Militant Atheism Research Articles

Атеизм в цифровую эпоху

The article examines the transformation of atheism as a social and worldview phenomenon in the era of digitalization. Atheistic forums and collective blogs represent a rich field for the study of non-belief; however, they have so far received only sporadic attention from religious scholars and philosophers. The article also presents the phenomenon of “new atheism”. Rather than a system of logical argumentation and classical rational critique of typical theistic arguments, this new atheism comprises a complex of rhetorical techniques aimed at a mass audience, often characterized by irrationality and focused on eliciting specific emotions towards believers rather than fostering an informed understanding of the subject of controversy. Atheism took root in the postmodern situation from its ends of metanarratives, the primacy of feelings over reason, pluralism of opinions and other characteristic features. Moreover, the Internet turned out to be an excellent platform for disseminating the ideas of “new atheism”, promoted by opinion leaders and bloggers, which is a characteristic form of propaganda for Internet media. Nevertheless, the scale of modern non-belief does not approach that of religious movements, nor does it reach the level of cohesion and political passion characteristic of the militant atheism of the 20th century.

ATHEISTIC PROPAGANDA AMONG GORKY’S SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE EARLY 1930s

The paper examines the issues of atheistic education of Soviet schoolchildren, carried out by the League of Militant Atheists. A focus is placed on the history of the establishment of this organisation, its activities in general and among the children of Nizhny Novgorod in particular. The paper analyses the features of the organisation of children’s godless movement in a Soviet city school, pioneers, as well as among preschool children. Attention is paid to the key features of atheistic propaganda, as well as its forms and methods. An emphasis is also placed on the influence of atheism on the consciousness of children.

The Role of Photographic Documentation in the Process of Conservation of Destroyed Architectural Monuments and Centres of Historic Cities

This article deals with the role of photographic documentation in conservation efforts. Using the example of Islamic sites in Libya, historic inn buildings located in Ukraine and Poland, the centres of Polish historic cities destroyed during World War II, and the monuments of Ukraine destroyed during the period of "militant atheism," World War II, and the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, it is proven that often photographic documentation of objects becomes the main source of information about destroyed or damaged objects. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the value of photographic documentation for conservation and preservation efforts. The authors point out that it can also be used for eye-tracking studies of visual perception of conservation objects, both by local communities, i.e., nonprofessionals in the field of architecture, as well as perception by architects and conservators.

І знову до Біблії – першооснови в житті, літературі

The article analyses the issue of the entry of ancient literature, which is considered to be cult, to the educational programs of educational institutions of Ukraine. Such tasks have already been partially tackled by domestic scientists. However, it is not about the training manuals. Rather, it is about the preservation of national heritage. A century later, I. Ogienko in the book History of Ukrainian Printing (Lviv, 1925) collected and systematized a huge amount of source material, planning a multi-volume publication in the future which would present the history of Ukrainian books from the 15th to the 18th centuries, including a description of old printings, an album of photographs of their title pages, artistic decorations, etc., textbook materials on the history of Ukrainian bibliography, content of ancient books, their printing techniques, the history of engraving, censorship, etc. This means that the scope of the research was planned to be diverse. However, these plans of the scientist were not destined to come true. And to date, I. Ogienko’s tasks have not been fully implemented as he wanted them to be. Today, lack of such knowledge leads to dire consequences. Biblical texts should become the first series of tasks to correct this wrong policy of lack of knowledge and ignoring the canons of prehistoric times. Even the current war is one of those violations of the rules of life that were forcibly rejected by Marxist-Leninist ideology, militant atheism from Ukrainian families, from everyday life under the USSR.

ISLAMIC POLICY OF THE SOVIET STATE IN 1917-1953 (BASED ON MATERIALS FROM THE AKTOBE REGION)

The article discusses some issues of the Soviet government's policy towards Islam in the Aktobe region. The authors examine the policies of the Soviet government in 1917-1953. divided into three main periods. Since 1929, brutal persecution of all confessions of the Soviet Union began. During this period, mosques were closed by decrees and resolutions from above, and church valuables were confiscated. The city archive of the Aktobe region contains protocols and extracts from the Presidiums regarding this issue. One of the organizations engaged in anti-religious agitation is the organization of militant atheists. This organization dates back to 1925. Union of Militant Atheists cells were formed in all regions, including Aktobe region. The purpose of the article is to analyze the features of the policy of restriction and persecution of Islam in the Aktobe region and the socio-political situation during the establishment of the Bolshevik regime, manifestation of the policy pursued in the union republics and in the Aktobe region, as well as decrees and resolutions on the destruction of the Islamic religion in the territory of this region. During the preparation of the article, documents from the Almaty city archive and the state archive of the Aktobe region were used, as well as scientific research published in the Aktobe region.

