One of the aspects of reforming the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is the full implementation of the constitutional rights and freedoms of military personnel, including the freedom of conscience and religion. Although the church is legally separated from the state, we cannot ignore the current ideological climate in society. Moreover, properly organized work in this area can have a positive impact on improving the moral atmosphere in military units.

Recently, the Main Directorate for Educational Work conducted military-sociological research to study the religious situation in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The results of this research suggest that the situation in this area is stable. Currently, the number of military personnel who consider themselves religious has stabilized at around 30%. This relatively high level of religiosity among military personnel can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the desire to alleviate the unfavorable psychological environment caused by the deterioration of social and living conditions, the loss of many important life goals, and the hope for a quick solution to problems. Secondly, the increased influence of religious associations that have the real opportunity to freely spread their ideas in society.

At the same time, it should be noted that the depth of religious teachings in the hearts and minds of young people, including military personnel, seems to be exaggerated. This is more of an external manifestation of religiosity than a deep-seated spiritual and moral commitment. Our data shows that almost half of the military personnel who consider themselves Orthodox Christians have no knowledge of even the basic religious symbols of Orthodoxy. By the way, among military personnel who identify as Muslims, Buddhists, and followers of Protestant churches, the proportion of those who know the basics of their religion is significantly higher (up to 87 percent). This further confirms that for the majority of military personnel who identify as Orthodox believers, a superficial understanding of religion is typical. Only a few individuals view religion as a primary factor influencing their behavior.

It is clear that the majority of military personnel are Orthodox Christians (about 44 percent of conscripts). The number of Muslims is about 7 percent. There are significantly fewer adherents of other religions (Catholics, Baptists, Jews, etc.) in the military (up to 4 percent).

The presence of representatives of various religious denominations in military units brings certain difficulties to the work of military instructors. However, these difficulties can be overcome if the unit fosters an environment of respect and tolerance. The success of this endeavor depends on the instructors' knowledge of theological principles, their ability to build rapport with their subordinates, and their ability to conduct effective individual training sessions. In essence, military instructors today must act as chaplains in their own right.

As for the creation of the institution of military priests, which has been the subject of much discussion, it seems premature in the current circumstances. Firstly, this idea contradicts the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 14), which provides for the separation of church and state. Secondly, it does not correspond to the actual needs of the military and the level of religiosity among the personnel of the Russian Armed Forces. I would like to see this issue resolved in a natural rather than a directive manner in the future, and for the dissemination of traditional Russian religions in the military to be carried out with a focus on the spiritual and moral education of military personnel and their families. I believe that this approach will reduce the likelihood of interreligious conflicts in the military.

Currently, in most military units, religious servicemen do not have any difficulties in meeting their religious needs. Almost two-thirds of them have the opportunity to regularly visit religious institutions. Among those who do not have this opportunity, 44 percent cited the lack of a religious institution of their respective denomination in the garrison (or nearby town or village) as the main reason, while 30 percent cited their busy work schedule.

It should also be noted that only 16 percent of military personnel who consider themselves religious have a constant need to visit places of worship, while 55 percent have a periodic need, and the remaining 35 percent do not consider it necessary at all.

Over the past period, there have been no conflicts in military units on religious grounds in the Armed Forces. Only 3% of atheists take an active stance and attempt to engage in discussions with believers and impose their views on them. The majority of atheists (54%) are tolerant of their colleagues' religious beliefs and consider them to be a personal matter.

At the same time, as the number of believers in military units increased, there was a growing sense of sympathy and antipathy based on religious affiliation. Approximately 20% of believers reported that they were concerned about the religious beliefs of their fellow soldiers. A more detailed examination of relationships within military units revealed that the majority of believers were genuinely interested in the religious beliefs of their fellow soldiers.

The need to strictly observe the equality of military personnel on the basis of religion, as well as the respect of commanders and fellow officers for people's religious feelings, requires certain training for officers, as well as knowledge of religious-based national traditions, customs, etc. However, the level of religious studies training among some officers is still low.

In addition, there are a number of objective reasons in military units that prevent religious believers from performing religious rituals and observing religious traditions. Sometimes, the remoteness of the garrison makes it difficult to visit a church or mosque. In some cases, the very lifestyle of the military unit contradicts religious norms. For example, one of the problems is the inclusion of pork in the rations, which Muslims cannot consume due to their religious beliefs.

