ACTS OF THE 7th EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY OF LAY DOMINICAN FRATERNITIES

ANNEX IIq

LAY DOMINICANS IN RUSSIA

Russia is a large country with a long Christian tradition. Most people are Christian
Orthodox, about 10% are Protestant and about 10% Muslims (including immigrants).
Catholics represent from 1 to 3% of the population.
The Catholic minority is concentrated in two big cities: St. Petersburg (7 parishes)
and Moscow (3 parishes). There are also some small communities throughout Russia
(more than 120 communities).

Dominicans came to Russia at the very beginning of the XIth century. They preached
the Gospel, but with little success. We have to remember that Latin-rite Catholicism
was persecuted in our country until 1905, that's why Russians can't convert to the
Catholic Church. There was a short period of religious freedom from 1905 to 1917 –
12 years only. It was enough to organize two Russian Lay Dominican communities,
in Moscow and in St. Petersburg. Then the Bolshevik Revolution destroyed the whole
Church, not just these Lay Dominican communities. During the Soviet era, some lay
Dominicans kept their faith in the underground.

After 70 years of Communist regime, there was a rebirth of lay Dominican life. At the
end of the 1980's, a group of people was concentrated in the Church of St. Catherine
in St. Petersburg and a group of Lay Dominicans in Moscow. The group in St.
Petersburg organized a Dominican community, which exists to this day. At the
beginning, there were 25 of us, now only 10. In Moscow there is no community. Up to
now, there are only isolated individuals.

In St. Petersburg, the Lay Dominican Community of St. Andrew has been in
existence since the beginning of 1990 and it is very closely connected with the parish
of St. Catherine. We take on catechism, children’s groups and different services at
the parish. We meet together every two weeks for prayer meetings and for formation.