Religious pluralism and non-traditional religiosity in the public opinion of Omsk region residents

By a case study of Omsk region, the research investigates the attitude of the modern Russian society to the increasing pluralism and diversification in the religious field in the post-Soviet Russia. The author analyzes the findings of a comprehensive sociological study on this issue conducted in September-November 2018. Despite the cautious and negative attitude of a significant segment of the regional community to the new religions in Omsk region, there is a public consensus on the perception of religious diversity, freedom of conscience, and personal priority related to the choice of faith as social rules. On the one hand, the prevalence of neutral or positive attitude towards non-traditional religions is due to the long-standing multi-denominational population structure in Omsk region. On the other hand, it is determined by the low level of religiosity of region's residents and the lack of the perception of religious canons as an unconditional imperative regulator of public and private life in general.