Religion in Finland and Russia in a Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Christianity has a history of more than a thousand years in both Russia and Finland. The spread of Christian influences to Russia is dated as early as the 8^th and 9^th centuries. Christianity in its Orthodox form began to spread more widely among the Slavs in the second half of the l0^th century. The Grand Duchess Olga of Kiev is reported to have been baptised in Constantinople in the mid 950s. Her grandson, Vladimir, made Orthodoxy the official religion of his state in 988. The first Christian influences arrived in Finland towards the end of the first millennium, from both east and west. The western influences were stronger and by the beginning of the 14^th century most of Finland was within the sphere of influence of Sweden and the Church of Rome. Both Russia and Finland therefore have a long history of Christianity. They also have a common history lasting for over a century in that Russia conquered Finland early in the 19^th century. In 1809 Finland became a Grand Duchy of Imperial Russia. Although the head of state was the Orthodox Czar and not a Lutheran king, the Lutheran Church continued to be the state church of Finland.