Religion under Khrushchev Flashcards
What was the approach Khrushchev took to religion?
More hard-line and uncompromising than that of Stalin
What was the initial mission of Khrushchev regarding religion?
Khrushchev saw it as part of his mission to revive the anti-religion campaign of the 1920s in order to liberate Soviet society from the vestiges of religion
When did Khrushchev start his major anti-religious campaign?
1958
What measures did Khruschev introduce as part of his anti-religious campaign?
Churches re-opened during and after the Second World War were closed
Anti-religious magazines were reintroduced - Science and Religion was published regularly from 1960
Roman Catholic monasteries were closed in 1959
Orthodox convents were placed under surveillance
Patrols refused to let believers have access to holy sites
How did Khrushchev use the Soviet space programme to attack religion?
Yuri Gagarin (the first human in space) famously commented that having travelled up to the heavens he found no God
Valentina Tereshkova (the first woman in space) also argued that her trip into space has led to the victory of atheism over “the mysterious heavens that used to mystify the imagination”
Who did Khrushchev’s campaigns target in particular?
Female believers
Why did Khrushchev’s campaigns particularly target female believers?
Government figures showed that two-thirds of Orthodox churchgoers were women and over 80% of Protestant Christians were women
Khrushchev was concerned that women were passing on religious beliefs to their children. What did he introduce because of this?
A propaganda campaign from 1960 that encouraged men to take the leading role in the education of their children
There were also campaigns against nuns. What did these campaigns accuse them of being?
Unnatural women for refusing to do their natural duty by becoming wives and mothers
What were Churches and Islamic groups banned from running?
Special events for women - such as women-only prayer meetings
What were school teachers expected to deliver?
An anti-religious message
In what aspect did Khrushchev’s campaign succeed?
The KGB successfully closed thousands of churches
How much did the KGB reduce the number of Orthodox Church buildings by?
From 8000 in 1958 to 5000 in 1964
In what aspect did Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign fail?
Khrushchev failed to win the battle for the “soul of the Soviet people”
How did Khrushchev fail to win the battle for the “soul of the Soviet people”?
Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign led to the birth of a new dissent campaign that flourished in the 1960s and 1970s
