Secrecy and Suppression: Non-Christian Religions in Revolutionary Russia

The dark pages of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent Soviet era are replete with the suppression and persecution of non-Christian religions. In the aftermath of the February and October Revolutions, the Bolshevik government under Lenin and his successors undertook a series of measures aimed at eradicating religious plurality, assimilating non-Christian communities into their Marxist ideology, and eventually eliminating them altogether.

From Orthodox Tolerance to Radical Suppression

Before the Revolution, the Russian Empire's religious policies were biased towards Orthodox Christianity. However, there were exceptions, such as the Old Ritualists, who had not embraced modern church reforms and were thus ostracized by the state. Catholicism and Protestantism were also suppressed on the grounds of upholding Orthodox territory as the sole Christian stronghold.

Following the Bolshevik coup in October 1917, the new regime promised freedom and equality but swiftly reinterpreted these principles to serve its ideological goals. The February Revolution, which overthrew Czar Nicholas II, initially promised a wave of rights and freedoms, but these proved to be illusory for most Russians.

Anti-Christian Propaganda and Persecution

The Bolsheviks, along with their allies, began their campaign of religious eradication through multiple stages. The first phase involved blaming and repressing the “reactionary clergy”, perceived as sympathizers and even collaborators with the enemies of the revolution. According to intercepted communication, Lenin had even remarked on the need to eliminate some of this clergy, setting the stage for widespread arrests and confiscation of property.

The second stage involved massive anti-religious propaganda campaigns, both through state-controlled media and educational systems. This propaganda aimed to paint religions in a negative light, preparing the ground for the eventual crackdown. The Atheistic Society and its affiliates were instrumental in spreading this ideology and even infiltrating religious institutions.

Physical Destruction and Forced Conversion

By the late 1920s, the final phase began with the physical destruction of religious establishments. Across the country, non-Christian communities, particularly Judaism and Islam, faced the greatest challenges. Monuments and religious symbols were removed, and services were banned. In small towns and cities, the closure of one place of worship meant the end of religious practice.

Countless clergy and religious activists were arrested and deported to Siberia or killed. Even those who managed to retain their positions did so under the threat of collaboration with the authorities. For religious leaders, it was a choice: conform to the state’s atheistic ideology or face severe consequences.

The KGB and Religious Subversion

The Communist authorities also sought to exploit the religious traditions and beliefs of Jewish and Arab communities for their own ends. The Cheka (precursor to the KGB) recruited rabbis, sheikhs, and mullahs for intelligence work. Prominent religious leaders were even elevated to high-ranking positions within the security services, serving as informants and observers.

Notably, in the case of the Jewish community, resistance to KGB activities was intense. In the 1980s, Jews in small towns were denied permission to emigrate, a stark contrast to the more lenient policies towards other nationalities seeking to leave the Soviet Union.

Even after the collapse of the USSR, the effects of decades of religious suppression lingered. Some religious artifacts that were confiscated by the state, such as those belonging to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, remained locked up in museums without clear rationale, a testament to the enduring legacy of religious persecution in Soviet Russia.

In conclusion, the Russian Revolution and subsequent Soviet policies created a climate of fear and suppression for non-Christian religions. While the state claimed to abolish religious obstacles, its actions ensured that religious plurality was systematically dismantled and assimilated into a homogeneous communist identity.