While the new Russian law is trying to push the evangelical church back behind the walls again as the Soviets did, Russian Christians are stunned.
The Christians are grappling with a new law that effectively makes it illegal for them to share their faith, preach or pray outside of officially designated sites.
It came so quickly, so unexpectedly,” said Sergey Rakhuba, president of Mission Eurasia, an organization that equips young church leaders in countries in the post-Soviet world and Eurasia.
Rakhuba says the new law brings back memories of repressive laws passed by former Soviet dictators Nikita Khrushchev and Joseph Stalin.
Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1929 to 1953. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. However, he ruled by terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign.
Nikita Khrushchev was ousted as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), as well as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, on 14 October 1964 due to his failed reforms and disregard for Religious, Party and Government institutions.
Christians suffered a great deal during the Soviet Union which fought hard to make Christianity of no effect, thus the latter’s relentless stance in making sure their religious right is not stripped from them as citizens of Russia entitled to their rights. Christians in Russia have taken a stand to fight history from being re-written. Even if it means disobeying new law to protect their faith.