Fifteen years after the collapse of the atheist Soviet state, the Russian Federation is a country with a [Page 1102]diverse and dynamic religious profile, in which religion has become an important factor in the creation of a new, post-Soviet national identity. But the role of religion in Russia is highly contested, as a resurgent Russian Orthodox Church seeks to secure a dominant cultural and social position in the face of competition from other faiths, both indigenous to Russia and imported from the West and Asia after the fall of communism.

In two important ways, the religious situation in the Russian Federation is conditioned by globalization. First, globalization has facilitated the growth of non-Orthodox faith communities across the country, contributing to the increased diversification of religious choice ...