printTransformation of Religiousness in the Republic of Belarus:
Stages and Features of Development
Danilov А.N.
Corresponding member of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Dr. Sci. (Sociology), Prof., Head of the Department of Sociology, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus a.danilov@tut.by
Shkurova A.V.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., Head of Operational Research Center of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Republic of Belarus. 9620@tut.by
Danilov А.N., Shkurova A.V. Transformation of Religiousness in the Republic of Belarus: Stages and Features of Development. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2022. No 3. P. 107-119
The article examines features and stages of transforming religiosity in the Republic of Belarus. Four stages of its evolution are highlighted, the main trends and their specificity are revealed. The first stage of the “religious boom” (late 1980s – first half of the 1990s) is associated with the end of the forced secularization process, a sharp increase in the number of religions followers, restoration of religious traditions and new religious movements emergence. The second stage (the second half of the 1990s) is characterized by continued growth in the number of registered religious organizations, emergence of a wide range of Protestant communities and religious movements new for Belarus. The third stage (the first decade of the 21st century) is associated with the cessation of the growth in the number of registered religious communities, the entry into force of the new edition of the Republic of Belarus Law “On freedom of conscience and religious organizations”. The fourth stage (the second decade of the 21st century) is characterized by a gradual decrease in the number of registered religious organizations, a slowdown in the growth of the religious population numbers, and a transition of religiosity to the stage of qualitative transformations. Currently, the Belarusian religious environment is characterized by demographic diversity, social stability, high levels of education and skilled employment. Religion becomes a value-motivating factor contributing to the formation of a life-meaning position, orienting towards the observance of moral norms and values, ensuring the strengthening and preservation of traditions.
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