Eastern Orthodoxy
It was introduced in Russia in the 10th century. At that time, it did not exist as such; the Church of the East (with its seat in Byzantium/Constantinople) and the Church of the West (with its seat in Rome) were one and the same Christian Church. Before and after the schism, the Eastern Church develops deep roots in Russia, which inherits a whole spiritual, liturgical and architectural tradition. Over time, Orthodoxy has become inseparable from the wider Russian cultural identity. Nowadays, the Russian Orthodox Church, reformed in 1666-1667, is of national and autocephalous type, i.e. it is placed under the exclusive authority of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow (Cyril since February1, 2009).
Patriotism. This is one of its strong values. Also the power, whatever its nature (imperial, Soviet, federal), has systematically used it as a lever of influence. The Stalinist regime, for example, which nonetheless pursued an extremely repressive anti-religious policy, gave it a subtle place of its own. In 1943, the Moscow Patriarchate, which had disappeared since 1925, was re-established, and a council for the affairs of the Orthodox Church was created (while a second entity took charge of relations with all other cults); this cement of the Soviet people, the essence of the Russian soul, was instrumentalized to mobilize the crowds (Second World War, known as the "Great Patriotic War", anti-Western propaganda, etc.). With the fall of the USSR, with the lifting of bans (note that religious persecution had eased from 1957), the Orthodox population made a frantic return to the holy places and the liturgy: sacraments, blessings and other rituals were performed in large numbers! Is this the way to affirm its Russian identity? In the 2000's, various studies show that out of the 70-80% of individuals claiming to be Orthodox, only 6-8% are practicing.
Sacred architecture and liturgy. These are two other pillars of the doctrine. It is to allow the faithful to ascend to their God, in an environment representing heaven on earth. In Siberia, you will not fail to be transcended by the architectural diversity of the holy places, old or recent, from the simple wooden chapel, placed there on the edge of the forest, to the fabulous cathedrals of the big cities. Inside, the decorations are as sumptuous as they are varied: disconcerting frescoes, omnipresent icons, liturgical objects sparkling in the light of countless candles lit as offerings by fervent believers. The Orthodox churches of Siberia are indeed quite crowded, at any time of the day; they are also maintained by a multitude of small and careful hands (you observe these comings and goings at every visit, in any building), as well as the gardens, lush. In Irkutsk, visit the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross between 9 and 10 a.m.: a mass is held there every morning and the liturgy is accompanied by a choir with a sibylline musicality. You will notice how much the body is involved in the prayer: the faithful stand (there are very few seats in an Orthodox church), sign themselves and bow frequently. Ladies, when visiting, it is highly recommended that you cover your hair with a scarf (self-service if you do not have a head covering). Wearing an apron, which simulates wearing a skirt, is not always necessary). Opting for a winter trip? Under the snow, the Tyumen Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign, with its pristine white walls and blue roofs, is dazzling. Looking for a more enchanting, even romantic atmosphere? Go to Altai, to the village of Chemal: nestled in the mountains is the small island of Patmos with its charming wooden hermitage. At the Taltsi open-air museum of architecture and ethnography (at km 47 of the Baikalsky road, in the direction of Lisvianka), you will visit the fabulous little Kazan church, made of larch logs, moved here and dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God (17th century). Masses are held here, as well as the sacrament of marriage..
If you travel to Siberia around January 18, you will probably attend (or participate, if you have the guts) in the ritual of Theophany, the Orthodox Epiphany, which commemorates the baptism of Christ. Believers (and just as many or more lay people who want to take up the challenge) bathe in the icy water (this is usually the time of year when the coldest weather occurs). Due to the growing popularity of the "experiment" (which is also very much criticized by the rigorous ecclesiastics), safe public baths are set up all over Siberia along the rivers and lakes.
Islam and Judaism
Islam is the second largest religion in Russia, with 10-15 million followers (there are no accurate statistics). In Siberia, many cities have one or two mosques, relatively busy, and of all styles, often futuristic: Ufa (Lala Tulpa mosque, ultra modern, built in 1998); Perm (pale green building of the 1900s, financed by Tatar merchants); Barnaul (built in 2004; krai of the Altai, which has nearly 30,000 Muslims), Irkutsk (stone building and wooden minaret. The muezzin sings around 5 pm. The imam is very welcoming).
Siberia is home to a surprising remnant of Stalinist policy, located in the Far East, on the banks of the Amur River: the Jewish Autonomous Oblast and its capital Birobidjan (km 8351 of the Trans-Siberian Railway, where foreign tourists are rare). Here you will discover the remains of the Jewish intelligentsia that lived here: Yiddish signage; the headquarters of the Birobidshaner Stern newspaper , also an art gallery, where cultural events are organized. Many Polish Jewish prisoners were also incarcerated in the Ulan Ude region at the end of the 19th century, giving rise to a diaspora scattered around the southern shore of Lake Baikal, notably in Ust-Barguzin and Barguzin (don't be surprised if you see ancient Jewish cemeteries there, recognizable by their pyramid-shaped clay graves). A word of clarification: the Jewish community left Russia en masse after the fall of the USSR. The 2002 census (the last one) shows 230,000 individuals, compared to 570,000 in 1989, of which about 140,000 settled in Siberia. There are only a few synagogues in Tomsk (the first, dating from 1902, was transformed into a cinema and then into a military school during the Soviet era; the second, known as the Cantonist synagogue, is a bit unexpected, since it is located in an old wooden building. It was returned to its faithful in 2019), in Birobijan, in Irkutsk (about 900 m from the mosque, Karla-Libknekhta Street 23) and in Vladivostok (classified as a monument of regional value architecture).
