▁icons ▁at ▁home , ▁she ▁attended ▁church ▁regularly , ▁despite ▁government ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁her ▁religion ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁His ▁mother ▁secret ly ▁bapt ized ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁baby , ▁and ▁she ▁regularly ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁services . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Put in , ▁his ▁religious ▁aw ak ening ▁began ▁after ▁a ▁serious ▁car ▁crash ▁involving ▁his ▁wife ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁and ▁a ▁life - th re aten ing ▁fire ▁that ▁burn ed ▁down ▁their ▁d ach a ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁an ▁official ▁visit ▁to ▁Israel , ▁Put in ' s ▁mother ▁gave ▁him ▁his ▁bapt ism al ▁cross , ▁telling ▁him ▁to ▁get ▁it ▁bl essed . ▁Put in ▁states , ▁" I ▁did ▁as ▁she ▁said ▁and ▁then ▁put ▁the ▁cross ▁around ▁my ▁neck . ▁I ▁have ▁never ▁taken ▁it ▁off ▁since ." ▁When ▁asked ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁whether ▁he ▁bel ieves ▁in ▁God , ▁he ▁respond ed , ▁"... ▁There ▁are ▁things ▁I ▁believe , ▁which ▁should ▁not ▁in ▁my ▁position , ▁at ▁least , ▁be ▁shared ▁with ▁the ▁public ▁at ▁large ▁for ▁everybody ' s ▁consumption ▁because ▁that ▁would ▁look ▁like ▁self - ad vert ising ▁or ▁a ▁political ▁strip te ase ." ▁Put in ' s ▁rum oured ▁conf essor ▁is ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Bishop ▁T ik hon ▁She v k un ov . ▁However , ▁the ▁sin cer ity ▁of ▁his ▁Christian ity ▁has ▁been ▁rejected ▁by ▁his ▁former ▁ad