Two Stages of Anti-Church Repressions in the USSR under N.S. Khrushchev in 1958–1964
Keywords:
anti-church repressions, N.S. Khrushchev, Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church, diocese, parish, commissioner of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox ChurchAbstract
The article, which focuses on the anti-church repressions initiated by Nikita Khrushchev in 1958-1964, shows that they consisted of two stages. The first stage (1959-1960) involved the preparation of a legal and ideological framework for changes in state religious policy. During this period, the government exerted pressure on the Patriarchate to reduce the number of dioceses and monasteries. During the second stage (1960-1964), a reform of parish administration was carried out, which resulted in the clergy being excluded from parish economic activities until 1988. The number of dioceses, monasteries, and parishes was reduced. A one-time inventory of all church property was conducted. Atheist activities intensified. Special commissions were established at the district level to assist the representatives of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time, these repressions, which ended with Nikita Khrushchev's resignation, failed to destroy the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USSR.
