Deciassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/0804 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008.8 50xt 2 woot sox me CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ; INFORMATION REPORT {@srreoupe oy tn unttnaned ponent ees SOX1-HUM * conrmentra es oO 50X1 counter ‘USSR RePoRr ssupsect Statue of Religion in the DATE piste. 18 February 195% Soviet Union : NO. OF PAGES. 9 DATE OF ino. REQUREWENT NO. RD PLACE ACQUIRED ereReNCES (ron ev et sevens) 50X1-HUM Coment: 1X, “Mithmeamedeseription on page 1, read NIOPIK for NIOPLK. 50X1-HUM 3. Read Donets for Donetz in paragraphs 2 and 2 4, Read Pereyexdnays for Pereyesdnsya in paragraph 2, page 1. 5. Read Starobelsk for Staro-Belek in paragraph 2, page 2. 6. In paragraph 6, read yulich for julitch. In paragraph 27, read Ruscisn Orthodox church for Greek Orthodox Church. CONPEEEITIAL, sree Tc Taig Te ToT Tr TJ i (Cam Waegon Baton lind Wy, Wa Biba Wy ET Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8Dociassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2073/09/04 : C1A-RDPS1-01030R000100400008-8 a ComPIpENTIAL = REPORT, oo 50X1-HUM COUNTRY + USSR DATE DISTR.1/ 7AH.S4. SURIECT . ¢ Statue of Religion in. tlie Soviet Unton NO. OF PAGES 8 PLACE NO. OF ENCLS, ACQUIRED ¢ (USTED BELOW) DATE ‘SUPPLEMENT TO. 1 ACQUIRED BY, REPORT NO. ‘50X1-HUM DATE OF.INFO. " THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION 60X1-HUM, * \ Whon I was gent to the Soviet Union in the autunn of 1946, I hoped to find e firsthand anewer to the quootions which interested about Chrietianity and the church in the USSR. At firet, it seened oat there was a complete religious vacuum existing, because the small industrial town of Rubezhnoye on the Donets River, which our place of residence for four and a half yoara, did not have ite fom church. Bron before the war, according to ‘the 50X1-HUM Local population, there was no church in extatence there. When T found sonetine later a churoh designated on a wartize sap of thie area, I discovered that this was aorely a Soviet camouflage maneuver, for in this place a large bread. factory wae located: 2, We aiscovered’ a church in a neighboring village of Varvarovka. Tt was in a atate of desolationy: ao if ¢ had been yeare since churoh Services had been held there. It cerved as a grain warehou ‘the collective fara which was located in this village. The nea church not converted to other uses was located sone fifteen kilo- fore from Rubeshnoye in the: town of Pereyesdnaya on the Donets. conrtipaeranDeciassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 : C1A-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8 be 1 | CONFIDENTIAL <2 i 0x1 Another one was in the town of Staro-Belek fifty kilometers 50x1-HUM away. According to ‘the Local oftizene, these were the only churches in the area of Rubezhnoye which had regular church services. We were not allored to leave the immediate area of Rubezhnoye and consequently dia not have Accord= 18 were very well attended, and even the youth were to be seen there in note- worthy muabers. In addition, I was once told by a frequent ‘visitor of the Staro-Belsk church that he had noticed a very young deacon serving together with the regular old priset, a ‘Sign that the clergy was not without new blood. Xn the USSR, neabership in # church community is not mentioned. To sention ef religion de nate in the personal identity apore of tho citisene. The churches, horever, are required torhave e-1ist of five peopiey inciading he prtest, who are Teeponeible for the Nuilding and‘very fikely’ tor ihe pire religieue natuce of the church services Ae far a0 Gould observe, no church taxes were ellowed andthe ehurche were foroed to depend upon voluntary contributions. /-Charehee In boot parte of Buroper tgeieeing Gorannyy levy a toe on their rospoctive partanseg? Totes told avout a fascus ope : dootor in lonoor, a Profesor PAVLOY, the regularly. attended chureh services and gave moet of he’ tncoae to the churahe Ste'de eisvioult to conceive that an scnseniefan caf have Teligious fal et" vt ee Serhape to can thank Big faith for bio Fane and 0821 as an Eyereurgeon,”” Hat the faithiea in Varvarovia, eles hed Slfrioioce Zinde to over, ine costo of restoring the. church in their village, 12 sould Bave aguin been put fo. the ua for ehich it wat intended, ho povertycetzicton condttions inder which the people Lived, horever, prevented, thetr even thinking ef euch"an idee, “Even the, faotery. torn of Auboshnoye, which wae somerhat better off" than the villages, could not Miford'a chore bells Although