STATE-MUSLIM RELATIONS IN USSR DURING 1944–1949

Abstract

During the Great Patriotic War the relations between Soviet state bodies and Soviet Muslims went through considerable changes in the way to its liberalization. In 1944 were established the new bodies of control over confessions activities. Among them are the Council for the Aff airs of Religious Cults under Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR, the Muslim Religious Board for Transcaucasia and the Muslim Religious Board for North Caucasus. The author analyzes archive papers and documents which were until the recent time unknown to the wide scientifi c community. At the example of such important events in Muslim life as attending mosques, releasing of prayer books and conducting rituals the author shows that for the short time the relations between state authorities and Soviet Muslims became better. The author analyzes numerous papers which indicate interference of Soviet authorities into activities of Muslims communities. Such interference from the one side contradicted to the basic concepts of Islam but from the other side it gave Muslims some chances to get adapted to a new reality of Soviet life and Soviet religious internal policy. Basing on the documents which include written fi xations of the talks and negotiations between the higher offi cials of the Soviet Union and the representatives of the state Council for the Aff airs of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Council for the Aff airs of Religious Cults, this research work brings to a conclusion that the confessions and religious communities in USSR had not perspectives for the even limited integration into the life of Soviet society.