The interaction of church and state: concerning the concept of secular state

The research deals with the role and status of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the modern Russian society and state as well as the interaction issues of state and church during the post-Soviet period. According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia is a secular state and follows a secular model of relations between state and social institutions and religious organizations. However, nowadays a group of researchers involved in studying state-church relations notes that there is a tendency to apply a cooperative model of relationships between Russian Orthodox Church and state institutions in contemporary Russia. This fact is of research interest and the subject matter of the dispute. The study reviews the controversial issues concerning the status and role of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russian secular state.