Key aspects of the confessional policy of the Soviet State regarding the Old Believers (1922–1929) in the modern Russian secular historiography

Abstract

The article analyzes the key aspects of the Soviet confessional policy regarding the Old Believers (from the moment of the organization of the Anti-religious Commission under the Central Committee of the CPSU(b), which was the central body responsible for the implementation of anti-religious policies and until the adoption of the resolution «On Religious Associations», which significantly changed the policy in the field of religion) in modern Russian secular historiography. In view of the substantial quantitative and qualitative growth of Russian historiography of the history of the Old Believers in the post-Soviet period, we have summarized regional studies affecting this topic in order to identify general trends and directions in the study of the history of the state confessional policy regarding to the Old Believers characteristic of the entire territory of the USSR. Two main directions have been identified: the study of the administrative pressure, the study of the anti-religious agitation. The most important problems were raised by the researchers of anti-religious pressure that are specific for a given historical period. Two approaches to the definition of anti-religious agitation are formed, which are characterized by the opposite assessment of its effectiveness.