D.N.DENISOV THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE MUSLIM UMMAH OF THE ORENBURG REGION Denis Nikolaevich Denisov, Orenburg State University, 13 Prospect Pobedy, Orenburg, 460018, Russian Federation,
[email protected]. The article analyses the current situation in the Muslim Ummah of the Orenburg region, the main directions of its educational, informational, publishing, cultural and charitable activities. The author concludes that on the whole Muslim Ummah of the Orenburg region shows positive dynamics, a growing variety of directions and forms of religious and social service, although they are not always backed by a proper institutional framework, systematic and planned work, as well as the project ap- proach. At the same time, the spread of ideology and practices of religious extremism represents a threat to its creative activities, internal unity and external image, which is facilitated by the border po- sition of the region and the fact that the main transit routes for migration from Central Asia to Russia go through its territory. Key words: Islam, Muslims, Ummah, Orenburg region. The Orenburg region has traditionally been in the western and central parts of the Orenburg home to Muslim peoples since the 13th–14th centu- region: in Asekeevsky (47.2 %), Abdulinsky (30.8 ries. According to the 2010 All-Russian Population %), Matveyevsky (29.9 %), Sakmarsky (20.2 %), Census, they comprise more than 340 thousand Sharlyksky (18.5 %), Severny (18.1 %), Ponomar- people (16,8 % of the population) including yovsky (17.9 %), Saraktashsky (16.9 %), Perevo- 151,492 Tatars (7,5 %), 120,262 Kazakhs (5,9 %), lotsky (16.5 %) and Alexandrovsky (16.4 %) dis- 46,696 Bashkirs (2,3 %), 7,421 Azerbaijanis (0,4 tricts.