Self-Organization Processes of Orthodox Youth in the 1970s

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of religious revival among the Orthodox youth in the Soviet Union during the 1970s. The author argues that during this period, some processes took place within a segment of the intellectual Soviet youth that could be described as the Soviet religious renaissance. This phase coincided with Brezhnev’s rise to power and a temporary easing of anti-religious persecution. In the 1960s–70s, the USSR passed several legislative acts that improved the conditions for believers and religious organizations, granting them comparatively greater rights. However, the state retained the authority to intervene in the Church’s internal affairs and rigorously control its activities, leading to a decline in the number of Orthodox parishes from year to year. Nevertheless, a religious-oriented vector was forming in the minds and souls of the thinking Soviet youth. In the 1970s, several movements emerged, actively seeking forms of spiritual life. One notable phenomenon of religious dissidence was the preaching activities of priest Dmitry Dudko. In 1974, followers of Father Dmitry organized the enlightening “Ogorodnikov Seminar”, named after one of its founders. The seminar studied theological and philosophical literature, which its participants struggled to obtain. The seminar later began publishing the journal “Obshchina” (Community). Simultaneously with the Moscow christian seminar, the religious and philosophical Goricheva-Krivulin Seminar emerged in Leningrad. The article delves into the history of Orthodox samizdat (self-published works and underground press) in the 1970s, particularly the journals “Obshchina” (Community) “Veche” (Popular Assembly), and “Moskovsky Sbornik” (Moscow Collection). The Orthodox revival of the 1970s culminated in the early 1980s due to severe repression by Soviet authorities. Typically, those representatives aligned with Russian patriotic ideologies received the longest prison sentences. The author concludes that the ideas of nationally-oriented, patriotic figures and publicists remain relevant to this day.