Atheistic propaganda in Khakassia in the mid‑1960s — mid‑1970s

Abstract

During the leadership of the USSR by Leonid Brezhnev, the process of a certain liberalization of state-confessional relations begins. The priority during this period is the strengthening of control of religious communities by state and local authorities and the conduct of atheistic propaganda. Based on the analysis of the resolutions of the Central Committee of the CPSU and local party bodies, the materials of the National Archives of the Republic of Khakassia and the State Archives of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the article examines the implementation of atheistic propaganda in Khakassia in the mid-1960s — mid-1970s. At that time, in Khakassia, as well as in the Soviet Union as a whole, propaganda activities played an important role in atheistic propaganda and the emphasis was placed on the dissemination of scientific knowledge. The main forms of conducting atheistic propaganda were lectures, collective and individual conversations, evenings of questions and answers, film lectures, non-religious holidays. At the same time, measures of social influence continued to be applied to believers for the performance of religious rites. A significant part of the atheistic work in Khakassia was carried out by the departments of propaganda and agitation of the regional executive committee, the regional, city and district executive committees of the CPSU and the Komsomol, the Krasnoyarsk regional and Khakass regional organizations of the AllUnion Society "Knowledge", educational, medical and cultural institutions. Despite carrying out atheistic work in Khakassia, local authorities noted a high degree of activity of believers in Chernogorsk, Abakan, Bogradsky, Askizsky and Altai regions. The conduct of atheistic propaganda in Khakassia, as well as throughout the country, did not lead to the disappearance of religious views and beliefs.