Religion
●
Stalin’s
view on religion:
○
had training as a priest & mother had a profound
religious devotion - student in Georgian Orthodox seminary in Tiflis - during
that time attendance at church academy was only way to obtain Russian-style
education
■
renewed Lenin’s organized attack on religion
○
religion has no place in a socialist society
○
religion had “other-worldly values”
■
dangerous to the collective needs of the nation
○
atheist - writings
of Marx, Engels, and Lenin incited him
■ “Religion is the opium of the people,” wrote Karl Marx
■ Bolsheviks believed religion was an invention to
distract poor & oppressed from trying to remedy their situation on earth by
offering them prospect of perfect happiness after death
■ youthful years - impact of Charles Darwin; The Origin of Species
■ Worship of Stalin was encouraged
B.
Industrialization having a role:
○
timing not accidental
■
his need for industrialization was so grand it required
nation to be committed
●
so purges happened as well
○
essential to impose conformity
C. Policy
●
Marxism-Leninism: atheism became official doctrine of USSR
○
i. Militant
atheism (League of Militant Atheists)
○
ii.
propaganda held out in schools
●
anti-religious
campaign relaxed in 1934
i. WWII: increase in religious activities
by faithful - “endure the endurable”
●
religious groups rallied to support the Soviet War effort
●
churches were reopened
●
emphasis on nationalism - fighting “godless invaders”
●
1941: Nazi Germany's attack on the USSR caused Stalin to
revive the Russian Orthodox Church to increase patronage for the war effort
~Weakening
the faith:
a.
To weaken religious faith of Soviet
people, Communist Party had set up a League of Militant Atheists back in 1924.
i.
By 1933 it had 5.5 million members,
whose job was to try to turn people away from religion.
1.
They set up anti-religious museums in
former cathedrals. They burnt icons and other religious objects.
2.
They organized anti-religious
propaganda campaigns.
3.
In the old capital, St. Petersburg,
which was now known as Leningrad, famous Kazan Cathedral was converted into a
museum of atheism.
D.
Campaign against the churches:
○
coincided w/ start of 1st 5YP in 1928
○
Orthodox Church (prohibition on them) main target but all
religions & denominations at risk
○
Prohibition on monasteries as well
○
closure of mosques & synagogues
■
refusing clerks or non-cooperating individuals arrested
●
thousands sent to exile in Moscow & Leningrad
E.
Suppression of religion:
b.
in urban areas easier
c.
countryside different
i.
revolts due to destruction of rural churches &
confiscation of relics & icons peasants had in homes
ii.
important: local people angrier w/ the carrying away of
church bells (melted down as scrap metal)
1.
authorities didn’t understand “superstitious practices” were
vital to and part of the everyday lives of people
d.
Muslim areas, women were forbidden to wear veil &
pilgrimages to Mecca were banned
e.
Those who escaped arrest were forbidden to organize any
religious activity in public
F. Stalin
& the Jews:
f.
After 1917: “natural trader”
i.
liked only cities
ii.
hated agriculture
iii.
too cowardly to work as soldiers
g.
1946: Jews were under attack
h.
1931: Stalin did not believe in anti-semitism
i.
Jews were considered to be a “backwards” group
j.
Stalin’s mistrust in the Jews is due to them never
transforming into a modern nation-state
i.
saved them from the Great Terror a lot
G.
Results:
k.
widespread resistance across rural province
l.
authorities - declared those resisting were doing so to
resist collectivization
m.
religious protesters = “kulaks” & property seized
n.
Priests publicly humiliated - perform demeaning tasks -
cleaning latrines & pigsties
H. Stalin
easing off:
o.
due to misery suppression Stalin instruct officials to “ease
off”
i.
not compassion
p.
his anti-religious program attracted worldwide attention
q.
1930 - Pope Pius XI protest persecutions by announcing
special day of prayer throughout the Catholic Church
i.
being a diplomat Stalin takes a softer line
1.
temporary though
ii.
late 1930s as part of Great Terror assault on religion
renewed
1.
800+ higher clergy & 4000 ordinary priests imprisoned
& thousands of laity (ordinary people attending church services)
2.
1940 only 500 churches open for worship - 1% of figure for
1917
3.
final stats: Nearly 40,000 Christian churches and 25,000
mosques were closed down & converted into clubs, cinemas, schools, &
warehouses
4.
1930 30,000 Orthodox congregations, but by 1939 only 1 in 40
churches were still functioning and only seven bishops were still active in the
whole of the Soviet Union
5.
