EUROPEAN VECTOR OF THE POLICY OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH: THE FEATURES OF THE FORMATION IN THE POST-SOVIET PERIOD

With the raising of the security dangers in Europe and the challenges of the migration the problem of the saving of the Christian identity of the continent was recognized as more actual and sharp. As well as the problem of the discrimination of Christians in the Middle East. Russian Orthodoxy suggested its own response on the global challenges. The Author analyzed the role of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the effectiveness of the using of the potential of the ROC in the foreign policy of Russia. In the article was used the methods of the historical and sociological analysis of the public declarations and actions of the representatives of the ROC and the state officials. The author pointed that the Russian Church step by step in its foreign policy proceeded from the nationalistic ant western rhetoric to the European vector of its policy where the significant role began to play the super national interests of the Russian Church and the rights and freedoms of the religious associations in a secular society.