the Conmuntotic systen had designated Sunday do the official dey of rest, making tt the outotanding day of the All a’day of labor for the majority ofthe ‘The introduction of the Voskresniie prograt ‘ten whereby a worker worked voluntarily without pay, stimulated Sunday activity toa great pitch, In thie ‘eheap way the governnont could keep ite public parke, boulevards, and athletic fields open and in a proper atate of maintenance. The female labor factions which are so Connon in the USSR were, of course, continually etriving to make Sunday a day for household work and for the care of their orn fruit and vegetable gardens. Sunday, by the way, 19 the principal shopping day. The bazaar ‘and the used goode market are both well stocked on Sunday, The ‘country folk cone from far avay, conetines ae early a0 Saturday evening, to trade their produce for those itens manufactured in the city. The state-owned business contere remain open until late in the afternoon, even on Sunday. SECRET Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 : CIA-ROPS1-01030R000100400008-8Doctassifiod in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/04 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8 6 CONFIDENTIAL om Religious holidays in the USSR are not oslebrated, and work Asvoarsied on in tho norsal sanner. Even the Gersan Sete, in the several youre. they epont in vhe USER, wore alloned only occasionally to celebrate religious foliéays. Inte was strictly unotftotal and under the plant dire personel responsibility. The gankoure which wore Lost ap. t0 Feoult of taking éaya auch ce Ghrietaee and Jood Friday off had to be sade ap by night overtine. in the latter yeure of our stay in the Soviet Union, x request of oura for the Secogni tion of celigious holddaye van refused with the sxplanation that,if the holidays of the Soviet Union's four~ Seon religions vere recognized, st would oause chaotio Labor Gondi tions, especially #0 when all Greet Orthodox religious holidays are an accordance with the Julian calendar and €o Rot coincide ith our celebrations, ‘Thue the high Chrietian holidays rent uuoticod, An exception was Easter, the Biggeet holiday or the Grcek Orthedor churchs, On this day, inthe bazaare eau on the streete, one. could Sear in ‘the Ohristian Easter greeting, Nchriet has risen", and tho retort, “Ohriot has truly risen". Tt sooned that on thio day tho State vas willtig t0 offer consoasions to the poyulations, To the test Year of our stay in the TSR] the old traditional SOK1-HUM Russian Easter cake kullteh wae openly 001d in the Sta Tiwao inforaed thet in the larger oltiea, Tharkovs oburch services, whion wore attended by of the aay ané Yariouo covernsontal Agencies, were carried out fron midnight to, dawn, avon’ the fenous church: choire of the Greok Orthodox hich wore auppoeed to have drawn tho attention of ausie lovers end thekr attendance at church service throughout the lands Another sign of church life in the ofty of Rubezhnoye Wat @00n in the occratonal appearance of minioters or nonkt Thoso apiritual leaders could be coon walking around if erudo black cowl-like conte, fastened with a leather belt worn around the watot and woaring black hate. I 414 not Atecover the purpose of their presonce in Rubeshnoye, but 4¢ was obviously not for tho collectian of alme or contributions y provided,for themselves by shopping in the various (Ong dayivery soon after our arrival,we noticed on olf san at ‘the local bazaar who, in opite of the cold autuan weather, Sat quite still reading a book. He paid little or no forond around hin. Eis olothing ‘the rest of the population, poor but strikingly clean and neat. He ras collecting alas in hie cape lho wae readings hie manuscript; it wae olthor a Bible or « prayer book written in fhe Slevonis tongue. Ao evan, the sost oduented Rusotana aaa ly mastered the script of this old ohuroh language, I asnunsd that thie on wae a pricat. i was Gonrinced that be had boon a prisst at ono tae and very at EUR probably a member of one of the Rot lose eight of hin ae he cecasicnally appeared at the CONFIDENTIAL Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09104 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8Dociassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/04 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8 CONFIDERTTAL f= SOx ‘with hie book in another part i of the city, ‘ho was visiting sick 50x1-HUM friends. The conélueion I drew fron qll thio was that he belonged to those "quiet ones of the land"; that is, pri: 0 In the apartments of older people, could very often find tkons, but because of illiteracy, the beliefs of the older generation would have completely ao- gonerated had thoy not received opiritual guidance from thie type of wandering prieat. 