Religion in South Ossetia

South Ossetia, a partially-recognized de facto state in the Caucasus and internationally considered part of Georgia, is primarily Eastern Orthodox Christian.

Christianity in South Ossetia was first introduced through Byzantine influence over the Alans, although the population continued to practice traditional religion, reverting fully to paganism by the late Middle Ages.

The capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, historically had a large Jewish population, outnumbering the Georgians and Ossetians at some points.

The community declined throughout the Soviet period, and by the 1990s, the vast majority of the Jews in South Ossetia had emigrated, mainly to Russia and Israel.

[6] Many ethnic Ossetians who identify as Christian or Uatsdin participate in traditional values and rituals, and throughout North and South Ossetia, popular practice of folk religion exceeds that in churches.

[9] In the 10th century, the Alans (ancestors of the Ossetians) nominally converted to Christianity through Byzantine influence, but the population largely continued practicing traditional ethnic religion.

[13] From 1990, a religious revival with nationalist overtones took place in the region, led by Aleksandr Pukhate, which aimed to separate from the Georgian Church.

Uatsdin is nature-oriented[24] and polytheistic; the creator god is Xucau, head of a pantheon of deities reflecting Iranian and Christian influence.

[30] The Khetag grove near Alagir in North Ossetia has served as a site for pan-Ossetian rituals since the early 1990s, and is considered one of the most important Ossetian shrines.

[31] Tskhinvali, the largest city in South Ossetia, historically had a large Jewish community, which sometimes outnumbered the Georgian, Armenian,[32] and Ossetian populations.

[34] Relations between the Tskhinvali Jews and the other ethnic groups of the city were largely peaceful, although there was tension and some violence in the period following the Bolshevik Revolution.

[38][39] The constitution of the Republic of South Ossetia guarantees freedom of religion within the boundaries of the law, but emphasizes the importance of Orthodox Christianity and Ossetian traditional beliefs.

While South Ossetia officially bans the Georgian Orthodox Church as well as Jehovah's Witnesses, the authorities reportedly have allowed the groups, along with Pentecostals, to assemble in Akhalgori.