Religion

Question 1

What did the Tsars use as a form of social control?

Answer 1

The orthodox church

Question 2

What percentage of the population under the Tsars were members of the Russian Orthdox church?

Answer 2

70%

Question 3

When was the Decree on the separation of church and state?

Answer 3

January 1918

Question 4

What did the Decree on the separation of church and state say?

Answer 4

• That the church could not own property.
• That church buildings had to be rented.
• That relious instruction in school was not allowed.

Question 5

Did Lenin use propaganda against churches?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

When did the Bolshevik’s launch a fierce attack on the orthodox church, despite churches being central to the lives of millions of peasants and an integral part of the village community?

Answer 6

In 1922

Question 7

Did Lenin send out orders to strip churches of their precious items?

Answer 7

Yes

Question 8

Under Lenin’s rule, what happened when clergy and local people tried to protect their churches?

Answer 8

There were violent clashes, and Lenin saw this as an opportunity to smash the Church.

Question 9

Under lenin, how many people were killed or executed due to Lenin’s anti-Church campaign?

Answer 9

• More than 8000 people
• 28 were bishops and 1,215 were priests.

Question 10

What did the number of priests plummet to under Stalin’s rule?

Answer 10

A few thousand people

Question 11

What happened to churches under Stalin’s rule?

Answer 11

They were destroyed

Question 12

Why were the Russian Christians forced to practice their religion in clandestine fashion under Stalin’s rule?

Answer 12

Because after 1926, the Russian Orthodox church weren’t permitted to have a leader.

Question 13

What event meant that religious policy was completely changed under Stalin?

Answer 13

Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22nd 1941.

Question 14

What happened to religion after Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941?

Answer 14

• Churches and seminaries were reopened.
• Religious ceremonies were encouraged.
• The office of Patriarch was brought back
• The Church was allowed to own property.

Question 15

Why did stalin make positive religious policy changes during WW2?

Answer 15

because stalin knew that the Russian people were not inclined to fight for Communism, so he thought that making appeals to patriotism and tradition would help mobilise the population

Question 16

What did Stalin do to religion in 1948?

Answer 16

He got rid of all religious liberty and subject the Orthodox church to new persecutions

Question 17

What did Khruschev do to religion?

Answer 17

• He strengthened anti-religion propaganda; he increased taxes on religious activity; he closed down churches.
• Between 1959 and 1964, about 3/4 of all Christian churches and monasteries in the Soivet union were closed down
• He increased taxes on religious activity