Orthodox press in the russian far east at the turn of the 1990-2000s

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the place and role of the Orthodox press in the media space of the Russian Far East in the 1990s — early 2000s. Religious journalism, which has been actively developing since the early 1990s and has two main directions — secular and confessional — played a significant role in the revival of Orthodox religious life in the Russian Far East, in the promotion of religious values and the formation of church institutions. The chronological framework of the work covers the 1990 — early 2000s. The main sources of research are the Orthodox periodicals and the author's field diary, which existed on the territory of the Russian Far East in the 1990s — early 2000s, compiled on the basis of conversations with clergy and journalists writing on religious topics. The work is based on a comprehensive, systemic-historical approach to the study of the past. The research methodology is based on the comparative-historical method and the method of scientific description.

During the years of Soviet rule, the Russian Far East became the most secular region in the entire territory of the USSR. The revival of the Orthodox religious tradition in the Russian Far East in the 1990s brought to life not only the growth of religious communities and believers, but also the creation of their own confessional media, primarily newspapers and magazines. A distinctive feature of the Far Eastern Orthodox newspapers was their apologetic and missionary nature: the assertion of their religious doctrine and criticism of its opponents (apologetics), the task of attracting new believers or additional religious education of those who are already supporters of this denomination (missionary).

The main task of the Far Eastern diocesan Orthodox periodicals in the 1990s and early 2000s was the elimination of "Orthodox illiteracy" — Orthodox education and the formation of a Christian worldview. The target audience of such publications was designed for "Orthodox neophytes" who needed "tips" to build their own "ideal Orthodox life".