Özbekistan'da Bilimsel Ateizm Gelişiminin Retrospektif Analizi (XX. Yüzyılın 30'larında)

The article provides a retrospective analysis of the ways, mechanisms, and methods of development of atheism in Uzbekistan in the 30s of the twentieth century. It is explained how in the complex process of the formation of the communist worldview it influenced the consciousness of people and what an important role the atheistic education of the peoples of the former states of the USSR played. The struggle against religion is a necessary circumstance for building a socialist society. Modern Soviet atheist literature included studies aimed at a deeper understanding of the issue of scientific atheism and a precise definition of its place in the system of social and natural sciences, especially in the system of philosophical knowledge. Currently, the study of the connection between the theory and practice of atheism and the development of general problems of communist education is intensifying. Soviet philosophers who study the problems of the theory of scientific atheism face a difficult consequently: to find out how the content of scientific atheism, the forms and methods of its dissemination reflected those profound transformations in all spheres of people’s lives that took place in a developed socialist society. One of the results of the development of our country along the socialist path, which predetermined enormous socio-economic and cultural transformations, is the formation and steady growth of mass atheism. The disappearance of antagonistic classes in Soviet Union has led to the fact that the edge of the class struggle is turned outward. An enormous role in the spread of scientific atheism is played by the ideological activity of the Communist Party. Finally, the nature of the development of mass atheism, the content, forms, and methods of its propaganda has been and is being exerted and continues to be exerted by the political position of religious organizations. Questions of the formation of the Marxist-Leninist worldview are constantly at the center of the Party’s ideological and educational work, an important part of which is atheistic education. During the development of atheism, it? was associated with the activities of the Union of Militant Atheists, which arose from the cells of the society of friends of the newspaper "Bezbozhnik". The Union of Militant Atheists made a great contribution to the development of the theory and practice of anti-religious propaganda. Problem statement: The article focuses on the main question: what was the goal of the Communist Party for the development of atheistic ideology? With the help of what methods and mechanisms did they want to degrade the ideological worldview of the peoples of Central Asia? What role did the intelligentsia of Uzbekistan play in the spread of atheistic ideologies? Goal: study and analysis of the socio-political consequences of the spread of atheist ideology in Uzbekistan. Investigating the psychological impact of atheist ideology on the consciousness of the people of Uzbekistan. The aim of the study is to determine the concept of Atheism itself and to establish its relationship and mutual influence with the concepts of secular and religious culture, science, philosophy, religious tolerance, free thought, humanism, skepticism, and materialism, which have not been studied sufficiently to date. Method and outputs: Analysis with the help of what methods and mechanisms the leadership of the Communist Party propagated the ataxic worldview and ideology. To clarify this, methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, induction, and deduction were used.

Soviet Policy of “Militarism” and the Formation of a Totalitarian Regime in Ukraine in the 1920s–1930s

The article analyzes the peculiarities of the formation period of a totalitarian regime and ideological dictatorship in Soviet Ukraine during the 1920s-1930s. One of the key characteristics of this stage is the constant narrative of struggle imposed both against external enemies and on internal “fronts”. This narrative aimed to foster a “militaristic” fervor in society, contributing to the consolidation of the foundations of totalitarianism and the gradual Sovietization of education and science. The aggressiveness of the regime, reaching its peak during the mass repressions of the “Great Terror” era, upheld and firmly established the “correct” ideological direction of development in all spheres of life, including science, education, and culture. The term “militarism” in relation to the processes characteristic of Ukraine in the 1920s-1930s reflects the state described by Thomas Hobbes as a “war of all against all’, where the line between “friends” and “foes” is manipulatively blurred. As demonstrated in the article, the Soviet-imposed ethos of “militarism” towards imaginary enemies, former colleagues, family, and even oneself formed the basis of intellectual life during the mentioned period. The peculiarities of this ethos are analyzed in the context of the policies of “militant atheism” and “militant materialism”, the process of Sovietization of scientific and educational institutions, and the mass purges and repressions of the late 1930s. The proposed approach to analyzing the characteristics of the Ukrainian intellectual environment of the 1920s-1930s through the lens of the narrative of “militarism” contributes to a comprehensive understanding of intellectual processes, including philosophical ones, during the Soviet era.

