The position of the religious people in the conditions of functioning of the Soviet system in the western regions of the USSR in 1950-60

Abstract

The article examines the state of religiosity, the capability of the people to realize their religious needs, expression of feelings and emotions of the religious people in the conditions of functioning of the Soviet system. During the period of 1950-1960 the anti-religious propaganda was significantly enhanced in the USSR due to the fact that a new type of person - the Soviet person was being created in the country. The Soviet people had to believe in communism, the basis of which was the Marxist - Leninist theory and that is why there could be no other religion in the country. This article investigates the system of measures that was carried out by the Soviet officials in the western regions of the USSR and was aimed at restricting of the religiosity of the population. Regional officials interfered in the church services, fired people from work for their religious beliefs, destroyed and plundered religious property. The author investigated the massive attack on the clergy as a method of struggle against the religion. The influence of the priests on the shaping of the everyday religious consciousness of the population has been studied simultaneously. The public reaction to the anti-religious policy of the Soviet government has also been analyzed in the article. Religious people openly expressed dissatisfaction against such policy of the Soviet government and appealed to the influential people with the letters and petitions, organized protests and rallies, defended the church and religious property. The author made a conclusion that despite the systematic intervention of Soviet system in the religious life of the population of the western regions of the USSR, the religious consciousness of the people remained at a high level.