In the Context of the Anti-Religious Campaign of the 1950s–1960s: From the History of the Korets Holy Trinity Convent

Abstract

The article explores the specific features of the Soviet anti-religious campaign as it pertained to the Korets Holy Trinity Convent, which involved profound administrative interference in all aspects of monastic life. The state sought to eradicate religion as a competitor to Soviet ideology. The purpose of the study is to analyze the general trends in the development and condition of the convent under the circumstances of the anti-religious policy. The research focuses on identifying the main forms and methods of anti-religious struggle employed by the state in the 1950s–1960s. These measures were implemented through the interplay of ideological-political and socio-economic pressures, including the systematic imposition of atheist propaganda, intensified state control over religious communities, restrictions on their activities, medical inspections, financial burdens, and acts of secularization. The campaign was accompanied by numerous regulatory documents that legitimized methods of coercion under the guise of formal legality.

The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, scientific rigor, objectivity, and systematization, which make it possible to examine events in their development, taking into account the specific historical conditions and the sequence of changes, verified facts, logical reasoning, and unbiased evaluation. The use of archival and bibliographic heuristics ensured the search for sources and scholarly literature necessary for studying the subject, as well as the selection and critical analysis of these sources. The application of general scientific methods—analysis, synthesis, and generalization—made it possible to structure the material, determine the state of scientific investigation of the issue, and formulate well-grounded conclusions.

The research establishes that the convent played an important role in shaping Christian moral norms and worldview orientations among the population of Korets and neighboring districts, in defiance of atheist ideology. The convent’s considerable material and financial support from believers, along with the particular favor of the Patriarch, attest to its authority. It is emphasized that despite the active anti-religious propaganda and administrative-repressive measures carried out by representatives of the Soviet authorities, the convent, as a local center of Orthodoxy, remained functioning throughout the entire Soviet period. A key role in the preservation of the convent was played by Abbess Liudmyla, whose stance became a symbol of spiritual resistance to the totalitarian regime. The analysis of available archival materials demonstrates that the anti-religious campaign was a consistent policy of the Soviet government aimed at the displacement of religious practices and their substitution with atheist ideology. The conclusion highlights that anti-religious mechanisms served as an important instrument in the implementation of the state’s policy objectives.