თბილისში დანგრეული კალოუბნისა და ამაღლების ტაძრების კულტურულისტორიული და არქიტექტურულ-მხატვრული ანალიზი

In Tbilisi, representatives of different denominations have never fought each other on religious grounds, unless we count the Bolsheviks and their "League of Militant Atheists", who from the end of the 1920s declared a fight against representatives of all religions and destroyed many churches. Among the many religious buildings destroyed in Tbilisi during the Soviet period are two Orthodox churches – St. George's Cathedral in Kaloubani, which was built on the ruins of an old Georgian temple in the 50s of the 19th century during the annexation of Russia, and the Amaghleba church in Sololaki, built by Platon Ioseliani in 1852. The last was built according to the Greek temple and renovated at the end of the 19th century. The article presents the culturalhistorical and architectural-artistic analysis of the churches destroyed by the Soviet authorities since the 1930s, the reasons for their construction and destruction.

Intergenerational Rift in Russian Village: Impact of “Anti-Religious Offensive” of Communist Youth at Turn of the 1920—1930s

The article is devoted to the analysis of the relationship in the spiritual sphere between the representatives of the peasant generation of the “revolutionary turning point” (born at the turn of the XIX—XX centuries) and Komsomol members from the generation of “children of the revolution” (their childhood fell on the first post-revolutionary years) in the initial period of mass collectivization of the USSR. The deep demographic changes in post-revolutionary Russia, the strengthening of the role of youth in the countryside are shown. A statistical analysis of rural Komsomol organizations was carried out. Young people are seen as a demographic group that has formed a critical attitude towards religion. Komsomol is recognized as an organization that turned the generational hierarchy of the Russian village. Much attention is paid to the role of the Union of Militant Atheists in attracting young people to active anti-religious activities. Priority is given to studying the reaction of peasants to the antireligious activities of youth. It is shown that the spiritual heritage, which, according to the rules of continuity of development, the generation of the “revolutionary turning point” was called upon to pass on to its successors, was rejected in real life by active representatives of the younger generation. From the author’s point of view, the participation of young people in the “anti-religious offensive” is one of the decisive factors in the strengthening of the intergenerational rift, which became apparent even in the previous decade.

THE STRUGGLE OF THE TOTALITARIAN REGIME AGAINST THE ETHNIC IDENTITY OF UKRAINIANS BY MEANS OF ATHEISM IN THE EDUCATIONAL SPACE IN THE 20S AND 30S OF THE 20TH CENTURY

The Muscovite Empire has been waging a war with Ukrainian identity for centuries, which prompts our people to fierce resistance. The Soviet authorities tried to impose a new type of identity on us, to educate the youth in respect for everything Russian and disdain for everything native. The policy of unification and Soviet identity was actively pursued. Today, the educational space of Ukraine is freed from the Moscow yoke and at the same time tries to weaken the influence of globalization processes. Ethnic identity is a component of national identity. Ethnic identity is the sphere of the sacred, which is manifested in the concepts of family, family, lineage, native house, native land, song, word, dialect, community, tradition, rite, ritual. Atheistic upbringing in education destroyed the sphere of the sacred, destroyed the cultural, and especially folklore memory of the people. All educational disciplines were filled with anti-religious content. The nationally conscious intelligentsia resisted militant atheism in the field of education. The main blow of the anti-religious work was directed against the Ukrainian family, against family holidays. Teachers intensified their atheistic work during major holidays: so-called “Saturdays” were necessarily organized on major Christian holidays. Today, society has entered into a duel for independence. And in this struggle, a prominent place belongs to educators. The experience of the past should serve us in the present.
 Keywords: atheism; identity; ethnic identity; Ukrainization; atheist upbringing; communist education; pedagogical intelligentsia; family values; Cordocentrism; Sophianism; atheism.