Only 1300 mosques were still operating in 1941 against
26,000 in 1917 
“The Storm of Heaven”
-1918: During Civil War Soviet government promoted the
poster art.
a. peak of anti-religious posters
b. shows exploitation of the Russian Orthodox Church
●
Stalin’s
view on religion:
○
had training as a priest & mother had a profound
religious devotion - student in Georgian Orthodox seminary in Tiflis - during
that time attendance at church academy was only way to obtain Russian-style
education
■
renewed Lenin’s organized attack on religion
○
religion has no place in a socialist society
○
religion had “other-worldly values”
■
dangerous to the collective needs of the nation
○
atheist - writings
of Marx, Engels, and Lenin incited him
■ “Religion is the opium of the people,” wrote Karl Marx
■ Bolsheviks believed religion was an invention to
distract poor & oppressed from trying to remedy their situation on earth by
offering them prospect of perfect happiness after death
■ youthful years - impact of Charles Darwin; The Origin of Species
■ Worship of Stalin was encouraged
B.
Industrialization having a role:
○
timing not accidental
■
his need for industrialization was so grand it required
nation to be committed
●
so purges happened as well
○
essential to impose conformity
C. Policy
●
Marxism-Leninism: atheism became official doctrine of USSR
○
i. Militant
atheism (League of Militant Atheists)
○
ii.
propaganda held out in schools
●
anti-religious
campaign relaxed in 1934
i. WWII: increase in religious activities
by faithful - “endure the endurable”
●
religious groups rallied to support the Soviet War effort
●
churches were reopened
●
emphasis on nationalism - fighting “godless invaders”
●
1941: Nazi Germany's attack on the USSR caused Stalin to
revive the Russian Orthodox Church to increase patronage for the war effort
~Weakening
the faith:
D.
Campaign against the churches:
○
coincided w/ start of 1st 5YP in 1928
○
Orthodox Church (prohibition on them) main target but all
religions & denominations at risk
○
Prohibition on monasteries as well
○
closure of mosques & synagogues
■
refusing clerks or non-cooperating individuals arrested
●
thousands sent to exile in Moscow & Leningrad
E.
Suppression of religion:
b.
in urban areas easier
c.
countryside different
i.
revolts due to destruction of rural churches &
confiscation of relics & icons peasants had in homes
ii.
important: local people angrier w/ the carrying away of
church bells (melted down as scrap metal)
1.
authorities didn’t understand “superstitious practices” were
vital to and part of the everyday lives of people
d.
Muslim areas, women were forbidden to wear veil &
pilgrimages to Mecca were banned
e.
Those who escaped arrest were forbidden to organize any
religious activity in public
F. Stalin
& the Jews:
f.
After 1917: “natural trader”
i.
liked only cities
ii.
hated agriculture
iii.
too cowardly to work as soldiers
g.
1946: Jews were under attack
h.
1931: Stalin did not believe in anti-semitism
i.
Jews were considered to be a “backwards” group
j.
Stalin’s mistrust in the Jews is due to them never
transforming into a modern nation-state
i.
saved them from the Great Terror a lot
G.
Results:
k.
widespread resistance across rural province
l.
authorities - declared those resisting were doing so to
resist collectivization
m.
religious protesters = “kulaks” & property seized
n.
Priests publicly humiliated - perform demeaning tasks -
cleaning latrines & pigsties
H. Stalin
easing off:
o.
due to misery suppression Stalin instruct officials to “ease
off”
i.
not compassion
p.
his anti-religious program attracted worldwide attention
q.
1930 - Pope Pius XI protest persecutions by announcing
special day of prayer throughout the Catholic Church
i.
being a diplomat Stalin takes a softer line
1.
temporary though
ii.
late 1930s as part of Great Terror assault on religion
renewed
1.
800+ higher clergy & 4000 ordinary priests imprisoned
& thousands of laity (ordinary people attending church services)
2.
1940 only 500 churches open for worship - 1% of figure for
1917
3.
final stats: Nearly 40,000 Christian churches and 25,000
mosques were closed down & converted into clubs, cinemas, schools, &
warehouses
4.
1930 30,000 Orthodox congregations, but by 1939 only 1 in 40
churches were still functioning and only seven bishops were still active in the
whole of the Soviet Union
5.
Only 1300 mosques were still operating in 1941 against
26,000 in 1917
“The Storm of Heaven”
-1918: During Civil War Soviet government promoted the
poster art.
a. peak of anti-religious posters
b. shows exploitation of the Russian Orthodox Church
