Rector of St Petersburg University: ’All Russian laws must be harmonised with the spiritual values outlined by our President’

The meeting was opened by Governor of St Petersburg Alexander Beglov, a member of the Board of Trustees of St Petersburg University. He highlighted that the state and religious denominations have taken a unified position in protecting the spiritual and moral ideals. They rely on the Presidential Executive Order ’On Approving the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values’. The Governor noted that, facing a common threat, the unity of representatives of traditional religions is growing stronger.

We all deeply understand our responsibility for the security and future of Russia.

Governor of St Petersburg Alexander Beglov, a member of the Board of Trustees of St Petersburg University

Today, as the Governor said, the activities of traditional denominations are not limited to churches and theological schools. Over 500 social projects are implemented by them throughout St Petersburg. Their assistance grew especially significant during the special military operation. Not only do religious organisations transfer a significant amount of humanitarian aid to refugees and residents in the active combat zone, but also provide spiritual support to all those in need, regardless of their religion.

Active work with representatives of traditional denominations is also being carried out in the Leningrad Region. Special regional programmes have been developed there and many steps have been taken to develop social service, spiritual enlightenment and patriotic education of youth. Some of the projects have become pilot projects at the federal level. ’From the very first days of the special military operation, the #Vse_kto_Za Interethnic Patriotic Platform has been created in the Leningrad Region. It units those who want to provide any assistance to the Russian Armed Forces and to support civilians. Dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, representatives of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Russia, and representatives of the local Buddhist community took an active part in the project,’ said Governor of the Leningrad Region Aleksandr Drozdenko, a member of the Board of Trustees of St Petersburg University.

Andrei Tretiakov, Executive Secretary of the Presidential Council for Coordination with Religious Organisations, noted that the round table at St Petersburg University was a follow-up of the October 2022 meeting of the Presidential Council. During that meeting, the social activities of Russian religious organisations during the period of the special military operation were discussed. The work they have been doing for almost a year is enormous. Over 600,000 people who were involved in one way or another in the tragic events associated with the warfare were provided with individual assistance. The injured and wounded have been undergoing either medical treatment or recovery procedures for several months. Support is provided not only to residents in the combat area, but also to those who have left it and are now in Russia.

>5,000 tons

of relief consignments have been collected in the Leningrad Region and are still sent to those in need

A special working group has been created under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. It is developing a module on the history of religion in Russia and its implementation in the historical and general educational component of higher education. A course of all-Russian civic identity is also being formed. The Ministry of Education is developing a course on the fundamentals of the spiritual and moral culture of the peoples of Russia. It is planned to be taught to school students from grades 4 to 9.

The Executive Order ‘On Approving the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values’ is the basis for interpreting any norms in force in Russia.

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

This Presidential Executive Order gives an answer to the question of what determines the value-based content of Russian law, said Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. At the same time, it is not only an act of the future, but also an extension of the previous decisions that are in force now.

’This executive order now unambiguously and clearly defines the value-based content of all Russian law, and, consequently, new legal acts and previously adopted legal decisions. At the previous meeting of the Public Council under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, an appeal was made at my suggestion to the senior staff of the Ministry of Justice to urgently initiate changes in the legislation of the Russian Federation that would harmonise all Russian laws with the spiritual values defined in the order,’ the Rector noted.

The round-table discussion at St Petersburg University featured the following speakers: Metropolitan Barsanuphius of St Petersburg and Ladoga, Head of the St Petersburg Metropolis, member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church; Mufti Albir Krganov, Head of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia, member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation; Metropolitan Cornelius of Moscow and All Rus’, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church; Ravil Pancheev, Mufti of the Great Mosque of St Petersburg; Mark Grubarg, Chairman of the Jewish Religious Community of St Petersburg; Buda Badmaev, Head of the Datsan Gunzechoinei Buddhist temple in St Petersburg, Deputy Head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia; and other guests.

Metropolitan Barsanuphius of St Petersburg and Ladoga shared his experience in organising the support provision for the affected residents of Ukraine and Donbass. ’The world without meaning, ideals and traditional values is an all-consuming fire, when everyone is at war with everyone and a person is at war with themselves,’ said the Head of the St Petersburg Metropolis. ’Such world is unstable, and it is not possible to build a good future for our descendants, good neighbourliness and cooperation in it. It can only be based on values that emphasise unity rather than separation. The pledges of unity are love, mutual respect, recognition of the importance of traditions, family ties, fraternal bonds, and gratitude to the ancestors.’

Mufti of Moscow Albir Krganov, Head of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia and member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, noted that in order to effectively implement and ensure spiritual security, not only urgent measures are required, but also systemic changes and additions to the current legislation. ’We believe that we all need a joint effort to develop the Concept of Russian Education and to prepare the Educational Code of the Russian Federation. They are aimed at the formation of a highly moral individual, brought up in the spirit of respect for traditional values. Such persons have up-to-date knowledge and skills. They are able to unleash their potential in modern conditions and are prepared for peaceful creation and defence of the Fatherland. And this applies to all levels of national education.’

Now when Russia is facing a tough period, an understanding of the need to introduce the knowledge and values of traditional religions at various levels of the educational process has matured in the public mind. Ravil Pancheev, Mufti of St Petersburg and the Northwestern Federal District of Russia made a special emphasis on that. He added that in response to a public request, many Russian universities are implementing appropriate initiatives. According to him, the creation of the Institute of Theology at St Petersburg University was an important event. The Mufti expressed hope that the new division of the University would not only be able to provide theological education at all levels, but would also become a new centre of scientific life, a platform for the implementation of educational initiatives by representatives of all traditional religions. In its turn, the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of St Petersburg and the Northwestern Federal District of Russia is eager to develop cooperation with the University. This cooperation is aimed at studying, supporting and protecting the traditional values of Russian society. The historical religions of our country are the carriers of these values.

In his speech, Metropolitan Cornelius, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church, highly appreciated the recently adopted legislative measures aimed at preserving and strengthening the traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.

Traditions are manifested in speech, clothing, attitude towards the family and in many, many other things. It is necessary and important to preserve every manifestation of our Russian spirit in these most important details of our life.

Metropolitan Cornelius, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church

The results of this round-table discussion will be sent to the Presidential Council for Coordination with Religious Organisations for further elaboration.

In his report, Rector Nikolay Kropachev spoke on how St Petersburg University organises its work with: participants in the special military operation and their children; students of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Zaporozhye Region, the Kherson Region, and Ukraine; and citizens of the Russian Federation who have been forced to stop studying abroad. He emphasised that cooperation programmes have been developed and are being implemented not only with universities in the new territories of Russia, but also with other organisations that need support. These include cultural institutions, healthcare institutions, and trade unions.