Religion in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan - religions and confessions
The Republic of Uzbekistan is a secular state where representatives of various religions and faiths live. To date, according to official data, 2,225 religious organizations and 16 different religious denominations have been registered in the country. The ethnic picture of Uzbekistan, which is so diverse in composition, also indicates that the country is tolerant of the issue of religion and different faiths peacefully coexist here. The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan guarantees freedom of conscience for all. According to the Basic Law of the Republic, everyone has the right to profess any religion or not to profess any (art. 31 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan).
The predominant religion in Uzbekistan is Sunni Islam, which is practiced by 93% of the country's population, with the exception of 1% of Shiite Muslims who live in Bukhara and Samarkand.
The next religion in terms of the number of believers is Christianity.
In 2021, Uzbekistan widely celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Russian Orthodox Church in Central Asia. Orthodoxy came to these lands in 1871, along with their annexation to the possessions of the Russian Empire and the decree of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, confirming the decision of the Holy Synod to establish an independent Tashkent and Turkestan diocese. In the same year, a temple was founded at the Tashkent hospital. Today it has turned into the most beautiful Holy Dormition Cathedral, the main temple of the Tashkent diocese. Most believers come here, although there are several other churches in Tashkent (for example, the Alexander Nevsky Church at the Botkin Cemetery, the church of Patriarch Hermogenes, the temple of Grand Duke Vladimir). There are many beautiful and ancient temples in other cities of Uzbekistan – Samarkand (St. Alekseevsky Cathedral), Kokand (Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God), etc.
The St. Nicholas Convent (which, by the way, is the first in Central Asia) and the Tashkent Theological Seminary have also been opened in Tashkent.
According to data for 2020, there are 38 Orthodox churches in Uzbekistan, with more than 600,000 Orthodox Christians.
The Catholic denomination in Uzbekistan is not so numerous. However, Catholics have been living in Tashkent for almost a century. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ operates in the Uzbek capital, which is also one of the attractions of the city.
The temples of other significant faiths in Uzbekistan also include the Armenian Apostolic Church and Jewish synagogues. Speaking of synagogues, it is worth noting the Bukharian Jews, a separate group living in Central Asia (especially in Bukhara, hence the name). The Jewish community in Bukhara has been mentioned in sources since the 13th century. Jews lived here in separate quarters and engaged in weaving, dyeing, and small-scale trade. Subsequently, Bukharian Jews began to settle in large diasporas in Samarkand, Kokand, and Andijan. Over the past centuries, they have managed to preserve their language, faith and traditions.