Religion Flashcards
What Church was Lenin critical of?
the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)
Why was Lenin critical of the ROC?
Ally of the Tsar
Extremely Rich Institution
Some Russian Orthodox priests led lives of immense privilege while working people were poor
October 1917 Decree on Land
Gave peasants the right to seize land belonging to the Church
January 1918 Decree Concerning Separation of Church and State
Church lost it’s privileged position in society
Church land, buildings and property were nationalised
Religious education banned in schools
In the first year of the revolution which senior priest in the Orthodox Church was terrorised?
In January 1918 Metropolitan Vladimir was tortured and shot in Kiev
Why were Communists less antagonistic towards Islam than the ROC?
There had been no official link between Islam and Tsarism
Communist leaders encouraged local Muslims to join the party
What did Soviet authorities do against Muslims in the 1920s?
Initiated campaigns against Islamic groups:
Anti - Islamic museums
Closed mosques
Discouraged pilgrimage
NKVD under Stalin towards Islam
In the Central Asian Republics where Islam was the dominant religion, the NKVD attacked local priests and intellectuals
What did Khrushchev revive and why?
The anti-religious campaign of the 1920s
To liberate Soviet Society from the last vestiges of religion
Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign
Anti religious propaganda reintroduced
Anti religious magazines (science and religion published regularly from 1960)
Impact of WWII on religion:
ROC provided a Russian National Identity (increased Patriotism) + provided comfort
What did the ROC’s most senior figure urge Christians to do?
Metropolitan Sergey urged Christians to fight for their motherland proclaiming Stalin ‘God’s chosen leader’
During the final year of the war how many Churches re-opened?
414
When the Orthodox Church grew how much did the priesthood increase by from 1946-48?
9254 in 1946
11,827 in 1948
What did Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign do to the Church’s that re-opened during and after WWII
Churches re-opened during and after WWII were closed
GOV figures relationship between women + Church
80% Protestant Christians were women
2/3 Orthodox Church goers women
1960 Propaganda Campaign encouraged men to take the leading role in the education of their kids
What did Brezhnev end?
Khrushchev’s overt campaign against religion
What did Brezhnev advocate for?
Advocated for spreading the Philosophy of atheism rather than attacking religious organisations
From the late 1960s the Soviet Government derived Islam as … (quote)
‘progressive, anti colonial and revolutionary creed’
When was the Institute of Scientific Atheism founded?
1964
Published articles in newspapers and advised teachers on how to spread atheism in the classroom
