Youth in the anti-religious propaganda discourse of the 1920s (based on materials from the Samara province)

Abstract

The cultural transformation of Russian society in the first decades after the October Revolution made significant changes in the spiritual sphere. Traditional religious beliefs had to be replaced by a new ideology. The citizens of the new state had to accept a new cultural code and everyday practices, discarding the previous pre-revolutionary traditions, including religious ones. The efforts of the authorities on this cultural transition were primarily directed at the younger generation of Soviet citizens. This research aims to study the participation and activities of young people in the framework of anti-religious propaganda of the 1920s, using the materials of the provincial center Samara province. This paper analyzes and compares anti-religious work carried out by Komsomol organizations and other associations among the younger generation, as well as identifies the general level of religiosity. The study of materials on the Samara province will allow us to consider this problem at the micro level, which will allow us to more fully reveal the history of the development of religion in the USSR. The findings of the research illustrate the contamination of processes. On the one hand, the direct participation of young people in the new anti-religious reality was observed, on the other hand, the young people themselves were experimental subjects in this cultural experiment. The combination of these roles gave rise to special forms of behavior among Soviet youth and pushed them to commit certain actions.