Soup and porridge are essential staples of the Russian cooking tradition with cabbage soup being the first course for most families regardless of their social standing. Today, Muslim communities in Russia are mainly concentrated in the Volga Region and the North Caucasus, with smaller numbers in St. Petersburg and Moscow.Tatarstan and Bashkortostan are the two major Islamic republics in Russia. In 1718, Peter the Great introduced collective control in the Russian Church. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became evident that much of the Russian population had continued to follow their faith in private. There are four bishops and 165 priests working among the approximately 1,300,000 Catholics in the country. However, like Orthodoxy, Islam was suppressed during the Soviet Union, and many mosques were closed down during this time.A large number of Muslims in Russia observe the Sunni branch of Islam while a smaller number are Shia Muslims. The majority of Russians identify with the Eastern Orthodox (Christian) religion, but Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism are also practiced in Russia. Another ten monasteries are under construction.The Russian Federation has 42 Jewish communities. Such criterion, however, leads to inaccurate assumptions for various reasons. MAJOR RELIGION(S): Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2%. After the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922, religious participation was at best discouraged and at worst persecuted. Today, atheist beliefs prevail in Russia to an extent, with around 13% of the country identifying as such.
They are concentrated in Western Russia with numbers ranging between 0.1% and 0.7% in most of the federal subjects of that region.Catholic Church of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Kazan. Russian culture places a high value on the homeland and on family, according to Talia Wagner, a marriage and family therapist with a specialty in cultural dynamics.