3 Surprising Things About Russia That You Probably Didn't Know
CHRISTIAN COMMENTARY
Moscow. The Kremlin. Vladimir Putin. What do you really know about Russia?
Russia is so much more than just what we see and hear in the media. As an American who has visited this vast and varied nation numerous times and met many faithful Christians there, I want to share three surprising things about Russia that you might not hear in the news.
1. Russia is more than Moscow
There are "two Russia's" — and they're radically different. Just as New York City and San Francisco don't define the entire United States, Moscow is very different from the rest of Russia, a wildly diverse country spanning 11 time zones and nearly double the landmass of the U.S. Moscow — the largest city in Europe — holds a huge proportion of the nation's wealth, while millions in rural Russia live in dire poverty. The further east you travel, the more you encounter the "real" Russia — people living a world away from the politics in Moscow, struggling to make ends meet, and longing for something better for their children. Many young Russians, disillusioned and lacking opportunities, have swallowed the lie that their lives don't matter — and, tragically, Russia has one of the highest teen suicide rates in the world.
2. Russians are not all the same
Russians don't all look or sound like Vladimir Putin or tennis star Maria Sharapova. There are roughly 190 ethnic groups in Russia — from Mongolian descendants in the Arctic Circle, to ethnic Turks in the Caucasus Mountains, to the Slavic peoples in Eastern Europe. Throughout the Caucasus region and the vast expanse of Russia's Far East — an area larger than Canada — thousands of scattered villages are home to scores of ethnic groups that have never even heard the Gospel.
3. Russians have an appetite for God
Think all Russians are atheists? Think again. One survey found that more than half (56 percent) of Russians believe in God, and the actual number could be even higher. In my role with Slavic Gospel Association, I've met many faithful Russian pastors who pour their lives into sharing the Gospel with their communities. These pastors — spiritual heirs of those who remained steadfast in their faith during the era of Soviet oppression — are not swayed by the political winds of change. Their focus is on taking the Gospel to their neighbors up the street — and also to the ends of the earth. In Far East Russia, Pastor Alexander and his congregation brave brutal winters with temperatures as low as –50 degrees Fahrenheit to bring the Gospel to the Buryats, an ethnic minority who traditionally worship the sun, moon, and stars. Even in these extreme conditions of "frostbite evangelism," God is building his church.
In a nation grappling with many problems, Russians are finding they don't have to turn to vodka or suicide to escape the hopelessness and loneliness they feel inside.
Take Sergei, for example — a homeless alcoholic who stumbled upon a local evangelical church. Embraced by their welcome and kindness, Sergei gave his life to God and everything changed. Unknown to Sergei, his daughter had been praying for him for years — and they were joyfully reunited. Such stories of lives transformed by the Gospel are repeated over and over across Russia.
Just like Sergei, many Russians today are discovering real "nadeyat'sya" — hope — in the Gospel, wrapped in the embrace of the local church, their new family of faith.
That's the "surprising" Russia you won't hear about in the news.
--- Eric Mock is the senior vice president of ministry operations at Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association (SGA), the only U.S.-based mission organization currently partnering directly with local evangelical churches and missionary pastors in Russia.
