Russia’s Religious Freedom Is Over
The year was 1991. We were sitting in the Novosibirsk home of Professor Aleksander Link. I was expressing joy over the fact that, after seventy long years of atheism, a new era of freedom had finally arrived in Russia. Soviet State TV Channel One had aired 52 of the best Bible stories as animated films. The series generated millions of viewer letters. Russia was awakening from decades of atheism.
Professor Link looked at me and said, “Hannu, remember this—Russia has never been free, and it never will be...” To me, those words were a cold shower. I could not understand what he was trying to say. The Soviet Union had just collapsed and the doors had swung wide open. A new day of freedom had dawned. The Gospel would now be preached freely far and wide. What happened next is history.
1917–1991: The Rise of an Atheistic Superpower
In Tsarist Russia, the communists seized power, giving rise to an atheistic superpower that launched widespread religious persecution. Christians were killed and imprisoned.
1991: The Soviet Empire Collapses
A season of freedom began. An unprecedented proclamation of the Gospel swept across Russia and its neighboring countries.
2001: Prophetic Warning! Freedom Will Not Last!
In 2002, the well-known evangelist David Wilkerson addressed 4,000 pastors in Moscow. He appealed to them: “This season of freedom will not last long! You must do now what you have always intended to do.”
2002: High Impact Gospel Campaigns Launch in 70 Russia’s Major Cities
Unaware of what lay ahead, GCMM took the warning to heart and launched intensive Mega City Media Campaigns in seventy major cities across Russia and Central Asia. Through state television and radio—supported by newspapers, outdoor advertising, and local arena events—some 70 million people heard the message of the Gospel.
2015: Russia Invades East Ukraine by Proxy
President Putin signed the restrictive Yarovaya law, tightening limits on religious freedom. Persecution returned to Russia, and large-scale Mega City Media Campaigns were brought to an end under pressure from the FSB and the Orthodox Church.
2017–2022: Millions of New Testaments and Campaign Books Sent Across Russia
In an accelerated effort, GCMM began printing eight million campaign books, New Testaments, and Gospels of John to support evangelistic outreach through churches across Russia.
February 2022: Russia Invades Ukraine
Just weeks earlier, GCMM had made the final payment to a printing house in Siberia for its last batch of printed materials. In February, Russia effectively closed its doors to public Gospel outreach. The evangelical church was no longer allowed to use television, radio, or other major media channels to share its message.
2025–2026: The Internet Shuts Down
Russia tightened control and shut down major social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The government feared growing anti-war sentiment. While authorities continued to label the conflict in Ukraine a “special military operation,” public awareness was growing that it was, in reality, a full-scale war.
Russia Goes Dark, The Soviet Empire Returns
David Wilkerson’s prophetic warning to 4,000 Russian pastors in Moscow has come to pass. A return to the era of radio ministry is on the horizon, as broadcasts from outside Russia’s borders cannot be effectively blocked.