9. I aid not notice, however, thet the old priest who was 90 often seen in the market place was ever exposed to any ridicule for hie quite obvicus religious attitude; it seemed to ne, as a setter of fact, that he was especially well taken ‘was an apparently one-tine nun ‘2 confortable living out of her obvious pretense at prayer and constant reference to a large oilver cross which she wore on her breast. Generally speaking, the population handlere who were eo common in the market placee and on the atree 10. Meny Soviets today actually believe that they have a strong the with the churche A young factory girl once indignantly countered the insiniation that she ras non-believer with the fact that both she and her child wore boptized., Still another factory girl often epoke of her godsether with who contact. tho only thing that thie girl knew about the Chrietaee celebrations, although ohem Gite conscious of the baptinsal sacranent, was that on thie day one vas given the opportunity of telling fortunes. Lie oid Be ano of which wan the telling of fortenes.py reading tea leaven, Solten lead, nd soot fron turned paper. Thie reasoning iv fn exaaple of the complete lack ef religious conception in the 0588. 11, One could not escape the impression that the population had a certain heettency toward, and perhaps a superstitious fear of, things that had any connection with religion, A young custons officer drew a crose from hie pocket, held Xt im bie hand and, with a solemn oxpreaaion on hia fact ade the sign of the cross and then vory quickly and ca) fully replaced the cross in his pocket. The sign of the cross ie still used as the strongest for of oath. Once whon tvo beggar children caue to ay door in search of food, thoy told ae that their grandmother had told them to aake the eign of the cross in order to insure their receipt of Still qnother time an adolescent doy atteapted to borrow sone money from ae in order to purchase the grocerts remaining on hio ration card. Since he was obviously a of poopie who had no fixed income, I hooitated to grant hie requeet. 50X1-HUM CONFIDENTIAL Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 - CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8Dectassiied in Part - Santized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 : CIA-RDPB1-01030R000100400008-8 re 3. 1a. 15. ceeeeeees (CONPIDERTIAL 5+ 0X1 Incidontially I never had to regret the trust thet I placed 4n this lad. Such signs of Christian and church oustoss are quite connon, especially if one to alert to them. ‘The ‘cemeteries in town and in the surrounding area gave of ane The gra a and oattle gtazed anong then, Although the graves generally wore zarked with 16 were merely synbols of a burial place and 414’ not carry any religious connotations, Only the Oreck Orthodox cross indicated a Christian grave. Such orvsces, printtively constructed of wood, othere of ron oradely: welded together, wore quite connon in the cemeteries, Gravee of party functionaries wore, of course, decorated with a rod obelisk with the hanser and ciokle. | Christian yrvices could not be held at the grave of the charoh in public I novor tone with the acconpantzont of Jo 1llustrate the effect of the sonber mood of a burial upon children, one inoident stands out in ay memory. During the funeral cervices which were held with the poraieaton of the authorities at the grave of one of our Gersan colleague there appeared a wholo row of curious Soviet children. unthinkingly folded their hands and quietly Looked on, fone of the chiléron created a diaturbance during the cere- ny by speaking loudly, he wa rebuked with @ slap by ono of bie 14 ttle companions, Wo wore inforned that thore was an Evangelical group in existence in the town and the surrounding area. The probably dated from pre-war days whon the area had German settlers. Once a middie SOx1-HUM aged Soviet who was carrying a well-thunbed prayer book. He he was an Evangelical and was on hs We 50X1-HUM the city to organize a prayer aeoting there. Inoidentally two soungetere dolodged to Buch », prayer group. One was & ae gifted young girl who worked ae an interproter-translator and Gorsan typist in our institute, She nade no secret of the fact that cho was a Christian and that the Chriati dognas wore not strange to her, = ‘young student who vas a frequent viettor| Delonged to this girl'e cirole of ac