СЛУЖЕБНАЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ УПОЛНОМОЧЕННЫХ ПО ДЕЛАМ РЕЛИГИОЗНЫХ КУЛЬТОВ В КАЛМЫЦКОЙ АССР В 1960–1991 ГГ.

Abstract

The article analyzes the official activities of the Commissioners of Religious Cult Affairs in the Kalmyk ASSR in 1960–1991 and provides their sociodemographic characteristics. The issues of religious policy and the relations between the commissioners, the Christian clergy and the Executive organs of religious societies were considered. Among the functions of the Commissioner for Religious Affairs were to attend worship services, talk with religious leaders and Church representatives, and travel to areas where he met with the believers and members of the party-state authorities. At the meetings he explained the nature of religious law, became acquainted with the religious situation, resolved problems encountered in the relationship between the believers and the authorities. The main duties of the Commissioner included the supervision over observance of legislation on religious cult affairs by believers and representatives of state institutions as well as public organizations. He checked the activities of the clergy and authorities, their documentation, attended meetings of believers. In case of violation of the law he had the right to initiate before the government authorities the process of striking off the register religious societies and groups, removing clerics from the performance of their official duties, achieving re-election of the Church Council and the audit Commission. In the late 1980s there were positive changes in Soviet religious policy: both the Buddhist and Christian clergy were actively involved in the political life of the Republic. Moreover, in 1989 the heads of Buddhists and Orthodox took part as candidates in the elections of the “Councils of Deputies and Workmen” of different levels. The article is based on the materials of the State Archive of the Russian Federation and the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia.