3.1.2 Attacks on Religious Beliefs & Practices

Attacks on Religion under Lenin

Lenin had always been sceptical of religion. His rule represented a significant change in the role of religion in Russia.

Lenin's ideology

• Lenin thought that religion did not fit with his ideas of freedom and equality.

• He wanted people to commit entirely to communist ideology.

  • This was impossible for those with strong religious views.

• Generally, he favoured policies which discriminated against the religious and the Church.

Decrees

• 1917 Decree on Land: Peasants could now take land from the Church.

• 1918 Decree Concerning Separation of Church and State: the Orthodox Church lost its privileges.

Role of the Cheka

• Lenin also used the Cheka (the secret police) to remove religious opposition

• November 1917: The Cheka had Archpriest Ivan Kochurov murdered.

• January 1918: Metropolitan Vladimir was killed in Kiev.

  • In the same month, the Bolsheviks massacred priests in Moscow, after Orthodox Church removed Bolsheviks.

The Living Church

• 1921: Lenin founded the Living Church.

• The Living Church was supposed to rival the Orthodox Church.

  • But the new church did not support the regime, and could not attack many Russian followers.

Islam

• Lenin did not just attack Christianity.

  • He initially supported attacks on Islam too.

• He then reversed this position, and even funded Islamic schools.

• Communists did not oppose Islam as strongly as the Orthodox Church.

Attacks on Religion under Stalin

Stalin's general approach to religion represented continuity from Lenin's time in power

Result of Stalin's policies

• During periods of economic change such as collectivisation, church closures were seen as an acceptable price to create, for example, more grain stores.

• During the terror, Muslims suffered enormously.

  • Sufi groups, who lived in Turkestan, had been wiped out by 1936.

The Great Patriotic War

• To maintain the support of the Russian people, Stalin relaxed his anti-religious policies while the country was at war.

• He realised that Orthodox Christianity was directly linked to citizens' feelings of patriotism.

• In total, Stalin reopened 414 churches during this time.