So they have a state church. You have no right to go there and “evangelize” (steal sheep) if they don’t want you to. Perhaps they rightly recognize this as an attempt by foreign groups to meddle in their internal affairs.
Maybe it's islam that worries the Russians… If that's the case, I don't blame them......
Not only does Islam and some traditional forms of Buddhism common to the Russian Far East have protected status, but the Russian Orthodox Church has done little to sidestep the rehabilitation of Stalin and the Soviet mythos surrounding events such as World War II. “Victory Day” is the holiest day in the modern Russian calendar. Polls show young people credit Stalin with victory, but over half know nothing about his repressive acts which killed millions of his own people.
Americans have also inspired and helped build up the pro-life movement there as well.
A state church is simply not NT Scriptural, and thus it is unChristian, as is using the sword of men to prevent Christians from sharing the gospel, and which the anti evangelism law does, even from trying to convert Muslims.
Moreover, the people of Russia are mostly culturally Orthodox, and hardly any go to church. Russians Return to Religion, But Not to Church | Pew Research ... www.pewforum.org/2014/02/10/russians-return-to-religion-but-not-to-church/