Hinduism in Russia

Hinduism has been spread in Russia primarily due to the work of scholars from the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and by itinerant Swamis from India and small communities of Indian immigrants. While ISKCON appear to have a relatively strong following in Russia, the other organizations in the list have a marginal presence in this country. There is an active Tantra Sangha operating in Russia. According to the 2012 official census, there are 140,000 Hindus in Russia, which accounts for 0.1% population of Russia. A majority of Russian Hindus were Vaishnavites.Arena - Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia
Sreda.org

History

The history of Hinduism in Russia dates back to at least the 16th century. When Astrakhan was conquested in 1556, the small Indian community became part of the Moscow state. In the early 18th century, Peter the Great, the first Russian Emperor, met Astrakhan Hindus and on their request asked the Russian Senate to issue a law for protecting the beliefs of Hindus. This was the first law in Russia to protect foreign religion.

In 1971 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), introduced it to Russia. In 1988, ISKCON was first registered as a religion. Later, it was re-registered in 1998. In the same year, there were 120 Krishna communities in Russia.

In 2007, an idol of Hindu deity Vishnu, dated between 7th to 10th century CE, was excavated from the Russian town Staraya Mayna of Ulyanovsk Oblast.

Hindu denominations in Russia

Vaishnavism

As of December 2005, the Federal Registration Service recorded 79 Hindu groups with a particular orientation on Krishnaism. These are the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON Revival Movement, Science of Identity Foundation