Religion

Question 1

What Church was Lenin critical of?

Answer 1

the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)

Question 2

Why was Lenin critical of the ROC?

Answer 2

Ally of the Tsar
Extremely Rich Institution
Some Russian Orthodox priests led lives of immense privilege while working people were poor

Question 3

October 1917 Decree on Land

Answer 3

Gave peasants the right to seize land belonging to the Church

Question 4

January 1918 Decree Concerning Separation of Church and State

Answer 4

Church lost it’s privileged position in society
Church land, buildings and property were nationalised
Religious education banned in schools

Question 5

In the first year of the revolution which senior priest in the Orthodox Church was terrorised?

Answer 5

In January 1918 Metropolitan Vladimir was tortured and shot in Kiev

Question 6

Why were Communists less antagonistic towards Islam than the ROC?

Answer 6

There had been no official link between Islam and Tsarism

Communist leaders encouraged local Muslims to join the party

Question 7

What did Soviet authorities do against Muslims in the 1920s?

Answer 7

Initiated campaigns against Islamic groups:
Anti - Islamic museums
Closed mosques
Discouraged pilgrimage

Question 8

NKVD under Stalin towards Islam

Answer 8

In the Central Asian Republics where Islam was the dominant religion, the NKVD attacked local priests and intellectuals

Question 9

What did Khrushchev revive and why?

Answer 9

The anti-religious campaign of the 1920s

To liberate Soviet Society from the last vestiges of religion

Question 10

Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign

Answer 10

Anti religious propaganda reintroduced

Anti religious magazines (science and religion published regularly from 1960)

Question 11

Impact of WWII on religion:

Answer 11

ROC provided a Russian National Identity (increased Patriotism) + provided comfort

Question 12

What did the ROC’s most senior figure urge Christians to do?

Answer 12

Metropolitan Sergey urged Christians to fight for their motherland proclaiming Stalin ‘God’s chosen leader’

Question 13

During the final year of the war how many Churches re-opened?

Answer 13

414

Question 14

When the Orthodox Church grew how much did the priesthood increase by from 1946-48?

Answer 14

9254 in 1946

11,827 in 1948

Question 15

What did Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign do to the Church’s that re-opened during and after WWII

Answer 15

Churches re-opened during and after WWII were closed

Question 16

GOV figures relationship between women + Church

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What did Brezhnev end?

Answer 17

Khrushchev’s overt campaign against religion

Question 18

What did Brezhnev advocate for?

Answer 18

Advocated for spreading the Philosophy of atheism rather than attacking religious organisations

Question 19

From the late 1960s the Soviet Government derived Islam as … (quote)

Answer 19

‘progressive, anti colonial and revolutionary creed’

Question 20

When was the Institute of Scientific Atheism founded?

Answer 20

1964

Published articles in newspapers and advised teachers on how to spread atheism in the classroom