Yeah, the version of christianity that the State decides on, one which just so happens to classify protestants as outside the church. Oh, kiss a statue already! Pray to Mary, anathema!

Here lets see what ye olde AI has to say:

Being a Protestant in Russia involves navigating a complex religious landscape where the Russian Orthodox Church holds dominant cultural and institutional influence, while Protestant communities remain a small, often marginalized minority. Protestants constitute approximately 1% to 2% of the population, or roughly 1.5 to 3 million people, and are primarily composed of Evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal, and other Reformed Christian groups. Their presence traces back to the 16th century with German and Swedish merchants and artisans, but indigenous Protestant movements like Stundism and Pashkovism emerged in the 19th century among ethnic Russians and Ukrainians.

Despite legal recognition under the 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations, which allowed over 4,000 Protestant organizations to register by the early 2000s, recent years have seen increasing restrictions. Foreign missionaries face significant barriers, with visas rarely granted, and Protestant groups are often subject to scrutiny under anti-extremism legislation. Some denominations, such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, have been officially labeled as extremist organizations, drawing comparisons to terrorist groups, which creates a hostile environment for religious pluralism. As a result, many Protestant services are held in private homes or apartments, as pastors are routinely denied permits to build churches.

Protestant communities have historically faced opposition from both state authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church, which often views Protestantism as a foreign import susceptible to Western ideological influence. This perception is reinforced by the Orthodox Church’s privileged status, including state support for church restoration, high-level political endorsements, and the Patriarch’s residence within the Kremlin. In contrast, Protestants are often excluded from mainstream religious discourse and public life, and their religious literature is limited—only one small Bible edition is permitted for printing, and they publish only a few issues of journals annually.

Despite these challenges, Protestantism has shown resilience, particularly in remote regions like Siberia and the Far East, where Pentecostal and Adventist communities gained footholds even during the Soviet era. Figures like Vasily Pashkov, Vasily Pavlov, and Ivan Voronaev played pivotal roles in shaping Russian Protestant identity through missionary work, theological writing, and community building. However, the emotional and cultural distance between Protestants and the Orthodox majority remains significant, with many Russian Protestants taught to distrust the Orthodox Church, complicating efforts toward interfaith dialogue or conversion.

In summary, being a Protestant in Russia means belonging to a resilient but constrained religious minority, operating under legal and social pressures, while maintaining a strong emphasis on personal faith, Bible-centered worship, and congregational autonomy.

Oh, how lovely. 🖕

It's so insane to me how people in the Great Awakening just gobble this crap up without questioning it. Do you realize that what you cheer is essentially a modern version of what the founding fathers were fleeing? And what happens in 10, 20, 30 years when the State religion becomes even more dominant and emboldened by all your support? Good luck with that freedom of conscience we take so for granted