ABSTRACT
K. Evans and K. Northmore-Ball studied religious affiliation and practice trends in the Russian Federation by examining cross-sectional surveys conducted from 1993–2007. During the communist times of the Soviet Union, Russians experienced a state-imposed atheism and a deconstruction of religious. Accordingly, religious practice of all denominations was severely restricted and people could not openly practice their faiths. According to M. Benovska-Sabkova et al., separation between church and government is still officially declared, but in actuality, the Russian Orthodox Church “receives substantial symbolic and material support from the state”. When considering religion and spirituality in Russia, one must be mindful that that individuals will vary in terms of how they may embrace religion, spirituality, or secular values in their daily lives and life cycle events. Given the predominance in Russian culture of the Russian Orthodox faith, some information will be provided about Russian Orthodox traditions regarding end of life rituals.
