Russia is pressing against unregistered Baptists
02-09-2025
Eastern Europe
Heleen van de Fliert, RD
Russian law enforcement officers at the church building in Kurganinsk. Photo Friedensstimme
Eastern Europe
Local authorities are closing down more and more church buildings belonging to unregistered Baptist congregations in Russia. Access to five churches has been prohibited since the beginning of 2024. At least three congregations are under investigation.
This is shown by a report by human rights organisation Forum 18, which was published ten days ago.
The closed church buildings belong to the unregistered Council of Churches Baptists. According to the authorities, the purpose of the closures is to promote public order and social safety. The churches are often accused of missionary activities, which have been banned in Russia since 2016.
According to the report, the closure can be lifted if the churches register. However, none of the congregations that Forum 18 spoke to registered as a religious group after the closure.
Government interference
According to lawyer Sergey Chugunov, Christians are also within their rights. “Citizens have the right to practice religion together without creating religious associations. If citizens say that they have not created any group, then this is their legal right”. If people do create a group, they are obliged to register as a religious group or organisation. Many Baptist congregations do not do so to prevent government interference.
Four of the five churches that have been closed since 2024 are located in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia. It is not entirely clear why this is mainly happening in this region, according to Forum 18. However, a relatively large number of investigations into unauthorised missionary activities are being conducted in Krasnodar, which is usually what the closed churches are accused of.
One of the churches that was closed in the Krasnodar region is the building of the unregistered Baptist church in Kurganinsk. The doors of the church building, which is registered as a private residence, were sealed in May. For the past three months, the congregation, which consists of about 600 members, has, therefore, been meeting in open-air services in front of and next to the church building. According to the Forum 18 report, this is also not formally permitted, but no sanctions have been imposed.
Residential churches
The church has now taken legal action against the authorities’ decision. On Thursday, the court considered the complaint. According to the Dutch branch of the Friedensstimme Foundation, the ruling will follow in a second hearing, scheduled for 11 September.
In addition, some Russian MPs introduced a bill to forbid worship services and other religious activities in residential buildings. If the Duma passes this bill, it could be very problematic for unregistered Baptist communities, which often do not have an official church building.
So far, only Baptists have been targeted for forced closure. However, according to the Forum 18 report, several other Protestant and Islamic groups are not officially registered as religious groups or organisations. They could face the same fate in the future.
This article was translated by CNE.news and published by the Dutch daily Reformatorisch Dagblad on August 30, 2025
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