Keywords
Soviet religious policy, state atheism and Christianity, millennium of Christianity in Russia
Abstract
In 1988, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) held celebrations across the Soviet Union to mark the Millennium of Christianity in Russia, commemorating a thousand years since the baptism of Rus in 988. While this was a monumental day for Christians, many believers across the Soviet Union felt a sense of dissonance. For decades, religious freedom and worship had not been privileges they enjoyed. Thousands of Christians suffered for their belief. The communist regime began in 1922 with Vladimir Lenin. The USSR built upon Marxist ideology where atheism is a fundamental and they expected nationwide compliance to these ideologies. Yet, the USSR claimed to promote personal religious autonomy and the Soviet constitution did not explicitly ban religion. Strict separation of church and state and the intense promotion of atheism were hallmarks of the Soviet governance of a heavily Christian population.
Recommended Citation
Wills, Riana Johnson
(2025)
"Christianity Behind the Iron Curtain: How Creative Arts Gave a Voice to the Voiceless,"
The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing: Vol. 54:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thetean/vol54/iss1/6
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