Yeltsin Sheds Atheism, Gets Religion Again

Baptized as a baby but an avowed atheist most of his life, President Boris N. Yeltsin returned to the Russian Orthodox Church on Sunday, seeking spiritual renewal for himself and his nation.

Yeltsin, 61, attended Pentecost services at Trinity-Sergius Monastery northeast of Moscow, then met with Patriarch Alexi II in a move that was not only personal but symbolized Russia’s return to its strong religious heritage.

Speaking to pilgrims at the monastery, the seat of Russian Orthodoxy, Yeltsin called upon the nation to practice patience and humility and to strive for spiritual purification after more than seven decades of socialism and its atheist ideology.

“I came here to undergo a cleansing before a long journey,” Yeltsin said, referring directly to his trip this week to the United States and Canada but reflecting his return to religious belief. “I hope that upon obtaining (Alexi’s) blessing that I shall successfully accomplish my mission.”

In a television interview last week on the anniversary of his election as Russia’s first president a year ago, Yeltsin acknowledged that, after years of atheism, he is again a believing Christian.

“I am acquiring a different world outlook which is probably connected with my psychological state and the situation in society,” he said, describing his now-frequent attendance at church services as “normal--I don’t believe it should be made a special point of.”

“In church I feel I become cleaner,” Yeltsin continued. “This is the only place where you don’t worry that something is happening somewhere else. It is difficult to explain this state, but for me it has become necessary and not only from my personal and spiritual point of view. . . . “

Yeltsin recalled that he was “born into a farmer’s family; my great-grandfathers and grandfathers, my parents were believers. I have something in my genes--love of the land and a natural faith.

“Of course, while I was a Communist,” he added with a smile, “I was a sincere atheist.”

Yeltsin said there are also “political considerations” in his open return to church, saying he felt “the need to support the church, and that means all kinds of denominations--I have respect for all of them.”

“In order to give support to believers, we help religion,” he continued, “and we have programs to rehabilitate and build new churches, mosques, Buddhist temples, synagogues and so forth.”

A religious revival has been growing across Russia for several years as people abandoned socialism and sought to recover from the profound alienation that it brought.

Yeltsin spoke at length with Alexi after the service about “reviving the people’s spirituality and culture, achieving national unity and preserving civil peace in the country,” according to a presidential spokesman.

In response to calls from the pilgrims outside Trinity Cathedral that he not resign as demanded by conservatives, Yeltsin replied, “Only the Lord can command me to resign--I serve the Lord and the people.”

Although Yeltsin has regularly attended church services since breaking with the Communist Party two years ago, this was the first in which he wanted to be seen as a participating member of the congregation, not as an observer or government official. He was accompanied by most of his family.

In his autobiography, “Against the Grain,” published two years ago, Yeltsin recounted an old family story about his baptism that is now part of the Yeltsin legend.

The parish priest, drunk after many vodka toasts to the babies he had already christened, dropped Yeltsin into a tub that served as the baptismal font--and forgot him while arguing with a parishioner. His alarmed mother rushed forward, pulled her baby from the bottom of the tub and shook the water out of him.

According to Yeltsin’s account, the priest was not at all upset and said, “Well, if he can survive such an ordeal it means he’s a good, tough lad . . . and I name him Boris.”