Orthodoxy in the Tuva Autonomous Region 1946-1960

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to clarify the situation of the Russian Orthodox Church and the development of church life in the Republic of Tyva in the 1940s and 1960s in condi­tions of hostility from the secular authorities. The situation of the Orthodox population of the republic was determined by several factors: firstly, before joining the USSR in 1944. The church structures in the Tuvan People's Republic had nominal freedom, but the Tuvan govern­ment pursued its confessional policy in line with church-state relations in the Soviet Union, which led to the complete destruction of the Orthodox hierarchy in the republic. Second­ly, in the 1930s and 1940s, there was only one functioning church in the republic, in which a renovationist priest served. Based on empirical research and a comprehensive analysis of ar­chival sources, as well as scientific literature on the period of interest, it turned out that in the described period of the 1940s-1960s. There were two parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of Tyva, but their number decreased during the Khrushchev persecution. On the basis of which it can be concluded that the secular authorities, in an effort to reduce the number of Orthodox parishes in the USSR, nevertheless, for some reason, did not dare to com­pletely destroy the church organization, as can be seen from the example of the Tuvan ASSR.