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Religion in Stalin’s Russia

Religion in Stalin’s Russia. By Joanna, Charlotte and Lizzie. How did Religion change?. Bolsheviks were strong atheists They wanted people to worship Communism like a religion Communist leaders felt that peoples first loyalty should be to the state, not the Church

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Religion in Stalin’s Russia

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  1. Religion in Stalin’s Russia By Joanna, Charlotte and Lizzie

  2. How did Religion change? • Bolsheviks were strong atheists • They wanted people to worship Communism like a religion • Communist leaders felt that peoples first loyalty should be to the state, not the Church • They felt the Church was too powerful • In 1921 there was a large amount of propaganda against the Church • Eventually, Church activities were prohibited

  3. What happened to Religious faith? • People resisted fiercely, they were dedicated to their religion • They worshipped in secret. • 55% were still active Christians after laws preventing worship were imposed • Many Priests were supported with donations

  4. Christians and Jews • More Priests, Mullahs and Rabbi’s killed then than during the civil war • The Hebrew language was considered “reactionary” and was banned from being taught in schools • Many Jews moved to Poland to escape Stalin’s rule, but Poland was then invaded by Nazi Germany

  5. Effects of the Cultural Revolution • People started being “Octobered” rather than baptized • Red Weddings • Kosmol Christmas and Easter • 1921-22 famine was used to make the church surrender its valuables • There was a lot of resistance

  6. Effects of the Cultural Revolution • Stalin used the resistance as an excuse to crack down on the church • Churches were raided and priests hounded out of villages • The state imposed taxes on Churches, but many people, especially women, were willing to pay • There were 168 priests active in 1930, but by 1939 only 12 were at liberty.

  7. Reaction of people to the changes? • By 1940, as much as 90% of Churches, Synagogues and Mosques were closed. • Many people were upset, and worshipped in secret. • Lots of the people resisting were elderly men and women, facing soldiers with weapons.

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