Buddhism
The history of Buddhism in Siberia began with the settlement of Mongolian communities in the south of eastern Siberia in the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1741, an imperial decree recognized the existence of a Lamaist faith. The construction of datsans develops; massive conversion campaigns are then carried out by Mongolian and Tibetan missionaries, supplanting in the process the influence of shamanism and the traditional beliefs linked to it. Buddhism suffered a setback during the Stalinist era: destruction of temples; persecution of clergy; closure of universities, the teaching centers of the lamas. In the 1940s, a relaxation of the authorities led to the reopening of religious centers: it was during this period, in 1945, that the Ivolginski datsan was built (some 35 km from Ulan Ude. It houses the imperishable body of the monk Itigilov). Today, Buddhism of Gelugpa tradition is the official religion of the republics of Tuva and Buryatia (also of Kalmykia, located in European Russia). It has a strong presence in Khakassia and Transbaikalia and is claimed to be part of the local identity. Interestingly, President Putin officially announced his support for the Russian Buddhist community in 2013, but has refused the Dalai Lama entry into the country since 2004.
The oldest monastery in Siberia is Aginskoye, probably built in the late 18th century (Transbaikalia, near the town of the same name, with its amazing multi-ethnic architecture. The references to Mongolia are numerous. 265 km south of Chita). In the Republic of Tuva there is the monastery of Upper Chadan, a very important spiritual and cultural center that attracts crowds. It is possible to admire the colossal foundations of the original temple, built at the beginning of the 20th century, the only one to have been designed according to the canons of Tibetan religious architecture. Every year in July a festival of sacred music is held there (Ustuu-Khuree, 230 km west of Kyzyl, very accessible). Finally, in Irkutsk, off the beaten track, go to the datsan stolovaya in the popular Barrikad district (zero tourists, Tibetan and Buryat specialties, mini budget).
Buddhism or shamanism? The origin of various festivals and beliefs is still debated: this is the case of Sagaalgan, the equivalent of the Lunar New Year. This annual celebration, which used to mark the end of summer, would have been moved by the Buddhist authorities to signify the arrival of spring (around February, according to the calendar). We visit family and friends, we exchange gifts (sweets, tea). We go to the temple to practice the Dugjuba ritual: we coat our bodies with white flour, which we collect in a paper bag. These packets are then burned: from there, the bodies and the spirits are freed from their impurities, the new year can be announced!
Shamanism
Imagine this ordinary-looking man knocking on the door of an apartment in one of the Soviet buildings in Kyzyl (Republic of Tuva). The man asks about the health of his host, who tells him about his professional and financial problems. He takes from his bag a drum, a feather headdress and a branch ofartish (juniper endemic to the taiga), which he will light and let burn to purify the room. The ritual begins; he sings, he plays his instrument without worrying about the neighbors (they will also call on him one day or another). This man is a shaman, he consults at home, he listens, he guides, he heals. Like others, he has his page on VK® and an Instagram® account; he lives off what his "patients" give him.
Shamanism is part of a set of beliefs cemented by a certainty: there is an alliance between the human being, his natural environment (fauna, flora, and other elements: water, fire, etc.) and the spirits that reside there (deities, the deceased, the souls of animals, the unborn, demons, etc.). It is up to men to maintain it by following precise rules! The shaman plays the role of mediator between the two parties: only he, thanks to his gift, which some in Buryatia call "illness", to the inheritance of knowledge transmitted by his elders, and very often by resorting to cunning, can enter into contact with this real but invisible world. It is his negotiating skills that will help a sick person to get well, a student to pass his exams with flying colors, a couple to have a baby, this gentleman to find a better job offer. For in these Siberian cultures, spirits (vengeful, evil, or simply irritated by a botched tribute) are the source of ills and torments! The deciphering of dreams, signs, music, dance, herbal medicine, the ingestion of plants and mushrooms called "hallucinogenic" and objects participate in the shamanic ritual, which varies from one society to another.
Shamanism also suffered greatly during the Soviet era, since the collectivization of land, forced sedentarization and schooling of children destroyed the systems of transmission of traditional knowledge. Many rituals survived, such as the act of blessing a nature outing with a few drops of vodka, but their origin has been lost... However, far from belonging to the past and to folklore, shamanic practices were institutionalized after the collapse of the USSR. Numerous official (and serious) organizations exist, meet and practice: Tengeri in Ulan-Ude; Düngur in Kyzyl, created in 1992 by an enlightened historian who, discreetly, was able to retranscribe the knowledge of the shamans who survived the Gulag. Other associations, more recent, receive in consultation in their ultra modern clinics. This is the case of Adyg-Eeren, which even has a yurt-hotel to welcome tourists. In Khakassia, Tuva, Buryatia, Transbaikalia, a part of this paganist culture is clearly visible: the entrance to each region is marked by its totem animal (reindeer, eagle, bear, etc.); along the roads, you will observe a number of mysterious wooden poles. They are serge: once planted in the ground to signify the establishment of a camp (Mongolian and Buryat nomads used to tie their horses to them), today they are placed around the house on the occasion of the marriage of a son (it is the fathers who carve them, made of birch wood or softwood, depending on the cultural group). The serges, a kind of altar, are still very frequented: people pray there (on the road, to keep away an evil spirit and to secure the way), they leave offerings (ribbons, coins, cigarettes). Finally, you should know that Mount Juma, on Olkhon Island, is home to the spirit of Lake Baikal: there are countless serges there, visible to all (at Cape Burkhan or in the town of Khuzhir), but also secret and protected in the forest (especially around the ancient salt lake Shara-Nur, whose mud has medicinal properties. The lake has been dried up since a few years).
