Soviet Religious Policy and its Consequences in Independent Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the Soviet religious policy and the problem of overcoming its consequences in the independent Ukrainian state. The research methodology is based on the comprehensive application of general scientific and specific historical methods, which allowed tracing the evolution of the state religious policy in the USSR at various stages of its existence. The scientific novelty of the article consists in identifying the essence and trends in the development of the Soviet religious policy and determining the ways of overcoming its consequences in the independent Ukrainian state. The Conclusions. Being part of the USSR, Ukraine could not form and implement its own religious policy. It was either guided by the documents adopted by the Union-wide party and state bodies or developed similar ones. The Communist Party documents outlined the uncompromising struggle against religion. This anti-religious struggle was waged using various means, forms and methods. The principles of freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state declared in the Soviet regulations were never implemented fully. The state pressure on the church intensified and weakened, but never completely disappeared. The Soviet totalitarian system caused enormous damage to the church, religious organizations, clergy, and believers. The consequence of the Soviet religious policy was the restriction of freedom of conscience, the expropriation of church property, repression of the clergy and believers, the closure of religious buildings and the destruction of the religious network. However, the Soviet authorities did not succeed in overcoming religion, which was revived at the slightest opportunity. After gaining independence, Ukraine began to develop its own model of state-church relations, and to form and implement its own state religious policy. Having received a heavy Soviet legacy in the religious and ecclesiastical sphere, the country is overcoming its negative consequences gradually. Their final elimination will contribute to further development of partner state-church relations and promote full support of freedom of conscience and religion.