The Issue of Women in Adjara in the Prism of Soviet Antireligious Policy (1920s)

The purpose of the article to present the problem of women in the prism of the Soviet atheistic policy in Ajara in 1920s. Soviet religious policy from the very beginning was characterized by heterogeneity, bias, and one-sidedness, with communism and atheism considered as the mainstays of ideology. The Bolsheviks seemed to preach the inviolability of the religious feelings of the believers, but in fact fought with fire and sword against any manifestation of religiosity. The Soviet government encouraged controversy among believers. A clear confirmation of this was the so-called ‘The chador taking’ campaign, which has been met with serious controversy in the region. Examining the problems related to the wearing of the chador, presenting the issue of women in the context of anti-religious policies is the main task of our research.
 The scientific novelty of the research is the discussion of the factors that collectively led to the 1929 mass protests in mountainous Adjara (Georgia). At the same time, a number of unpublished archival documents, which are kept in the Adjara State Archive, enter the scientific circulation. The factual materials presented in the article and the analysis of the documents kept in the Adjara Archives Division clearly show the Soviet policy of neglecting and insulting the religious feelings of believers, which led to the 1929 large-scale anti-Soviet protests in mountainous Adjara.
 The methodological basis of the research is the universal scientific principles of objectivity, comprehensiveness and systematics, historical-comparative and historical-typological methods.
 Conclusions. As a result of the research, the determining factors of the mass demonstrations of 1929 were identified, in particular: the anti-religious policy of the Soviet government, which included the implementation of various measures by the government, in particular: The formation of the League of Militant Atheists and other anti-religious bodies, the mass destruction of religious institutions, theatrics against religion, the introduction of various awards to reward activists who fight against religion, the creation of women’s committees and ‘Muslim women’s sections’ to separate women from the religion. Added to this was the rudeness and arbitrariness of the party officials in all spheres of public and social life, the imposition of various restrictions on religious services and other factors, the combination of which led to the mass uprising of 1929. The results of the research proved once again that despite the various methods used to intimidate the believers, the government was powerless to suppress the religious feelings of the people.

Antireligious Work in the East Siberian Region in 1936 in the Survey of a Representative of The League of Militant Atheists

The article characterizes the antireligious work of Irkutsk, Cheremkhovsky and Ziminsky districts of the East Siberian Territory in the middle of the fourth decade of the XXth century based on the memos by M. P. Kuznetsov, a representative of the Central Council of the League of Militant Atheists (Union of the Militant Godless). On behalf of the Council and the Permanent Central Commission on Cults, he made a trip to a number of regions of Eastern Siberia, as a result of which he compiled several memos. Two of them are devoted to assessing the state of anti-religious work in Irkutsk, the administrative center of the East Siberian Region, as well as in Cheremkhovsky and Ziminsky districts. The documents are interesting due to both statistical data and analytical comments of the author. The research is based on the complex use of the fundamental principles of historical knowledge, as well as general and special scientific methods. We draw a conclusion that the subjectivism of the author of the memos is obvious and given the fact that he was a representative of the League of Militant Atheists, the data presented by him should be treated with caution. At the same time, the documents under consideration are an interesting source on the history of religions in Eastern Siberia. They supplement the available data on Irkutsk, Cheremkhovsky and Ziminsky districts of the East Siberian Region. Taking into account the availability of similar memos on a number of other administrative units of Eastern Siberia, it becomes possible to make a comparative analysis of the anti-religious activities of the authorities from the standpoint of an objective assessment of the available materials.

Karadağ'daki Ortodoks Kilisesi Ile Ilgili Olarak Radikal Ateizm 1945-1960

The roots of radical atheism in Montenegro can be found at the beginning of the existence of the Yugoslav state in the interwar period. The Podgorica Assembly, which had the goal of formalising the unification of Montenegro with Serbia and other Yugoslav provinces, was held in November 1918. The Assembly proclaimed the decision to merge Montenegro with Serbia. Three members of parliament (MPs) came forward with radical atheistic requests at the Assembly, demanding that all the church’s property should be confiscated and handed over to the state. Some churches and monasteries were to be turned into public chapels for burials, and the others into schools and cultural institutions. During the interwar period, the Communist Party existed mostly illegally in Montenegro, and did not show any greater intent to impose radical atheism. During the Second World War, a strong revolutionary movement led by the Communist Party developed in Montenegro, as did also a counter-revolution. At that time the Communist Party and the partisan movement showed a strong degree of radical atheism, with elements of militant atheism, especially in the killing of a large number of church clergy (monks, priests and graduate theologians) during the war. However, the Communist Party did not implement radical atheism in the fields of ideology and the economy. It would do that only after the Second World War, when it assumed power over all spheres of social and public life. At that time, within the process of nationalisation and agrarian reform, significant material goods (buildings, land, forests and movable property) were taken away from the Orthodox Church in Montenegro. The same was done to the Catholic Church and the Islamic religious community. The process of radical atheism in an ideological sense took place parallel with this process. The intention of the Communist Party was to completely remove the church from social life, and implement atheism among the people, and practically turn them into believers of the new Marxist-Leninist ideology.

