The System of Legal Regulation Sources and the Specific Status of Religious Servants in the Russian Federation

The position of religious figures in the Russian legal sphere remains a largely unclear topic, accompanied, on the one hand, by biased views of the clergy as individuals holding a privileged position in the material sphere, and on the other, by the desire of certain political actors to push religious organizations away from active participation in public life and limit their involvement in lawmaking. The formation of a proper understanding, unburdened by idols of the mind and false concepts, seems to be a task worthy of the researcher’s attention. The aim of the study is to analyze the sources regulating the legal status of religious figures and, consequently, to identify the specific features of the legal position of clergy. Research methods: formal‑legal, systemic‑structural. It has been concluded that the legal status of religious ministers is regulated exclusively by federal legal acts (especially federal laws), which contain a significant volume of norms. The legal status of the clergy is subject to dynamic changes, driven by the necessity, from the perspective of legislative bodies, to ensure “spiritual sovereignty” or “protection of traditional values”. The adjustment of legislation has a multifaceted direction: firstly, the possible emergence of new mechanisms for material support, for example, in addressing social guarantees; secondly, a narrowing of the scope of activities, as was the case with the introduction of “local accreditation”.