The mass introduction of confessional standards of faith within the framework of general education in the 1990s was widely regarded as an acceptable solution by various administrative levels when it came to the first post-Soviet generations of Russians. This was facilitated by two factors: the majority of the population's declared affiliation with a specific denomination – Orthodox Christianity – and its institutional bearer, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the search for a new identity by society as a whole and the elites (both new and old). The notion of the “traditional” nature of religious denominations aligned perfectly with this objective. The Russian Orthodox Church's educational initiative (which replicated a pre-revolutionary model) was institutionalized as the de jure secular cultural studies subject “Foundations of Orthodox Culture”. Following public debate, it was integrated into the curriculum as part of the “Foundations of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics” course and offered alongside alternative elective modules. However, in practice, “Foundations of Orthodox Culture” proved to be a far less popular choice among students’ parents. The paradox is that, despite widespread declarations of adherence to Orthodox Christianity, most Russians do not feel the need to learn the religion's doctrinal teachings. These conclusions are supported by analysis of data from two sociological surveys conducted with participants who studied the “Foundations of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics” course at school.

Key words: post-Soviet identity and Orthodoxy; religion in the education system of the Russian Federation; mass religious consciousness

DOI: 10.22250/20728662-2025-4-60-68

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About the author

Nikita S. Kravchuk – Postgraduate at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies; Institute of Public Service and Management of Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; build. 1, 82 Vernadskogo Ave., Moscow, 119571, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.