Children during the Winter Traditions in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1944–1961)

Abstract

The Soviet power sought to liquidate the old traditions and to invent revolutionary ones, as well as to transform some Christian traditions into communist ones in order to constitute a new culture – of Soviet type. Following the analysis of winter traditions in the MSSR that involved children, we conclude that the transformation of the tradition took place only in the official calendar, due to which it could not decisively influence the formation of the ethnocultural identity of the young generation. Despite all the efforts of the political factor, the traditional calendar could not be changed. Regardless of the hostile political and ideological environment, the attachment of the population to traditions, customs, and the Christian Orthodox faith has not been liquidated. The sustainability of the traditions in the consciousness of the society prevented their displacement; they were partially filled with some elements with ideological content. The influence of the environment – partly of the atheist propaganda on behalf of the school and children’s organizations and the religious propaganda on behalf of the family – formed a duplicitous attitude towards religion, forcing children to secretly follow religious cultures. The children found themselves caught between two contradictory worlds: the official Soviet world and the traditional environment from which they originated (family, village, relatives). Authentic values ultimately prevailed spiritually.