VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #0689/01 0791322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD43C915 MSI2885-632)
R 201322Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2466
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000689 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR KIRF SOCI RS
SUBJECT: MEDVEDEV ASKS RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO HELP RUSSIA'S 
YOUTH 
 
REF: A. MOSCOW 295 
     ¶B. MOSCOW 361 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary:  On March 11, Medvedev convened a joint 
meeting of the State Council and the Presidential Council for 
Cooperation with Religious Associations in Tula, focusing on 
the moral development and civic education of Russia's youth. 
Medvedev, coordinating the meeting himself, asked the heads 
of Russia's major religions to help Russia's youth adjust to 
the current crisis environment while aiding the government in 
its fight against extremism.  Seen by some journalists as a 
personal appeal, Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) Patriarch 
Kirill accepted the offer for an increased ROC role, pledging 
to help provide social calm, empowering youth to realize 
their own goals, and denouncing violence and intolerance. 
Protestant leaders echoed Medvedev's and Kirill's call for 
greater focus on morality in 2009, Russia's "Year of Youth." 
Religion experts, however, hesitated to believe that Kirill 
and the ROC, although growing in power, could make a major 
difference in fighting Russia's current social problems.  End 
Summary. 
Medvedev Solicits Help from Religious Leaders 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  At the March 11 joint meeting of the State Council 
and the Presidential Council for Cooperation with Religious 
Associations in Tula, Medvedev greeted leaders of Russia's 
four constitutionally-recognized religions in Russia 
(Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism) in order to "develop a 
common approach to solving the most difficult problems" 
currently facing Russia's youth.  Russian Orthodox Church 
(ROC) head Patriarch Kirill, Chief Mufti of Russia Ravil 
Gaynutdin, Chief Rabbi of Russia Beryl Lazar, and Chairman of 
the Buddhist community Khambo-Lama Damba Ayusheyev 
represented Russia's leading religious groups, and were 
joined by Chairman of the Protestant Union Sergei Ryakhovskiy 
and President of the Western-Russian Union of Seventh Day 
Adventists Vassiliy Stolyar.  Minister of Education and 
Science Andrei Fursenko and Ministry of Internal Affairs head 
Rashid Nugaliyev -- two leaders positioned to influence the 
future of Russia's youth -- also attended the meeting.  It 
was the first time that the Russian President, and not his 
Chief of Staff, coordinated the meeting, suggesting a closer 
relationship currently between the government and the ROC, 
according to Kommersant.  (Note: the last such meeting 
occurred in 2004 under Putin, for whom the Council was not a 
high priority) 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Medvedev outlined three major tasks regarding youth 
issues in the coming year, according to ITAR-TASS.  The 
number one achievement, according to Medvedev, would be the 
creation of conditions enabling Russian youth to achieve 
their goals through artistic, innovative activities -- a 
sphere in which Russian religious groups could play a vital 
role.  Medvedev appealed to religious leaders to help Russian 
youth "adapt to life in crisis conditions" and to help the 
government "battle the growth of extremism" in the country. 
While Medvedev included all religious leaders in his 
comments, journalists from Russian daily Kommersant 
attributed Medvedev's comments as a personal plea to 
Patriarch Kirill, a sign of his growing political importance. 
 Kirill responded by offering to "help people remain calm" 
and "oppose divisions in society" that could arise as a 
result of the current crisis, while saying that the ROC would 
not "stand to one side." 
 
Medvedev, Kirill Push Youth Empowerment 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  In a discussion with Duma deputies from the Tula 
region, Medvedev said that Russia's most important task in 
2009, the "Year of Youth," was to develop the social 
infrastructure in Russia's villages.  Medvedev underlined the 
need for a coordinated campaign to stop extremist action and 
propaganda while drawing youth to intercultural dialogue and 
cooperation.  As the uncertainties of Russia's economic 
future rise, Medvedev called on religious organizations to 
prevent the proliferation of pessimism and depression among 
youth as "one of our shared priorities."  While acknowledging 
in Tula that the current economic crisis has erased many of 
Russia's improving employment opportunities and undermined 
the well-being of Russia's youth, Medvedev challenged the 
same demographic to believe in the Russian government and 
have faith in themselves.  He blamed the moral vacuum of the 
Soviet era and the destructive ideas of intolerance, espoused 
by "pseudo-religious groups," for leading Russia's youth down 
the path of drunkenness and drug abuse, and also cautioned 
against the possible deleterious influence of mass media in 
the country. 
 
