On behalf of a religious organization only in the territory or territories of the Russian Federation in which the organization is registered and only in accordance with the scope of the activities of this religious organization, in the possession of the document referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article.
4. Foreign nationals who have entered the territory of the Russian Federation at the invitation of religious organizations in accordance with Article 20 of this Federal Law shall have the right to carry out missionary work only on behalf of the said religious organization only in the territory or territories of the Russian Federation in which the organization is registered in accordance with the scope of its activities with the document referred to in paragraph 2 of this article.
5. It is prohibited to engage in missionary activity on behalf of a religious association whose objectives and actions violate the law, or who have been liquidated by a court decision, or whose activities are suspended or prohibited in the manner and on the grounds stipulated by this Federal Law, Federal Law of July 25, 2002 114-FZ «on countering extremist activity» or the Federal law dated March 6, 2006 35-FZ «on Combating terrorism», as well as individuals referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 of article 9 of this Federal law.
6. Missionary activity with the following objectives or aims is prohibited:
Violation of public security and public order;
Extremist activity;
Forcing the break-up of a family;
Infringement of a citizens personal rights and freedoms;
Activities damaging to the morals, health, and well-being of citizens, including the use of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, hypnosis, indecent behavior, or other unlawful acts in connection with their religious activity;
Encouragement of suicide or the refusal on religious grounds of medical assistance which jeopardizes a persons life or health;
Obstruction of compulsory education;
Coercion of members and followers of a religious association and other persons to donate their property to the religious association;
Preventing a citizen from leaving a religious association through threatened or actual use of force or illegal action;
Inciting citizens to refuse to fulfill their civic duties established by law or to commit other illegal acts.
7. In the case of the missionary activities provided for in paragraphs 5 and 6 of this Article, the religious association is responsible for any missionary activity carried out on its behalf by its agents.
Housing Code of the Russian Federation from 29.12.2004 188-FZ
Article 17.Purpose of premises and limits of their use. The use of residential premises
Point 3. It is prohibited for a missionary group to be located on, or conduct missionary activities on premises designated for industrial production or residential premises, except as stipulated in Clause 16 Federal laws of September 26, 1997 No. 125-FZ «About liberty of conscience and about religious associations»
Article22. Conditions for converting residential premises into non-residential premises and non-residential premises into residential premises
Point 3.2. The conversion of residential premises into non-residential premises for the purpose of religious activity is prohibited.
Russian Federation Code of Administrative Offences from 30.12.2001 number 195-FZ, Article 5.26
3. Religious organizations conducting activities without displaying/indicating the official full name of the organization, including missionary activity involving the release or distribution of literature, printed, audio and video materials without marking the material with the name of the organization, or incomplete, or deliberately false labeling on said material,
Punishable by an administrative fine in the amount from thirty thousand to fifty thousand rubles with confiscation of literature, printed, audio and video materials.
4. Implementation of missionary activity in violation of the law on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and religious associations-
Punishable by an administrative fine on citizens in the amount from five thousand to fifty thousand rubles; for legal entities from one hundred thousand to one million rubles.
5. Violation provided by section 4 of this Article, if committed by a foreign national or a stateless person,
Punishable by an administrative fine in the amount from thirty thousand to fifty thousand rubles with the possibility of administrative expulsion from the Russian Federation.
Chapter 2. General Principles of Conducting Missionary Activity
Any discussion of how to conduct religious and missionary activity on the basis of the new laws must first begin with a definition of what is and what is not missionary work.
This is a very important step, since most of the issues related to missionary work will disappear as soon as we clearly define the concept of «missionary activity».
For believers, the concept of missionary activity is inextricably linked with their faith and beliefs, and by extension, their daily lives. The Christian faith is by its very nature missional. As believers it is normal for us to do things such as preach to friends or acquaintances or post pictures and comments on social media sites quoting scripture. Is this considered «Missionary Activity» under the new laws?