Federalism and state-confessional relations: the example of Germany and Russia

Based on the analysis of the legislation of Germany and Russia, the article considers the possibility of expanding the powers of the federal entities in regulating the status of religious associations. It is concluded that the diversification of legal regulation of state-confessional relations within each region of the Federation, although it complicates the state management of the religious sphere, makes it more relevant to a specific situation and increases its efficiency. On the basis of the classifications of models of state-church relations proposed in the literature, the features of building a secular state in Germany and Russia are determined.