Kirill Makes First Substantive Policy Statement 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Addressing his fellow religious leaders at the Tula 
conference as "Brothers and Sisters," Patriarch Kirill took 
the spotlight in Medvedev's plea for greater Church-State 
cooperation on youth issues.  Kirill advocated for the 
empowerment of Russia's youth as the best way to fight 
extremism, and reminded youth that pogroms, violence, and 
extremist propaganda will not solve any of Russia's problems. 
 Joined at the meeting by fellow Orthodox leaders 
Metropolitan Kliment and Metropolitan Juvenaly, Kirill 
proposed the inclusion of national patriotic and social work 
projects for Russian youth education in addition to 
conferences and roundtables.  In connection with the current 
economic and social problems, Kirill also believed that the 
Russian government should facilitate the adjustment of 
migrants entering the country by teaching them Russian, 
involving them in social life, and exposing them to Russian 
culture and traditions --  thereby supporting Medvedev's 
message of tolerance.  Kommersant journalists subsequently 
reprinted pre-election predictions made by supporters of 
Metropolitan Kliment, forecasting Kirill's emergence as a 
political tool of the Kremlin.  ROC Deputy head of External 
Relations Vsevolod Chaplin quickly dismissed such claims on 
March 12 in an Interfax press conference, yet candidly 
admitted that some "very influential believers" in Orthodoxy 
can indeed have an impact on the political situation in 
Russia. 
 
Protestants Also On Board 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU)  On March 17, Ambassador Beyrle attended the Ninth 
Annual Russian National Prayer Breakfast, chaired by Russian 
Baptist Union head of External Relations Vitaly Vlasenko. 
Over 250 clergy and laypeople, predominately Christians that 
previously expressed support for Kirill's election (Ref A), 
attended the conference at Moscow's President Hotel. 
Ambassador Beyrle joined numerous other guests ) the heads 
of various Protestant and Jewish communities, Russian 
government organizations, and Russian Duma members ) in 
giving remarks to guests.  Religious leaders focused their 
comments on improving the moral upbringing and opportunities 
for Russia,s youth, a popular theme considering that the GOR 
proclaimed 2009 as the "Year of Youth."  Russian Baptist 
Union Director Yuriy Sipko blamed the current moral decline 
in Russia not on the youth, but on the parents of today's 
youth who had lost their moral compass. 
 
Experts Cynical about Medvedev's Offer 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU)  Experts varied in their assessments of the 
importance of Medvedev's comments.  Forum 18 religion 
journalist Geraldine Fagan told us on March 18 that 
Medvedev's appeal to religious leaders shows recognition of 
the GOR's inability to encourage youth towards the right 
path.  She acknowledged that Kirill's influence in the 
government continued to grow, but doubted that he would be 
able to convince Russian youth to devote themselves to the 
ROC en masse.  SOVA Center Director Aleksandr Verkhovskiy 
told us on March 13 that the ROC stood little chance in 
deterring xenophobic or extremist activity, placing the 
lion's share of the blame on past government indifference and 
deep Russian historical roots, which could not be erased 
overnight (Ref B).  Public Chamber member and director of the 
Tsaritsino education center Yefim Rachevskiy told Center TV 
on March 16 that Kirill's push for instruction of Orthodox 
culture and traditions in Russian public schools would simply 
overburden students with an additional subject, and he spoke 
out against one religion claiming the upbringing of Russia's 
youth as "their own exclusive zone of responsibility." 
Rachevskiy's comments came days after the March 12 press 
statement by Acting President of the Russian Academy of 
Education David Feldshtein, who told ITAR-TASS that courses 
on the foundations of religious culture would not be required 
in Russia, but optional instead. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Nervous about the possibility of social unrest 
during the economic crisis, Medvedev appealed to Patriarch 
Kirill and his religious colleagues not as a last option, but 
as the most wholesome one.  Battling extremism will require 
increased government funding and police patrols in the short 
term, but demands an overhaul in Russia's approach to 
promoting tolerance in the long term.  Kirill's advocacy for 
greater cooperation among different faiths serves as a great 
starting point, but will be meaningless if the government 
 
does nothing to encourage it. 
BEYRLE