The Black Savior and Control of Extrainstitutional Sacred Sites in Communist Moscow

Abstract

The manuscript draws on archives, memoirs, and other sources to show the impact of changes in Soviet state policy between 1917 and 1991 on one type of religious activity in one part of the country, namely: pilgrimages by Orthodox believers to outdoor holy sites located in and around Moscow. It uses the history of a bronze statue of Christ to illustrate changes in the Soviet government’s methods and policies toward pilgrimage.