An analysis of publications devoted to the attitude of young people to religion shows that students - in the near future the intellectual basis of Russian society-have not yet become the object of close attention of sociologists and religious scholars. The Voronezh State Forestry Engineering Academy (VGLTA) has accumulated some experience in specifically studying the attitude of students to religion. Such studies were intensively conducted in the 70s and 80s. They showed an extremely low level of religiosity among students, very little awareness of students in matters of religious teaching and worship, etc.

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Table 1

Religious behavior of respondents (in % of the number of respondents)

"?

Generally

Believers

Wavering between faith and disbelief

1. Gender:

a) male

-

50.2

70,1

b) female

-

49,8

29,9

2. Consider themselves followers:

a) Orthodoxy

80,1

89,3

73,4

b) other religions

2,7

3,1

2,1

c) none of the religions

17,2

7,6

24,5

3. Read the Bible:

a) completely

8,4

8,7

8,3

b) specific locations

63,5

71,2

57,7

c) didn't read it at all

27,1

20,1

34,0

4. Attended a church service:

a) for personal religious reasons

42,6

58,8

24,9

b) for performing individual rituals

-

37,7

-

c) accidentally

53,2

-

70,5

d) did not visit

4.2

3,5

4,6

Table 2

Respondents ' attitude to religion (in % of the number of respondents)

Generally

Believers

Wavering between faith and disbelief

1. The relationship between science and religion. The science:

a) refutes the existence of God

12,8

7,6

2,5

b) confirms the existence of God

8,5

14,2

17,8

c) the existence of God cannot be proved or disproved by science

78,7

78,2

79,7

2. Religion makes a person more moral, kinder:

a) yes

65,2

76,1

77,5

b) no

7,4

3.8

9,6

c) don't know

27,4

20,1

12,9

3. Orthodoxy played a role in Russia:

a) positive

19,5

24,6

14,1

b) negative

1,4

1,4

1,6

c) both positive and negative

64,3

57,7

71,4

d) don't know

14,8

16,3

12,9

4. The struggle against religion and the Church in the Soviet era was:

a) justified

4.5

3,8

4,6

b) unjustified

52,0

59,5

44,4

c) partially justified, partially not

24,5

20,4

29,0

d) don't know

19,0

16.3

22,0

In March 1999, VGLTA resumed the practice of such studies. Nine closed questions were included in the questionnaire. 554 people were surveyed, which is 21.3 % of the total number of full-time students. By random sampling, one group from each course of all faculties of the Academy was taken for the survey.

Analysis of the data obtained showed the following distribution of respondents in relation to religion: non-believers ("I am convinced that there is no God") - 4.3 %, believers ("I am convinced that there is a God") - 50.0 %, fluctuating between faith and disbelief ("I don't know, maybe. There is a God, or maybe there isn't one") - 45.7 %.

As for the group of non-believers, they mostly refer to themselves as followers of Orthodoxy, they read individual passages in the Bible or did not read it at all. Church services

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the services were attended by chance. This group believes that it is impossible to prove or refute the existence of God with the help of science; that religion makes a person morally kinder; points out the positive and negative role of Orthodoxy in the history of our country, and the partial unjustifiability of the struggle against religion and the church in Soviet times.

In general, students ' religiosity has increased dramatically (if we take into account such indicators as attendance at church services to meet personal religious needs, awareness of the "holy book" of Christians of the Bible, belief in the usefulness of religion in moral life, the positive role of Orthodoxy in the history of our country, etc.) (Tables 1, 2).

The boundaries between groups of believers and vacillators between faith and disbelief are not clearly defined. Thus, the opinion that science refutes the existence of God is shared by 7.6 % of religious respondents and 2.5 % of those who hesitate between faith and disbelief. Among the respondents, not only 89.3% of believers identified themselves as followers of Orthodoxy, but also 73.4% of those who fluctuate between faith and unbelief. In these two groups, there is a relatively high level of those who have not determined their attitude to religion.

Past studies have generally shown a higher level of religiosity among women. A recent study found a sharp jump in religiosity among males. Thus, 52.3% of the surveyed believers were men at the Forestry Faculty, 44.6% at the Forestry engineering Faculty, 58.6% at the Woodworking Technology Faculty, and 44.0% at the Forestry Engineering Faculty.

Among students of humanities majors, religiosity is slightly higher than among students of technical majors. Thus, while 44.0% of believers are registered at the Faculty of Forestry and Mechanical Engineering, 57.9% are registered at the Department of Production Management Economics of the Faculty of Woodworking Technology.

It is hardly possible to recognize the normal situation when the question "What role did the Orthodox religion play in the history of our country?" 1.4% of respondents indicated only a negative and 19.5% only a positive role. The same applies to the question "Was the struggle against religion and the church justified in Soviet times?" 4.5 % of respondents believe that it was justified and 52.0 % declared it completely unjustified.

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