Ekaterina Vinnik on Vesti.FM: Orthodoxy is a unifying factor for a number of post-Soviet countries

The history, traditions and canons of Orthodoxy serve as a unifying factor for a significant part of such post-Soviet countries as Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova, the analyst of Vestnik Kavkaza Ekaterina Vinnik said in the National Question program on Vesti.FM.

The National Question is a weekly program on Vesti.FM, during which various aspects of the national relations, primarily in Russia, are discussed. Today’s program was dedicated to Orthodoxy in Russia and in the post-Soviet space and the attitude towards Orthodoxy as a part of ethnic identity. 

Ekaterina Vinnik recalled that Orthodoxy, like any other religion, above all represents a certain way of life of people practicing it.

The expert noted that Orthodoxy is a traditional and culture-forming religion on the Russian soil since 988, which shaped the morality and idea of ​​Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet society, represented by a number of peoples. "Despite the fact that after the collapse of the USSR a number of independent states were formed, it is safe to say that Orthodoxy is linking most of them. In Belarus, for example, the Orthodox Church is the largest confession, and the total number of Orthodox in the country is 4.5 million people. In Moldova, today there is the highest percentage of Orthodox in the post-Soviet space: 93% of the population consider themselves Orthodox Christians. The majority of the population in Georgia and Ukraine are also Orthodox Christians, " she said.

"Why is this important? The fact is that the Orthodox Church, not only in Russia but also in the post-Soviet countries, is a spiritually stabilizing factor in society. And this, in turn, means that despite the possible existing differences, common spiritual values ​​identify any relations. It is the Orthodox religion that influences the way of life and political views of the population of many post-Soviet states, " Ekaterina Vinnik said.

The analyst of Vestnik Kavkaza drew attention to the fact that Orthodoxy determines the cultural component of the development of society and set of its values. "Therefore, in Russia, Orthodoxy, along with other confessions, is a traditional religion. Any Orthodox, whether from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus or Moldova, celebrates Christmas, Easter and other important holidays, tries to live in the tradition of the Orthodox faith, which, above all, preaching patience, respect for neighbors and hospitality," she said.

"In other words, Orthodoxy determines the cultural collectivity of the post-Soviet countries populations, contributing to the harmonious development of relations, the quality of which is determined by the people themselves, and not imposed from the outside," Ekaterina Vinnik concluded.