Anti-religious Policy of Soviet Power in Kazakhstan in the 1950s-1980s (based on Archival Materials)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The article presented to readers outlines the history of certain aspects of the religious question in the territory of Kazakhstan, where a multiethnic population developed historically due to various political and economic processes under Soviet reality. The formation of a multi-confessional society became a natural process, within which Muslim, and Christian organizations, as well as non-traditional religious communities, were established. The chronological framework covers the period of the 1950s-1980s, characterized by the hollowing out of religious public consciousness through anti-religious propaganda and the atheistic education of people. The distinctive feature of the article is not simply the statement of historical facts or a historiographical review, but rather the reference to archival documents from the central archives of Kazakhstan. Based on the analysis of archival materials that describe the process of anti-religious activities in the country and the policies surrounding them, no significant transformations occurred in people's religious worldview. The measures taken could not completely undermine the religious foundations that have been formed over centuries among the ethnic groups of Kazakhstan. However, the negative consequences of the organized policy, which led to a certain stagnation of the religious system of relations, cannot be overlooked. The purpose of the scientific article is to study state–religious relations on the territory of Kazakhstan in the post-war period based on archival materials. The main objectives of the research are based on the analysis of actions related to religious policy by the Soviet authorities, aimed at fundamentally transforming the country's population through the promotion of atheistic values.
Language: English
Topic: Soviet and Russian History
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4409560979