Anti-Religious Education of Young People in the South of Western Siberia in the Second Half of the 1940s — Middle-1960s

УДК 322 ББК 63.3(2)61

Abstract

The article deals with the specifics of anti-religious propaganda among young people in the second half of the 1940s — mid 1960s. Loyal religious policy implemented by the Soviet government since 1943, provoked not only the opening of new churches in the region, but also increased the percentage of people no longer hide their religious beliefs. The archival documents studied by the author testify that special discontent of party bodies was caused by the frequent cases of presence of children and youth at divine services and emergence in parishes of young active priests. At the same time, it is important to note the ambiguity of the anti-religious work carried out, a significant amount of which was aimed directly at the younger generation and the eradication of religious prejudices among them. Activities of anti-religious orientation carried out by state institutions at various levels, a wide network of circles engaged in political education of young people, active promotion of scientific and materialistic knowledge coexisted with intransigence, insulting religious feelings of the population and rough application of administrative methods. At the same time, it is important to emphasize the widespread domestic religiosity and conformism towards believers in all segments of the population, including among those engaged in anti-religious propaganda.