Alexei Krindatch is the National Coordinator for the Second Census of US Orthodox Christian Churches / 2020 US Religion Census. He is a sociologist of religion and the author of three books: Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Monasteries (2016), Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Churches (2011), and Geography of Religions in Russia (1997).
Alexei was born on May 22, 1966, in Moscow, Russia, to a family of scientists. He graduated cum laude from Moscow State University majoring in human and economic geography. He completed postgraduate studies at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences with a major in the geography of religions and a program on âReligion, Human Rights and Religious Freedomâ at Columbia University (New York, USA).
From 1991-2004, Alexei worked as a research associate at the Center for Geopolitical Studies of the Institute of Geography (Russian Academy of Sciences). His research focused on religion in the former Soviet Union and religious revival in post-Communist societies, especially Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Georgia, and Moldova. In 1996, he authored the book âGeography of Religions in Russiaâ (published by Glenmary Research Center: Decatur, Georgia) which traced the historical evolution of the religious landscape in the Russian Empire, the USSR, and post-Soviet Russia.
During 2005-2009, Alexei served as the research director at the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute in Berkeley, CA. He developed the Instituteâs new Parish Life Program. Among his most important studies accomplished at that time were
- âEvolving Visions of the Orthodox Priesthood in America: the National Study of the American Orthodox Clergyâ and
- âThe Orthodox Church Today: a National Study of Parishioners and the Realities of the Orthodox Parish Life in the USA.â Â
In 2010-2011, Alexei directed the first National Census of the American Orthodox Christian Churches which was part of the 2010 US Religion Census. This Census gathered membership and church attendance data:
- for each Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Church
- for each local individual Orthodox parish
- for each geographic area of the US (county, state, census region)
Based on the outcomes of the first Census of the American Orthodox Churches, the âAtlas of American Orthodox Churchesâ offers readers a historical, geographic, and statistical overview of the 21 Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches in the United States. The free PDF version of the Atlas can be downloaded here.
From 2011-2019, Alexei worked as the research coordinator of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. His reports and articles on various aspects of the Orthodox Church life in America can be accessed and downloaded here, from the Assembly’s website.
Alexei lives in Berkeley, CA. He is avid traveler and spends his spare time exploring new countries and cultures: www.alexeiontheroad.com
Alexei can be reached at: Akrindatch@aol.com, 1-773-551-7226
Or, connect with Alexei on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexei.krindatch