.svg) | |
 TheSikh Light Infantry regiment of the Indian Army marching in the2020 Moscow Victory Day Parade. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~1,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Moscow | |
| Languages | |
| Punjabi •Russian |
Sikhism is a minority religion inRussia, with an estimated population of under one thousand adherents. There is onegurdwara inMoscow, Russia.
Guru Nanak is traditionally locally known asNanak Kadamdar in Russia.[1][2] Sikh students were invited to study in theSoviet Union through cultural exchange programs starting in the 1950s, during which time they were granted temporary resident status. Sikhs that supportedCommunism 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 thedissolution 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]
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 ofAfghan 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 duringGurpurb celebrations.[4]
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.