Антирелигиозные фильмы и борьба с антисемитизмом в 20-30-х гг. XX в. в Советском Союзе

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, there was a surge of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union, which was considered the first immediate task since 1926. This wave of Judeophobia was attributed to the socio-economic situation, mistakes made by the state authorities, and chauvinism. While there were some common reasons cited in Soviet literature, anti-Semitism was primarily associated with the imperialist past, survivals, and counter-revolution. To combat anti-Semitism, the Union of Militant Atheists (UMA) was involved, as the fight against Judeophobia was seen as part of anti-religious work. The UMA used cinema as a propaganda tool to attract viewers through the use of anti-religious films. The article discusses the completion of the publication of M. N. Kefala, which consists of two parts. The first part contains a selection of seven works that cover the Jewish question, while the second part contains materials for a report on anti-Semitism. The fight against anti-Semitism continued until 1932, and the SVB included it in anti-religious propaganda. Methods and tools were developed, and results were achieved, as Judeophobia and distrust were squeezed out of public organizations into the daily sphere of activity due to pressure from the authorities.

От врага до заблуждающегося: советские репрезентации образов евангельских верующих

The article is devoted to the formation of the image of a sectarian (which means evangelical believers), carried out within the framework of anti-religious propaganda in the Soviet Union. The concept of "sectarian" in the state-public discourse was initially loaded with a negative meaning. The analysis of texts focused on criticism of Evangelical-Baptist believers and Pentecostals allows us to identify ideas about the religious life in the Soviet Union and the mentality of the society and the principles of interaction of various social groups. The image of a dissident believer who did not fall within the framework of recognized religiosity was constructed and supported by the efforts of state ideology through the education system and the media. The research question of the article is devoted to identifying the evolution of the image of evangelical believers in the public space and the dynamics of changes in the components of the image of believers throughout the Soviet period. Antireligious and atheistic publications played a special role in creating a certain perception system. Soviet propaganda replicated a stable set of qualities attributed to the so-called "sectarians". This set included the following qualities: ideological alienation, anti-Soviet views, espionage, religious extremism, pacifism, raising children within the anti-Soviet ideology. In the 1970s and 80s, the concept of "religious extremism" was added accusing those who ignored legitimation (refusing to register or not complying with it). Some religion researchers have tried to change the attitude both to the evangelical believers themselves and to the concept of "sectarians" used. The shift of emphasis in the interpretation of the image of a believer became possible in the 1960s, when the concept of "sects" was introduced into the space of science as neutral. Despite repeated attempts to present believers as part of Soviet reality, negative connotations regarding evangelical believers have become firmly entrenched in the Soviet public consciousness. The sources for the article were a variety of textbooks for propagandists and agitators; atheistic reference and scientific publications devoted to the history of religion and atheism, as well as regional (West Siberian) newspapers, reports of local branches of the Union of Militant Atheists, operational notes of the NKVD/KGB were used to illustrate certain provisions.

Memoirs of Fr. Adolf Trusewicz’s CM pastoral work

Fr Adolf Trusewicz CM (1919-2001) – a priest from the Congregation of the Mission (priest 1945), born in Stare Troki (Senieji Trakai), after World War II, he did not exercise the right of “expatriation” to = post-Yalta Poland and, with the consent of his superiors, remained on his native land to serve the local Catholics – mostly Poles – as a priest in the difficult realities of militant atheism, that characterised the Soviet Union. Due to illness, he was forced to leave Lithuania in 1995 and live in Krakow under the care of his religious confreres. From the pages of these memoirs emerges a living Church with many everyday problems with which Catholic priests were confronted. This is also a document showing the determination of Poles, attached to their native land, Catholic and national traditions, and caring about the preservation of their own identity. This is also a picture of many priests and their exceptional dedication to God and people who, risking their own safety, health and life, brought hope, support, help and a good word to everyone, irrespective of their political or religious views

Imiona w radzieckiej rzeczywistości. Nowe życie miało znaleźć odzwierciedlenie nawet w nowych imionach

