Civil Society

Public Associations

The public sector in the Udmurt Republic began to develop actively in the 1990s. Since then individual organizations grew into a human institution that unites thousands of citizens.

Today there are about 3 thousand public associations in the Udmurt Republic. They comprise trade unions (52.6 per cent), sports and physical culture organizations, women’s, children’s and youth public associations, and service clubs: organizations of invalids and veterans, charity foundations, science and arts unions, business associations, Cossack unions, environmental and ethno-cultural organizations, and many others.

House of Peoples' Friendship

28 societies of ethnic cultures have been established in the Udmurt Republic, they enjoy support from state government bodies in all aspects of their activities.

The state government bodies of the Udmurt Republic have accumulated extensive experience in their relations with noncommercial organizations. The Public Chamber, a public organization, has successfully operated under the State Council since 1995. In 2001 the Council for Cooperation with Public Associations was established with the President of the Udmurt Republic. The Council has initiated and organized annual civil forums “Society and State Power” and generated a number of bills that were approved by the deputies of the State Council of the Udmurt Republic.

Youth and children’s associations actively participate in the implementation of the republican target program “Youth of Udmurtia” and in the formation of state youth policy.

Religious Communities

On the territory of today’s Udmurtia Finno-Ugric, Slavic and Turkic peoples have lived side by side for centuries, constantly interacting, with Christian, Islamic and pagan traditions influencing and enriching each other.

By the beginning of 2008 there were 239 religious associations in the Udmurt Republic.

Most believers are members of the communities of the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchy. There are 83 Russian Orthodox churches, 45 prayer houses, six chapels, three nunneries and the Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox community in the republic. Five more churches provide religious services to inmates in the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Udmurt Republic.

The most significant event in 2007 was the consecration by Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexis II of the Saint Michael Cathedral jointly revived by the people of Udmurtia in the republic’s capital.

Since XVII century Russian Orthodox Old Believers have lived in Udmurtia, today they are united in 16 communities. Most of them represent six religious associations of the Russian Orthodox Old Believers (Kazan-Vyatka eparchy).

Protestant associations are actively working in the republic. Of 74 organizations the largest are the communities of the Faith Evangelistic Church, Seventh-Day Adventists, Evangelical Baptists, and Lutherans.

Islam is professed by Sunnite Muslims, mostly Tatars, who are united in 18 local congregations.

Traditions of Judaism in Udmurtia are spread by the Izhevsk religious community called Aliyah (Ascent) and the Magen David (Shield of David) Jewish community.

The original pre-Christian religious beliefs of the Udmurts used to be an organic part of people’s mentality producing a profound effect on everyday life, history and culture of the Udmurts. Pagan prayer houses (kualas) and holy groves still exist in local villages, and old customs and rituals are passed on from one generation to another.

New religious movements that appeared in the Udmurt Republic in 1980s—1990s add to the diversity of confessions: vaishnavas from the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, followers of the teaching of Vissarion of the Church of the Last Testament, as well as the followers of various Eastern religious-philosophical teachings.