The question of the nature of Orthodox activism in the Republic of Tatarstan at the present stage

• Published in: Историческая этнология Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 121 - 131
• Main Author: Alexander A. Khokhlov
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Marjani Institute of History 01.03.2025
• Subjects: activism; conflict; consensus; interests; russian orthodox church; society
• ISSN: 2619-1636
• DOI: 10.22378/he.2025-10-1.121-131

The article examines such a specific phenomenon of the modern Russian social landscape as Orthodox activism, as well as considers approaches to its interpretation in secular and ecclesiastical discourses, trends and practical experience in a specific territorial and administrative locality. The conclusion is drawn about the obvious absence of a generally accepted understanding of this phenomenon in the Russian Orthodox Church, which determines its internal heterogeneity and multivariance in the field of practical implementation. It is reasonable to consider Orthodox activism in our country as a relatively young phenomenon, directly caused by socio-political transformations and the formation of civil society. In a broad sense, it is aimed at fighting for the religious interests of the church. Initially, Orthodox activism gained an acute social orientation, which it retains to one degree or another to this day. At the same time, the actualization of this phenomenon is observed primarily in the capital cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, which have a dynamic cultural environment, representation of federal authorities, public, religious and political associations, as well as the media. Other regional centers do not yet have a set of similar conditions, and the nature of Orthodox activism in them is determined by local traditions and rules. Thus, in the Republic of Tatarstan, it is not only ideologically homogeneous, but it is also clearly structured and constructive, which stems from the specifics of the socio-political and ethnocultural development of the region in recent decades.