is a public body that unites leaders from Russia’s four main religious traditions: Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism.
The Interfaith Council of Russia was established on December 23, 1998, at a meeting of the heads and representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate, Council of Muftis of Russia, the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia and European CIS Countries, the Congress of Jewish Religious Organisations and Associations in Russia, and the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia.
The initiative to create the ICR came from the Russian Orthodox Church. The goal of the ICR is to coordinate joint activities, counter the use of religious sentiments to spark ethnic conflicts, assert traditional spiritual values, harmony and stability within society, and engage in dialogue with state authorities in Russia and other nations.
The ICR’s supreme body is its Presidium where representatives of the ICR founders sit, while its permanent executive body is its Secretariat.