review Here

The Book Review

Report by Boris Knorre

Encyclopaedia Team 9 June 2004 at Carnegie Center, Moscow
Below are links to Russian chapters from the introductory book in the series....

Оглавление