EU acquaintances. Ho vas the con of a forner priest who dled Ana concentration oamp. This boy aleo considered hinselt ‘a menber of the Christian church, although he hardly had any knowledge of Christian teachings. Tt 40 very difficult with such spares data to distinguish between the orthodox’ church and ite independent Ohristiat branches. Hardly any differentiation botween the 1. sects can be made. Wo have indeed many {1lustratio during diffioult tines the differences exieting various creeds are cast aside and their common belief becones of prine importance. One has only to oall to wind the coamon, nartyrdon ohared by the aintoters of all denosinations at. the time of the advent of Bolshévien in tho city of Mea. CONPIDENTIAL Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8Dociassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/04 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8 16. an 18, 19. 20. CONFIDENTIAL =6= SOxt We Germans in Rubezhnoye encountered no obstacles in living in accordance with our beliefs. We were allowed to give our children religious teaching, and I could hold religious vices which, of course, hed to be officially sanctioned as the services were regarded as public mectings whore the participants had to be watched in accordance with Soviet Procedure, 50x1-HUM The picture of Christianity in the Soviet Union would not be complete without aleo shoring the other aide. The official course of the Communist Party, as one could expect, has always been atheistioally inclined. Ina dictionary published by a governnent printing house in 1950, together with other defi- Ritions of the anti-religious movement, religion is defined @ superstitious and out-noded deliriua of ancient tines, true of the other concepte connected with Christianity and religion, and their implications certainly aid not point toward any change in the ideology of the ‘once overheard @ conver who were concerned over the cially the parents of stil alloved their children to be baptized. 50X1-HUM Ostensibly, the Party vas very reserved in ite attitude toward the church. When the question of religion ¥ the issue was alvayo defined as the necessity to superstitious adherences to religious beliefs. Those discussions, however, never really approached & solution as to what extent thie purge of the church's in- fluence shold be carried. Only onoe dia I actually read ‘9 newspaper articl the ehureh. It w brations, ‘The Christaas holidays, by the vay, have been replaced by the official State celobration of the now year. This occasion 4e ighted Christnas tree ao in western lands and the appearance of "Grandfather Frost", the Hussian version of the “Wethaschtezann / Santa Claua/, who bringe children nto. This holiday 1s, of course, not devoted to "peace rth"; I poreonally sav in the "House of Culture" in Christmas tree decorated with such things aa firearms, and other ailitary-type toye. Children's ‘toya, such ae machine guns, silitary uniforna, and other warlike enblene, decorate the shelves of etores and are very popular ite: ‘CONFIDENTIAL Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 - CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8Dociassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/04 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8 COMPIDENTZ AL = i 50x 21, Religious scriptures of any kind could not be obtained in any bookstores. On teo occationtyI sav a copy of the Tew ei for sale at the used goods aarket. One of thi books wae an old edition which was identified ae such by the presence of both the Slavonic and Russian language, the latter being written in the old orthography. I could not determine Af thin book cane fron'a staterorned publishing house, but T later thought it possible that St oane into tho Soviet Union through one of the | companies during the war. Those two books wore priced rather highly which possible indication of a denand for such books, 50X1-HUM @ middle-aged fonalo teacher who was still quite attached to ‘the church and occasto: services in a nearby church. She said that she would gladly pay a high price for fone of these Bibl 50X1-HUM 22; If vartoue religious manuscripts are publiched in the USSR ‘at all today, they are ioeued very probably in nal muabera and I accuse that thoir distrubution io effected through the oftictally recognized church. The young female office worker pentioned in’ the Last year of ay stay In the Soviet Union| lobe was vory happy because at last the wae the orner of @ Athout indicating, hovevery exactly what he meant by thie atatonent. One occastoually Sxperiences surprises; T cane across a book) 50X1-HUM frou the lending library in the "House of Culture, that was written in novel fora and pursued very definite chriotian Viowo,” Bach chaptor nao prefaced by a scriptural quotation and ito source. Tho novel itself alos \ the Bpigtie of st. Paul to the Hoaans, "and we know that to then that love God work together unto good..." This novel naa reprinted in 1926 in's governnental publishing house for the benefit of ‘the Consunist youth and its use was stil) sanctioned! 