The influence of state-confessional policies on the activities of religious communities in Western Siberia in the 1970s and early 1980s

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the activities and position of religious organizations in the Novosibirsk region in the 1970s and early 1980s. In the period under review, there are changes in the state-confessional policy in the USSR in general and in the Novosibirsk region in particular. At this stage, the process of registration of organizations of the Russian Orthodox Church, Gospel Сhristian Baptists (adherents of the All-Union Council), Catholic, Lutheran communities was occurring. These registrations of Protestant communities were the first ones after the mass transfer of “sectarian” religious communities throughout the USSR to an illegal situation. In addition, the authorities tried to subordinate to control those religious organizations (the GCB Council of the Churches) which did not agree to register, allowing them to hold services in the same place and at the same time. The article shows the features of the situation with the Christian and Muslim communities, focusing on the registration process, economic, demographic changes within communities. The author argues that during the period under study, there was a change in the state-confessional policy with respect to religious organizations, the process of registering communities was resumed, property for the administration of religious cults was allowed to be acquired.