VTsIOM found the criteria of churching – Kommersant

VTsIOM published the results of annual monitoring of the religiosity of Russians. During the sociological survey, in which 1.6 thousand people took part, 67% said that they consider themselves Orthodox Christians (+1 percentage points (p.) Compared to 2024). Recall that the share of citizens who declare their belonging to Orthodoxy increased from 34% in 1991 (VTsIA and FOM data) to the maximum 76.1% in 2004 (DIPS RAS). All subsequent years, this indicator gradually decreased, with the exception of small growth in 2022.

The followers of Islam, in turn, called themselves 7% of respondents, which by 1 p. The options for “Buddhism” and “Protestantism” chose 1% of respondents, “Judaism” and “Catholicism” – less than 1%. 11% of Russians consider themselves unbelievers. The rest of the respondents admitted that they range between faith and unbelief, or consider themselves believers, but not related to a certain faith.

VTsIOM also tried to classify believers of Russians by the level of “churching”, implying by this term the level of involvement of respondents in religious practices. Ten positions included in their list: wearing religious symbols (underwear, crescent and so on), life “in accordance with the commandments of their religion”, celebrating religious holidays, visiting temples, providing churches, reading religious literature, observing posts, communication with priests, participation in church mysteries and rituals (for example, rituals (for example, rituals (for example, rituals (for example, Communion). The “weak -church” (that is, involved in 1-3 practices) were 15% of believers, “mid -ceremony” (participating in 4–7 practices) – 46%. “Highly cultivated”, or involved in 8-10 practices, turned out to be 37%. Another 2% of the VTsome surveyed said that they were not engaged in any religious practices.

Emilia Gabdullina