A Russian journalist and historian has written a book documenting 100 years of Russian encounters with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and talked recently about the challenges the faith faces in his modern-day homeland including inaccurate images in the Russian media.
During a recent visit to the Brigham Young University campus, the Mormon Media Observer sat down with Sergey Georgievich Antonenko, editor of religion history at Rodina (translated as Motherland) magazine and asked about his writing and observations. Along with historical references, the book "Mormons in Russia: A Centennial-long Path" notes the growth of the church during the 1990s when there was a religious reawakening in post-Soviet Russia. The book is in the process of being translated into English.
Here is an interview with Antonenko, as spoken through an intepreter:
MMO: What motivated you to write this book?
SGA: I am really interested in mutual learning between different traditions and cultural worlds and attempts to come to mutual understandings. This subject can be very learned about when viewing the acceptance of Mormonism. ... The process of understanding is still going on. (Brigham Young University) a good example of this going on.
In the world, as well as Russia, there needs to be this tolerance to religion from the positive side, not from the disinterested, but from the sincere interest.
MMO: What is your book about?
SGA: Mormonism is a new religion, but in some ways it is traditional. The way Mormonism went through Russia has a history of about 100 years. To write this book I started with my acquaintances of members of the church and my historical and academic knowledge.
MMO: What were some first encounters of the church in Russia?
SGA: The first ones were the Russia press articles in the 19th century about news of the church. It was a time when people had a very focused interest to the United States because we had similar political processes in that time. Except in Russia it was the abolition of serfdom. In the U.S. it was the abolition of slavery. Along with publication of other news, there was news about Mormons. A majority of them were translated. Russians knew little of the Mormons in the 19th century. However, at that time, in Russia there were small gatherings of Christians that supported abstinence from drinking. They called themselves "Russian Mormons" but they didn't have any connections with the church. I am looking at feedback from the press, media and different writers and then I go on until today.
MMO: Let's fast forward. Would you say that many Russians know about Mormons or there is a general understanding about Mormons or who Latter-day Saints are? Is it negative or positive impression?
SGA: When you just at look the press, and knowing our religious journalism is not professional, sometimes it is a scary image. But when you talk about the serious works of religion scholars that are also published in popular publications, then it would a positive. The Olympic Games in Salt Lake were a very big influence because our people were introduced to wonderful hospitality here. I think the most important part is not press or the journalists, but face-to-face communication.
MMO: Do you see negative stereotypes with the FLDS or polygamist groups and connections with the LDS Church?
SGA: Yes, they might look at them this way, because the media do not separate forms of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints even though the groups may be fundamentalist. They probably would not separate them.
MMO: What has surprised you during your visit to Utah or while writing
your book?
SGA: When I was writing the book I surprised every day. The first surprise was that in the American far West ( based on writings we had seen about the "Wild West") there was a place (in Utah) for an intense spiritual culture. For the last two days I have really been surprised and amazed in how much people are interested in the Russian language and Russian culture. You can see that interest of the eyes of the (BYU) students who were on missions in Russia.
MMO: What are the current feelings about the Latter-day Saints in Russia?
SGA: In the law, it is written that there should be equality among some religious groups, but there is definitely some preference given.
Of course, the first support and preference goes to the (Russian) Orthodox church followed by Buddhism and Judaism and then all of the rest.
The new religions always need to work on their image and establish their image in the eyes of the government. I think one of the best advantages (the LDS) church has is its strict obedience to law and participation in social programs that don't bring attention to
themselves because of their loudness or showmanship. For example, Latter-day Saints clean streets in Moscow. The mayor of Moscow has supported LDS efforts such as these.
Rodina is an illustrated historical magazine based in Moscow. You can view the magazine in English by typing the following URL, www.istrodina.com/, in the Russian-English translator at translate.google.com.