Editing Vladimir Putin (section)

=== Religious policy ===
{{Main|Religion in Russia}}
[[File:Vladimir Putin 21 February 2001-2.jpg|thumb|Putin with religious leaders of Russia, February 2001]]
Putin regularly attends the most important services of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] on the main holy days and has established a good relationship with [[Patriarchs of Moscow|Patriarchs]] of the Russian Church, the late [[Alexy II of Moscow]] and the current [[Kirill of Moscow]]. As president, Putin took an active personal part in promoting the [[Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate]], signed 17 May 2007, which restored relations between the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church and the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] after the 80-year schism.<ref>{{cite press release |title=The President of Russia attended the ceremonial signing of the Act on Canonical Communion that was held in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour |publisher=[[Embassy of Russia in Ottawa]] |date=17 May 2007 |url=http://www.rusembcanada.mid.ru/pr2007/022.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211074427/http://www.rusembcanada.mid.ru/pr2007/022.html |archive-date=11 December 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=2 October 2008}}</ref>

Under Putin, the [[Hasidic]] [[Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia]] became increasingly influential within the Jewish community, partly due to the influence of Federation-supporting businessmen mediated through their alliances with Putin, notably [[Lev Avnerovich Leviev|Lev Leviev]] and [[Roman Abramovich]].<ref name="Russia">''No love lost'', Yossi Mehlman, ''Haaretz'', 11 December 2005.</ref><ref>Phyllis Berman Lea Goldman, (15 September 2003). [https://web.archive.org/web/20030905120347/http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0915/108_print.html "Cracked De Beers"]. ''Forbes''.</ref> According to the [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]], Putin is popular amongst the [[Russian Jewish]] community, who see him as a force for stability. Russia's [[Chief Rabbi of Russia|chief rabbi]], [[Berel Lazar]], said Putin "paid great attention to the needs of our community and related to us with a deep respect".<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|last = Krichevsky |first = Lev |url = http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishFeatures/Article.aspx?id=241225 |title = "In Putin's return, Russian Jews see stability". Jewish Telegraphic Agency |website = The Jerusalem Post |date = 10 October 2011 |access-date = 22 June 2013 }}</ref> In 2016, [[Ronald S. Lauder]], the president of the [[World Jewish Congress]], also praised Putin for making Russia "a country where Jews are welcome".<ref name="wjcrussiafight">{{#invoke:cite|web|title = Ronald S. Lauder: Russia's fight against anti-Semitism isn't just good for Jews – it's good for Russia as well |url = http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/ronald-s-lauder-russias-fight-against-anti-semitism-isnt-just-good-for-jews--its-good-for-russia-as-well-11-2-2016 |website = World Jewish Congress |access-date = 1 November 2016 |date = 1 November 2016 }}</ref>

Human rights organizations and religious freedom advocates have criticized the state of religious freedom in Russia.<ref name="WaPost-2016">{{#invoke:cite|news|title = Missionaries are struggling to work under new Russia law banning proselytizing |newspaper = The Washington Post |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/09/20/missionaries-struggle-to-work-in-russia-under-new-law-that-bans-proselytizing/ |year = 2016 }}</ref> In 2016, Putin oversaw the passage of legislation that prohibited missionary activity in Russia.<ref name="WaPost-2016" /> Nonviolent religious minority groups have been repressed under anti-extremism laws, especially [[Jehovah's Witnesses]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title = Russia's mysterious campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses |url = https://abcnews.go.com/International/russias-mysterious-campaign-jehovahs-witnesses/story?id=78629389 |access-date = 4 March 2022 |publisher = ABC News }}</ref> One of the [[2020 amendments to the Constitution of Russia]] has a [[Constitutional references to God|constitutional reference to God]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|web|title = Constitution of the Russia Federation |url = https://rm.coe.int/constitution-of-the-russian-federation-en/1680a1a237 |date = 4 February 2021 |work = [[Council of Europe]] |access-date = 5 March 2022 }}</ref>