Religion: Lenin to Brezhnev Flashcards
Lenin -> Brezhnev Ideological opposition to religion and its institutions
- Sceptical of religion; viewed as opposing communist ideology
- Orthodox church alt. Ideology to marxism
- Posed a threat to soviet control and implementation of socialist values
- Opium of the masses
Lenin’s persecution of religious personnel
Detention of Bishop Patriarch Tikhon (1918) (Head of Russian Orthodox church)
Stalin’s persecution of religious personnel
1939 only 12 bishops at liberty
Khrushchev’s persecution of religious personnel
Priests faced forced retirement, arrests and imprisonment
Brezhnev’s persecution of religious personnel
Father Yakunin 5 yrs imprisonment for Anti-Soviet Propaganda
(helped set up Christian Committee for the defence of Believers’ rights 1976) -> retaliation
Lenin attempts to dismantle infrastructure of organised religion
Large number of churches destroyed/converted and gov. closed all monasteries
Stalin attempts to dismantle infrastructure of organised religion
Many churches closed and used as grain store under collectivisation
Khrushchev attempts to dismantle infrastructure of organised religion
Within 4 yrs 10,000 existing churches shut
Brezhnev attempts to dismantle infrastructure of organised religion
N/A
Unregistered congregation still continued to meet
Use of propaganda/education to weaken public engagement - Lenin
12th Party conference called for expansion of anti-religious propaganda of a scientific nature
Use of propaganda/education to weaken public engagement - Stalin
Militant Godless
Launched event to disprove existence of God incl. Taking peasants for plane rides to disprove heaven
Use of propaganda/education to weaken public engagement - Khrushchev
The space programme
Garin -> said found no God
Tereshkova (1st woman in space) = victory of atheism over ‘mysterious heavens’
Use of propaganda/education to weaken public engagement - Brezhnev
Science education
encouraged young people to study Science
prove to them that religion was not a good or legitimate belief system.
Employment of terror methods - stalin
Purges of 1936-39
10,000 clergy shot
Mid 1920-survey revealed that 55% of peasantry christians
Employment of terror methods - khrushchev
Priests faced forced retirement, arrests and imprisonment
Restrictions on role (only spiritual advice)
Harassed by Secret police
Employment of terror methods - brezhnev
Priests faced forced retirement, arrests and imprisonment
Pragmatic/Consistent - lenin
WRONG IGNORE
1925 Metro Sergei of Moscow called on church members to support of gov. -> less strident attacks on the church
Pragmatic/Consistent - stalin
Stalin reopened 414 churches during the Second World War
Pragmatic/Consistent - khrushchev
Consistently harsh
Baptist and Jews severe restriction on right to congregate + worship
Pragmatic/Consistent - brezhnev
Made some accommodation -> allow services
BUT… Prayer meetings broken up and members dismissed
brezhnev - tolerance
Concern alienate west & complicate conduct of soviet foreign policy
Emphasis on other religion - Lenin
Little attempt to reduce influence of Sharia Law, courts, Schools + mullah
Recognise integration w/in community + ingrained
change compromise social cohesion
Emphasis on other religion - stalin
mid 1920’s
most mosques closed down
Campaign against veiling women
Ramadan condemned
Emphasis on other religion - Khrushchev
Great emphasis on philosophy of atheism & supported Islam as a ‘progressive, anti-colonial and revolutionary creed’ perhaps anti-American in orientation
