In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and religions under the USSR. Despite the state’s officially athiestic policies, multiple religions existed within the USSR. Since that empire’s demise, all of those religions are now experiencing a revival. The material below details how this came to pass. This is part of […]

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and current status of Muslims in Russia. Islam is the largest minority faith in Russia and Muslims are a growing and important demographic there, especially among immigrants from Central Asia. The material below details both the challenges that Muslims have faced in integrating […]

Though the concrete details of Jewish presence in the area of Kyrgyzstan itself is largely unknown before the Soviet Union, Bukharian Jews have resided there since the 4th century. In the modern day, the population of Jews in Kyrgyzstan is estimated to be approximately 500 with most located in Bishkek. For visitors and locals alike, […]

Hazrati Imam Jome Mosque is a modern addition to the Hazrati Imam Complex, which features structures built from the 15th century onwards. Located in the oldest part of Tashkent, the mosque celebrates Uzbekistan’s Islamic heritage and is itself the main center of worship in the Uzbek capital. Welcoming tourists, the mosque and the surrounding complex […]

The Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek today features mosques scattered throughout its streets. Amazingly, nearly all of these mosques were constructed after the Kyrgyz Republic declared independence in 1991. The city was constructed mostly by Tsarist Russia and the USSR, neither of which encouraged the construction of mosques. The construction boom in Bishkek is testament to […]

Ramadan is the Muslim holy month when followers are expected to fast, not drinking or eating from sunrise to sunset. During this month, daily life is molded around the fast. Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, a feast and celebration. Kyrgyzstan is a majority Muslim nation and Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are major parts of the […]

The following resource is meant to quickly but thoroughly overview the subject of religion in Russia. It includes statistics on membership, information on major organizations and institutions, and links to sites offering histories. Mention of religion in other FSU countries is made as well. Your suggestions and comments are always welcome! Contact the Author Table […]

During our weekend trip to Moscow organized by SRAS our time was filled with tours and events. These appealed to a wide variety of interests and represented a wide variety of aspects related to modern Russian culture. One of the most interesting excursions took place over the course of an evening—beginning with a visit to […]

If you visit Lake Issyk-Kul during the summer, check out the Ruh-Ordo Complex at Cholpon-Ata. This complex is an open air museum with beaches that boats an array of sculptures and cultural pieces, along with buildings devoted to Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, and Russian Orthodox Christianity. There are also a few other buildings with art […]