More Russians Identify as Muslims Now than Did Before Anti-Immigrant Campaign Began, VTsIOM Reports

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 17 – The share of Russian citizens who identify as Muslims has risen from six to seven percent over the last year during which attacks on immigrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus have increased, an indication that Russian commentators say shows that this campaign has not affected religious identity in the Russian Federation itself.

            That view (ng.ru/ng_religii/2025-06-17/10_597_religion.html) may or may not be true given that the uptick is small and likely not beyond the range of statistical error; but there is another possibility that may be more important and could have serious consequences for social cohesion in the country.

            It is entirely possible that some Russian Muslims have become more conscious of their religion as a result of attacks on their co-religionists and are more ready to express their religious identity as a result. If that is the case, a jump of 15 percent of all Russians identifying as Muslims (from six to seven percent) is no small thing.

            That is especially the case because the share of Russians who identify as Russian Orthodox Christians has continued to decline, from 75 percent in 2017 to 67 percent in 2025, a decline that is striking because it has come at a time when the Kremlin has promoted Orthodoxy as one of “the bindings” tying Russians together.

            Given the Putin regime’s stress on religion as one of Russia’s key cultural definers, it is also noteworthy that the share of those who say they are unbelievers has risen as well. In 2017, only seven percent of Russians told VTsIOM polltakers that they were unbelievers; now, 11 percent do – another indication that Putin’s neo-traditionalism isn’t working in this sphere.