PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Sikhism in Russia
	The Sikh Light Infantry regiment of the Indian Army marching in the 2020 Moscow Victory Day Parade.
Total population
	~1,000
Regions with significant populations
	Moscow
Languages
	Punjabi • Russian

Sikhism is a minority religion in Russia, with an estimated population of under one thousand adherents. There is one gurdwara in Moscow, Russia.

History

Guru Nanak is traditionally locally known as Nanak Kadamdar in Russia.^[1]^[2] Sikh students were invited to study in the Soviet Union through cultural exchange programs starting in the 1950s, during which time they were granted temporary resident status. Sikhs that supported Communism were permitted to immigrate to the Soviet Union. Most Sikh immigrants to the Soviet Union worked in radio and publishing, often in the distribution of Indian-language media. Cultural exchange programs declined following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, but immigration numbers began to trend upward again by the late 1990s. However, Sikhs make up less than 2% of Indian students in Russia as of 2020.^[3]

Prior to the construction of a gurdwara, Sikhs in Moscow would meet to worship at a rented canteen hall. The Moscow Gurdwara Committee was registered in 1996, and the Gurdwara Nanak Darbar was established as a place of worship for Sikhs in 2005 by the Afghan Sikh community.^[4]^[5] Immigration from Afghanistan increased the population of Sikhs during the 2010s.^[3]

Sikh community

As of 2020, the number of Sikhs in Russia is estimated to be between 300 and 1,000, and a significant portion of this population is made up of Afghan refugees.^[6] Sikhs in Moscow commonly work as traders, selling products from India.^[3] The Gurdwara Nanak Darbar is the religious center for Sikhs in Moscow, though it is legally recognized as a "cultural center" as the government has never authorized the establishment of an official gurdwara. Approximately 100 Sikhs attend Sunday prayers here each week, though this number doubles during Gurpurb celebrations.^[4]

References

^ Baker, Janet (2019-10-02). "Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020". Sikh Formations. 15 (3–4): 499. doi:10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641. ISSN 1744-8727.
^ Service, Tribune News. "Booklet on Guru Nanak Dev's teachings released". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2023-02-19. Rare is a saint who has travelled and preached as widely as Guru Nanak Dev. He was known as Nanakachraya in Sri Lanka, Nanak Lama in Tibet, Guru Rimpochea in Sikkim, Nanak Rishi in Nepal, Nanak Peer in Baghdad, Wali Hind in Mecca, Nanak Vali in Misar, Nanak Kadamdar in Russia, Baba Nanak in Iraq, Peer Balagdaan in Mazahar Sharif and Baba Foosa in China, said Dr S S Sibia, director of Sibia Medical Centre.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kahlon 2020, pp. 223–224.
^ ^a ^b Kahlon 2020, p. 225.
^ Goyal, Divya (2022-02-25). "Moscow to Odessa: A common thread of peace, love and harmony — via Afghanistan". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
^ Kahlon 2020, p. 222.