Antireligious Campaign of the Thaw Period in Perm Region

The tensions between the state and the church were not the same throughout Soviet history. If the 1920s and 1930s were characterized by mounting persecutions and repressions, during the Great Patriotic War the attitude toward the church became more calm on the part of the authorities. The need for patriotic rallying in the face of an external enemy suddenly turned the church into a semi-official ally of power. Partial recognition did not mean full legitimation. Already in the period of "Thaw" we see a new wave of atheistic propaganda. At this time, the church is deprived of most of its property, most spiritual schools and many active churches are closed [Ivanov, 1973]. All of the above facts indicate the difficult situation of the church in our country. The anti-religious campaign in the period of "Thaw" can be called the last great attempt to eradicate the church from the Soviet state. The study of the anti-religious campaign of the "Thaw" era is a way to understand de-Stalinization as a complex and contradictory process. The history of relations between the state and the church is described in a large number of research papers. However, there are not many studies related to regional specifics, where the propaganda aspect is considered. This study allows us to understand the mechanisms and ways of propaganda and agitation during the Thaw period.