Given names in Soviet reality. The new life was to find a reflection even in new names Even before the outbreak of the October Revolution in Russia, the most engaged in terms of outlook Bolsheviks expressed the need to reject bourgeoisie mentality and remove religion from social life. The attempt was made after the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. It was decided to apply “scientific methods” to religion, based on the evolution theory by Charles Darwin. On 7 February 1925 in the USSR the League of Atheists was set up, which name was in 1929 changed to the League of Militant Atheists; antireligious periodicals and a series of various brochures were published in millions of copies. One of the ways to fight religion was to eliminate Christian names from social life. Therefore, new Communist names were created, of antireligious meaning or praising the new political system and its economic successes, like: Industrin, Tractorin, Combine, Oktyabrin, and even Stalic, Stal, Stalin as well as their female counterparts: Stalina, Oktyabrina, Tractorina. Baptism was replaced with a secular ceremony called Oktyabriny (October-making) or zvyezdiny (star-making). The experiment did not stand the test of time and though some of the names created at the time have been preserved in their vestigial form, they are the main object of research by historians and linguists.

Роль Емельяна Михайловича Ярославского в антирелигиозной кампании 1930-х гг. (на примере Саратовского Поволжья)

Based on archival materials, the author of the article analyzes the activities of the Union of Militant Atheists in the Saratov Volga region and the role of the leader of this organization in the 1930s. Examples of the activities of the organization are given, both within the framework of anti-religious agitation and propaganda of the communist ideology, and as an initiator of the closure of churches and prayer houses of all faiths. Emelyan Yaroslavsky is characterized as the main ideologist of state atheism. The practice of closing churches and prayer houses in violation of Soviet legislation, as well as the actions of party and Soviet structures that were contrary to the declared directives, are analyzed. Based on archival materials, the author of the article concludes that the authorities, having suspended the legal activities of all confessions in the Saratov Volga region by the beginning of the 1940s, could not suppress religious life, which took on new forms, and agitation and propaganda, including organizations of the Union of Militant Atheists, made a significant contribution to the formation of an atheistic worldview of the population.

Kreowanie negatywnego obrazu instytucji religijnych w polskojęzycznej propagandzie radzieckiej okresu międzywojennego (na podstawie czasopisma „Bezbożnik Wojujący”)

CREATING A NEGATIVE IMAGE OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN POLISH-LANGUAGE SOVIET PROPAGANDAIN THE INTERWAR PERIOD (BASED ON THE MAGAZINE “BEZBOŻNIK WOJUJĄCY” [“MILITANT ATHEIST”])
 The main issue discussed in this article is the negative image of religious institutions present in Polishlanguage propaganda in the interwar period. The research is based on the analysis of Polish-language Soviet magazine “Bezbożnik Wojujący”. It was published in USSR between 1929 and 1935. “Bezbożnik Wojujący” had some language variants (for example Georgian, Latvian, Russian, Ukrainian) and its main goal was anti-religious atheist propaganda among national minority communities. The magazine presented religious institutions as obscurantist, hypocritical, aimed at sabotage, and anti-Soviet. The objects of pejorativization included the Orthodox, Roman and Greek Catholic Churches, but also Protestants, members of locals sects, and certain Church initiatives such as the third order and the rosary circles. In the Soviet propaganda, which was based on Leninism, all religions were alien and hostile for working classes.

Кеңестік Қазақстандағы дінге қарсы үгіт-насихат ұйымының қызметі (1929–1941 ж.ж.)

When it comes to the Soviet government religion policy one can think of the Soviet atheist policy and antireligious attack. Even if the atheism was one of the main ideologies of the communists throughout the Soviet history, the policy of the state in relation to religion, including Islam, was different at each stage. The attack by the Soviet authorities on Islam, which took place between 1929 and 1941, was the most severe. It was the unprecedented Soviet attack against Islam. Along with a direct attack on Islam, the Soviet government intensified its massive anti-religious propaganda during this period. There was an anti-religious agitation organization called the League of Militant Atheists. This research is devoted to the history of the antireligious organization that existed at that time. The work of the League of Militant Atheists is revealed based on propaganda activities carried out in Kazakhstan. Therefore, this topic is relevant. The article reveals the original policy, the principles of Soviet power regarding religion and the reasons for its softness towards Islam in the initial period. The laws of the Soviet state concerning religion, the main positions of the communist party, and consequences of anti-Islamic attack and propaganda regarding religion have also been discussed in this work.