The Eastern Orthodox tradition always had a particularly strong impact on the Russian history and the Russian mentality. Since the forced conversion of pagan Slavs into the Christianity in the late tenth century the Russian Orthodox Church enjoyed the extensive support of the official 'mundane' authorities. During the Soviet era the Orthodox church who did not fit into the Communist doctrine suffered from repressions, but after the perestroika the official authorities and the Russian partriarchy united again in a not-so-saint alliance.
The Eastern Orthodoxy is the most rigourous of all Christian denominations, traditionally associated with monasticity, months-long lents, mortification of the flesh, and severe restrictions on sexual activities. The Orthodox Church still treats gays as depraved sinners who do not merit redemption and feigns to forget about a centuries-old rite of brotherhood, which is alleged by the researcher to be an analog of a same-sex marriage.
At the same time, those who preach about the mortal sin of the homosexuality hardly feel constrained by their own admonitions, which gave rise to a series of 'gay bishop' scandals in 1997-1999. The Orthodox Church is by far the most hypocrite social institution in the modern Russia and the double standard in respect to the homosexuality is a good proof thereof.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition always had a particularly strong impact on the Russian history and the Russian mentality. Since the forced conversion of pagan Slavs into the Christianity in the late tenth century the Russian Orthodox Church enjoyed the extensive support of the official 'mundane' authorities. During the Soviet era the Orthodox church who did not fit into the Communist doctrine suffered from repressions, but after the perestroika the official authorities and the Russian partriarchy united again in a not-so-saint alliance.
