The Evolution of Protestantism in Post-Soviet Russia and the Impact of South Korean Missionaries

Abstract

This article explores the revival, scale, and success of Protestantism as the result of Korean missionary activity in post-Soviet Russia. The authors argue that the post-Soviet religious rebirth and subsequent revival of Russia’s Protestantism, especially in the Far Eastern region of the country, has largely been the product of the activity of South Korean Protestant religious organizations. The pioneering analysis of the Korean missions’ work in Russia analyzes their proselytizing works on a grassroots level. The authors elucidate the societal role and status that Protestantism has historically had in Russia and explore the inter-confessional dialogue between contemporary Orthodoxy and Protestantism. They argue that despite the existing negative stereotypes and civilizational challenges, the post-Soviet version of Protestantism has become an inseparable part of Russia’s religious tapestry. For the first time, the authors collected a sample of Russia’s Protestant churches created under the auspices of Korean missionaries. Additionally, the research also presents a contemporary statistical overview of Russia’s Protestant churches. Finally, this article emphasizes a consistent duality of the Russian state’s attitude toward Protestantism evident throughout its consecutive historical periods.