50X1-HUM 23, In the schools, of course, there was no room for religious teaching, It was exactly ao one young female teacher once explained: "My grandaothor stil Believes; hor great- grandzother, at the age of ninety, attended nese every Sunday in Poreyezdnayay ay sother otill believes @ little bits but religious belief for ne wae completely etunted in school." ith this statement, che wanted to excuse any atheistioally-inclined ideas ohe may have developed. 2h, I gust adait that,in ay limited contact with cultured circles, I very seldom, if at all, ran across any convinced athesate, ‘such’ persons alwaya expressed their surprise over how] connect religion with 50X1-HUM natural science, but they hardly over attenpted to at prove any’ Jconvictions. This scored indicative of the SOX1-HUM fact that they thenselves could find no feasible argunente against the faith in God, 25. .ee matter of fact, I have actually come face to face with a definite interest in religious and spiritual matter ‘CONFIDENTIAL Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 - CIA-RDP81-01030R000100400008-8Declassifid in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/04 : CIA-ROP81-01030R000100400008-8 26. ar 20. CONFIDENEIAL —— 8 0x! This became especially evident during ay inprisonsent in the East Zone in connection with the events which accospanied ‘the June 17 revolts in the Soviet Zone of Geraany. My Christian convictions becane « regular subject during ay interrogations before a Soviet court, Although I told that they wore not the object of the investigation, convictions were still of importance in the evaluation of ay character, and the subject was always in the fore- ground during the muserous dnterrogatione, Here again my interrogators expressed their ourprite aa to how it wae poseible for me, a8 a cctontiot, to support ay faith in dod. They never attenpted, however, to contradict ze or to label ay beliefs as abourd. ‘They actually tried to closely follow ny trend of thought and Tan certain that ay openn those things actually helped ne in receiving ay fr quickly as I dia, If I were to attempt to reconstruct @ ploture of the plight of Christianity in the Soviet Union from the spare ional mosaic pieces which T following conclusions could be nade: A church, the Greek Orthodox church, extete in the Soviet Union. Tt 40 tolerated by the Governnent but, at the same tine, closely watched 0 that dt will not gain any definite conttol over the populace. It existe in poverty and under great handicaps, Its spiritual aiesion, which 18 the guidance of the population and especially of the youth, Sannot be conpletely accomplished becai ‘barriers and obstacles. It is also incapable o heritage and tho traditions of the faith of past gonera~ ‘although much of {t can still be found in thie land of organized godlessness. Porhaps that is why the Soviet fe called a religious human being. This probably aleo oxplaine why the faithful gathor in onal groupe and romain conscious of their common Christian faith without attaching themselves to the official church. These groupe become gnthering pointe for the seekers of faith, enpectally the youth. It 48 of little iportance to which denominations ‘these groupe belong; they can call thenselves whatevor they like, but thesr bate Christian precepts will be alike in fall denonination The ideology of the Communist State {0 athetetically in clined and the education of the youth in the schoole will alwaye conforn with thie pattern. But the power of con= viction ie missing in this athotsa, because the search for the truth always stando in te way. The Soviet Union, in ‘the situation that it is today, has become a lend ripe for the miseionazy and the teachings of the Bible, Thic fact must be « holy warning to all chrietians of the world; and there should be concern forenost in the minde of all Christians to their fellow brothers in the East, in ‘spite of all handicaps and difficul te ‘CONFIDENTIAL Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04 : CIA-RDP81-01030R0001 00400008-8