Religious policy in the USSR in the mid-1940s and its implementation in the Mari ASSR

Abstract

During the Great Patriotic War, serious changes took place in the religious policy of the USSR, atheistic propaganda was curtailed for a while, worship buildings of various faiths were opened, representatives of the clergy were released from prisons and camps. One of the reasons for these changes was the religious upsurge in the USSR in the mid-1940s, to control which, in 1943 and 1944, Councils for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church and Religious Cults were established under the Council of People's Commissars. Their functions were performed locally by commissioners, and they were appointed from both councils to the Mari Territory, as a multi-religious region. This study examines the specifics of the activities of these officials in the MASSR, as well as its impact on the situation of different faiths in the region. During the study of the materials, it was found that the position of religious groups largely depended on the position of the relevant commissioner, who often had to overcome the resistance of local authorities who did not want to take into account the changes that had occurred in state policy. The religious upsurge observed among the residents of the MASSR during the period under study was taken under strict control, worship buildings were opened in limited numbers, and communities of some faiths were purposefully denied registration. In general, the religious situation that developed in the MASSR in the mid-1940s clearly demonstrates that despite the easing of restrictions, the central and local authorities prevented the widespread spread of religious sentiments in society.