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Truth Behind ‘Half of Estonians Are Orthodox’ Claim on “Belarus 1” TV
Orthodox Christians were counted at 16% in Estonia.
The Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs has reportedly threatened to liquidate the Estonian Orthodox Church if it doesn't dissociate itself from the Moscow Patriarchate, which has supported Russia's war against Ukraine. In a segment on the pro-government TV “Belarus 1”, anchor Daria Tarasova claimed that half of all Estonians are Orthodox Christians. The Weekly Top Fake team fact-checked the claim and found a 10% exaggeration.
On August 11, 2024, a TV program called “Planet Around” discussed the path of Ukrainian schismatic churches, which Tallinn seems willing to follow.
“The country's [Estonia's — ed.] Ministry of Internal Affairs is threatening to close the Estonian Orthodox Church for refusing to come under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The department called on Orthodox parishes to separate from the Moscow Patriarchate as early as this spring. There were even discussions about recognizing the Russian Orthodox Church as a terrorist organization and its activities as heresy. Forgetting, of course, that half of Estonia's population is Orthodox,” anchor Daria Tarasova reported.
The 2021 Estonian census shows Orthodox Christianity to be the most prevalent religion in the country, practiced by over half of Estonia's religious population. Lutheranism is the second most popular. However, only a third of all the country's residents then attributed themselves to any faith. Almost 60% said they were atheists.
Orthodox Christians were counted at 16% in Estonia. And among ethnic Estonians, only 3% are Orthodox. The rest of the Orthodox are national minorities.