Or else, elements of Christian symbolism on cockades, buttons, and other items of hardware, documents, which cause rejection among soldiers of other faiths. All of this requires the development of certain approaches in the work of commanders, headquarters, and educational structures. The relevance of this problem lies, on the one hand, in the need to implement the rights of military personnel to freedom of conscience and religion within the framework provided by law. On the other hand, in the possibility and expediency of using the spiritual potential of religion in the interests of the tasks solved by the troops and naval forces.

Today, there is an unprecedented decline in the level of morality among young people, and crime, drunkenness, and drug use have reached alarming proportions. This has a significant impact on the quality of the young recruits in the Armed Forces. The educational level of conscripts is declining, and the number of recruits who have used drugs, toxic substances, or alcohol before enlistment is increasing. The physical and mental health of conscripts is also deteriorating, which often leads to suicide, desertion, and other crimes and incidents.

In these conditions, we want to find one of the reserves in the spiritual potential of religious associations in the work of commanders, headquarters, and educational structures. Its use can be aimed at solving the problems of preventing suicidal behavior, hazing, and other vices that affect military units.

Thus, we not only consider the interaction between the army and religious associations in terms of the implementation of military personnel's rights to freedom of conscience and religion, but also strive to maximize the benefits for the Armed Forces. Of course, we are far from imposing religious views by directive, let alone artificially creating advantages for people of any particular denomination.

When choosing a religious association as a partner and assistant in working with personnel, it is necessary to take into account the spiritual needs of the people, their level of religiosity, historical traditions, and the real ability of a particular religious association or a specific clergyman to have a positive impact on the moral and psychological state of the soldiers, which should be based on feelings of patriotism, honor, and duty, as well as respect for the commander. This should lead to a readiness to defend the Fatherland, overcome the hardships of military service, and ultimately, to self-sacrifice.

Recently, former military personnel have become increasingly common among clergymen. It must be said that they make excellent spiritual mentors.

Among the main areas of interaction between the army and religious denominations, we can mention assistance to the clergy in realizing the rights of military personnel and their families to freedom of conscience, participation in the patriotic, moral education, and spiritual enlightenment of personnel, the formation of moral and psychological stability in combat and other extreme situations, the prevention of suicides and non-commissioned relationships, and the psychological rehabilitation of soldiers who have been seriously injured, as well as the care of military hospitals.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Defense is often criticized for its interaction with the Russian Orthodox Church, which, according to our opponents, violates the rights of adherents of other religions, as well as military personnel who do not adhere to a religious worldview.

This is not the case. The Armed Forces are ready to cooperate with all religious associations. However, the fact that the Ministry of Defense has developed the most relations with the Russian Orthodox Church is quite understandable and does not in any way infringe upon the rights of military personnel of other religions.

First, the level of interaction between the Russian Armed Forces and the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the depth and intensity of these ties, is determined not by the opinion of a particular commander, but by the historical status of Orthodoxy in Russian society, its role in our history, culture, national identity, and attitude towards war and the army.

The equality of religious associations before the law does not mean the equality of their social roles. Therefore, the moral values that Orthodoxy brings to public consciousness, such as state patriotism, the attitude towards military service and the defense of the Fatherland as a sacred duty for every Christian, and the church's desire to assist the Armed Forces, place it among our close allies.

Secondly, the Ministry of Defense does not limit itself to the Russian Orthodox Church when interacting with religious associations. We maintain constant contact with the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia and the European CIS countries, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Central European Region, and the Spiritual Administration of Buddhists of Russia.

Another argument in favor of developing cooperation with a particular religious organization is the achievement of concrete results and tangible benefits for the Armed Forces.

For example, we know that suicide is a problem for us, accounting for about a quarter of all military deaths. Therefore, we have high hopes for the help of clergymen, their experience and knowledge of human psychology, as well as the power of their spiritual authority, which allows us to use the absolute value of human life as a gift from God to prevent people from taking a fatal step. In such a situation, even one saved life of an officer, soldier, or sailor is worth the efforts we make in organizing cooperation with religious organizations and all the debates about its legitimacy.

This does not mean that the clergy will replace military psychologists, sociologists, commanders, and educational officers. It is about combining our efforts. We can only succeed in our educational work during the reform of the Armed Forces by using all possible resources.

Finally, clergymen come to a unit or a part only to those who want to listen to them, who feel the need to communicate with their pastor. Any kind of coercion is unacceptable.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have practically established a system of interaction with religious associations that allows for the effective and legal implementation of the rights of military personnel to freedom of conscience and religion.

The experience of interaction between military authorities and religious associations has shown the expediency of using their assistance to address a wide range of issues related to the educational work with the personnel of the Armed Forces.

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