Theme Society- Religion Flashcards
religion under the tsars
Under all of the Tsars, the Orthodox faith was hugely important. Orthodoxy was influential over the everyday life of citizens, it served as the ideological basis of the regime as a core component of the Three Pillars of Tsarism, and was a means by which the government controlled the population. Religious freedom was limited.
cultural influence of religion
In the 1897 census, the first of its kind, 70% of the population considered themselves ‘Orthodox’. Those who were non-Orthodox were typically in non-Russian parts of the empire. For instance, the Baltic states were Protestant, whilst the Kazakhs were Muslims. For most Russians, the Orthodox Church had enormous cultural influence. For instance:
· Icon Corners. Most Russian homes had ‘icon corners’ - a small worship space prepared in the homes. Icon corners were typically full of wood carvings of saints other significant religious figures. These were places where Russians would pray and were treated with great veneration.
· Orthodox Churches. Orthodox Churches were the centre of Russian communities whether in villages or in cities. There were over 80,000 Orthodox churches in Russia in 1914. About 85% of peasants attended church services regularly in 1850, and by 1900 the proportion was even higher (at 89%). Orthodox churches helped to shape everyday life by providing weekly services and providing social services. Churches were often involved in providing charity to the poor.
· Holy Days. The church calendar governed the calendar of most Russian villages. Annual Orthodox processions occurred on important religious days each year – such as Easter Sunday
social political influence of the church under the tsars
The Orthodox church and the Russian state were inherently interconnected. The head of the Orthodox Church – the Procurator – was directly appointed by the Tsar and sat in the cabinet. Through 1880 to 1905, under all three Tsars, Konstantin Pobedonostsev served this role. The Orthodox Church under all Tsars sought to control the beliefs and attitudes of the Russian people. For instance:
· Control of school education. Churches controlled primary school education under Alexander III. Education focused on teaching a strict moral code and obedience to authority figures.
· Three Pillars. Tsar as defender of the faith; church as defender of the Tsar. To spread the message of divine will – the Tsar was anointed by God and so their authority could not be challenged. Russia had been blessed by God with the Tsarist system and so the Russian people must obey their Tsar.
religion under the communists
The Communists viewed religion in a different way. Marx described it as the ‘opium of the masses’, recognising its ability to control the thoughts and actions of people. This perspective was shared by all communists. They believed the only role of religion was to take people’s minds off worrying about economic and social problems and was therefore a way in which Capitalists controlled the people. All the Communist leaders were atheists who sought to reduce the role of religion in society, pursue anti-religious campaigns and reduce the power of the church
Lenin’s decree on separation of church and state in 1918
. This decree set about the process of secularisation – removing religious influences from the state. For the first time, Russia was a secular state. Quite the contrast from the Three Pillars.
religious measures created by Lenin
At least 1,200 priests executed during Red Terror, 1918-21. Church officials were deemed to be class enemies during the Civil War. Their ‘bourgeois’ attitudes were deemed to be threats to the regime.
· Nationalisation of church lands and the confiscation of church property.
· From 1921 teaching of religion in schools was forbidden
stalins measures on religion
The 1936 Constitution criminalised religious propaganda.
· Stalin systematically destroyed churches: between 1927-1941, the number of churches in Russia fell from around 30,000 to 500. [e.g. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour]
· The number of priests in Russia reduced from 60,000 in 1925 to under 6,000 by 1941.
· Orthodox priests were killed in the ‘Great Terror of 1937
· Christian festivals (Christmas, Easter, etc) were replaced by New Year’s Day and May Day as days of public celebrations
religion during the second world war under stalin
there was an abrupt U-turn on the Soviet policy towards religion. Stalin recognised that during wartime ‘the opium of the people’ could be quite useful to improve morale and motivate the population. In a break from pre-war policies cooled the state’s relationship with the church. Stalin stopped persecution, re-opened churches, freed priests and religion once more was tolerated. There was a sense that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ about the reversals. Priests were called to speak to soldiers and church ceremonies – particularly funerals - were frequently full in wartime. This marked a significant change from the systematic destruction of churches in the 1930s. But it also showed a continuity in beliefs. Although the state destroyed physical aspects of the church in the 1930s, belief in religion remained and the state knew this. After the war Stalin continued to be relatively tolerant towards the church. Churches continued to open (and reported large congregations) and priests were left alone. By 1959 there were 22,000 churches.
Khrushchev religious measures
Following the period of relative religious tolerance [1941-58], Khrushchev launched an anti-religious campaign between 1959-1964. The campaign involved:
· mass closures of churches (reducing the number from 22,000 in 1959 to 7,873 by 1965)
· Atheism introduced into school curriculum
· Parents banned from teaching their children religion
