Atheist, Religious, Christian, Orthodox, Heretical, Spiritual or What?

“Many Russians mention religion but do not always attend regularly. We know that atheism has been forced on the Soviet Union for 80 years. Now that a believer can attend any church freely, what could interfere with it?”

This is a snapshot of the general perspective of Russian and Ukrainian people’s religious attitudes, applicable to the bride search.

Our ancient traditions suggest self-identification with Christianity (Byzantine aka Orthodox pattern, intertwined with Pagan designs… here is where our eclecticism and flexibility begin), because it determines Russian / Ukrainian culture strongly, and because many people have been baptized into it at their earliest age.

I also heard a charming observation that “a Soul is a Christian by her essence”. )

Modern dynamics have moved people’s spiritual pursuits towards “Practice to Live, not Live to Practice”, and “God is in your Heart”, which means Daily Ethics and private worships, if any. Oppositely, formal Orthodox rituals are often undergone here as sheer fashionable hypocrisy (the way of the “Establishment”), or fanatical fixation (the resort of the “Misfortuned”), otherwise attributed to seasonal celebrations and life events (but not too consciously). Notably, in the Former Soviet Union countries, most prominent scientists are convinced in the existence of God, and behave respectively – disciplining their lives and propagating their conclusions.

Western missions attract many young people to contemporary Christian / Biblical teachings. A significant part of population still “believe in the Human and rely only on themselves”. And the vast variety of New Age beliefs & cultures overlap – yet without any detriment to the respect of “traditional” Deities.

In our Russian Women’s relations with the Divine, we prefer Faith to Dogma. We believe our Heavenly Father is there to help, if asked nicely. But strict as He is, we usually solicit the protection and advocacy of Mother Mary, or seek the Angels’ company. And most daring ones try to feel inalienable part of Goodness Gracious.

Notably, Russian women are more religious and / or mystical than their men, yet reveal it in a more wholesome and easy way than most guys who show they are.

We also respect the Catholic and Protestant moral codes which make Western Men industrious and trustworthy husbands (unless too Puritan for the Generous Russian Soul and Body),

are fascinated with mysterious Oriental disciplines and their [balanced] Masters, strong and sensitive,

fear Islam (with many stories of Russian and Ukrainian village girls who bought into initial poetic courtesy of their exotic wooers and then found themselves encaged as alien animals at some alien planet, deprived even ot their children, – and with lots of others just wondering where they can hide from hot Turkish sabermen… yes and this proverbial polygyny permit),

are puzzled about Judaism (if strangers to),

take offense at Militant Atheism (on behalf of all good faithful people) and Scepticism (that tries to deprive our life of wonders and anticipations),

and generally treat any outlooks with tolerance so far that they don’t oblige ourselves.

Blessings!

Sincerely,

© Comrade Natalia

(…please link to this page when using some information from it! ;)