There was a widespread hunger for anything spiritual in the days after the Soviet Union's collapse. People were experimenting with everything from Scientology to Buddhism and reading everything from the Book of Mormon to ancient astrology. All sorts of conspiracy theories were floating around. People were latching on to them in the absence of information attempting to find an explanation for what had happened to them and their country.
There was a significant interest in organized religion as well. Many people returned to their historical faiths. Russians returned to Orthodox Christianity, and Uzbeks to Islam. Protestant missionaries flooded the post-soviet territories. My personal spiritual journey and commitment to the Christian faith resulted from those missionary activities.
However, this overall openness and interest in exploring religions and spiritualities quickly fizzled out. It was replaced by more mundane and practical needs for survival in a collapsed economy. Materialistic desires for prosperity and financial security quickly squashed any spiritual fervor on a larger scale.
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