Constitutional foundations and problems of legal regulation of the establishment of religious associations in Russia

this study is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the constitutional and legal foundations and specific legal forms of realization of the right to freedom of conscience and religion in the Russian Federation. The article examines the constitutional foundations and legislative contradictions in the sphere of delimitation of subjects of jurisdiction between the Russian Federation and its subjects on the regulation of freedom of conscience, religion and the activities of religious associations, contradictions and shortcomings in the relevant legal regulation in the field under study. The purpose of the work is to identify inconsistencies between constitutional provisions, federal legislation (primarily the Federal Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations") and the law enforcement practice of the subjects of the Russian Federation. To achieve this goal, the author sets and solves the following tasks in the article: to analyze the problems of attributing the regulation of religious associations to joint jurisdiction, to assess the risks associated with regional rulemaking, and to propose ways to improve legal regulation in this area. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its findings to optimize legislation, eliminate legal conflicts, and ensure uniformity in the implementation of citizens' constitutional rights to freedom of conscience, religious freedom, and religious association.

freedom of conscience, religious associations, differentiation of subjects of jurisdiction, constitutional foundations, legislative contradictions, secular state, federalism, regional legislation