Religion under Brezhnev Flashcards
What did Brezhnev end regarding religion?
Brezhnev ended Khrushchev’s overt campaign against religion
How did Brezhnev initially end Khrushchev’s overt campaign against religion?
Church closures stopped and so did the poster campaigns
What did Brezhnev advocate for regarding religion?
Brezhnev advocated spreading the philosophy of atheism rather than attacking religious organisations or practices
When did Brezhnev open the Institute of Scientific Atheism?
1968
What did the Institute of Scientific Atheism do?
The Institute for Scientific Atheism published articles in newspapers and advised teachers how to spread atheism in the classroom
What did Brezhnev’s foreign policy of seeking allies in the Middle East lead to a change in?
Brezhnev’s foreign policy of seeking allies in the Middle East led to a change in policy towards Islam
How did previous leaders describe Islam?
Previous leaders had described Islam as a “backwards and barbarian” religion
Under Brezhnev, what did the government start supporting?
Under Brezhnev, the government started supporting anti-American Islamic groups
As a result of the government’s support of Anti-American Islamic groups, from the late 1960s what did the Soviet Government describe Islam as?
From the late 1960s the Soviet Government described Islam as a “progressive, anticolonial and revolutionary creed” that was compatible with socialism
What Islamic board did Brezhnev establish?
Brezhnev established the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan
What did the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan do?
The Spiritual Board of Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan allowed Soviet Islamic leaders and scholars to have limited contact with fellow Muslims in other countries
What did Brezhnev’s attempt to promote atheism not lead to? and give examples
Brezhnev’s attempt to promote atheism did not lead to a reduction in the numbers of people professing religious faith
No more churches or mosques closed
The proportion of people professing a religious faith remained stable at 20 per cent from 1960 through to 1985
