№ 2 - 2001
Dubov I.G.
Level of Religiosity and the Influence of Religious Orientations on Russians’ Attitudes towards Political Leaders

The article presents the results of a study carried out to reveal Russians’ deeper religious (or atheistic ) views and to clear up the influence of religious positions on political choice. Analyzing the bulk of empirical data gained in the course of an all-Russian poll, the author comes to the conclusion that although Russia is really living through a renaissance of religious consciousness, nevertheless the religiosity of a considerable part of believers and the atheism of non-believers are of rather a superficial character. It is, besides, demonstrated in the article that for Russians, affinity in questions of faith is not the main motive of political choice. They sympathize most of all with politicians who avoid public expression of their religious preferences.