The Religious Situation during the Great Patriotic War and the Early Postwar Years: A Case Study of the History of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article analyzes the situation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan during the Great Patriotic War, its role in political life and historical significance, as well as the restrictions on church activities and the renewed intensification of anti-religious policy in the early postwar years. Based on the reports of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church and the representatives for religious affairs under the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR, the study examines the relationship between the state and religion, the emerging problems, and their possible solutions. The aim of the research is to explore the history of the Russian Orthodox Church during the Great Patriotic War, its role in Joseph Stalin’s foreign policy, and its contribution to the victory. The main objectives include analyzing the features of the state policy toward the Church during the war years, identifying its patriotic activity and place in society, and examining the processes of restricting church activity in the postwar period. Information on the Church’s patriotic work, its contribution to the victory, and the collection of clothing, funds, and food for the Red Army is based on archival documents. The study reveals that during the war, a temporary compromise emerged between the state and the Orthodox Church, and religious policy was partially eased. Following a meeting with the archbishops, the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church was established. In the early postwar years, the opening and functioning of churches was restricted, and state control intensified. The Soviet government, having used religion for its own purposes during the war, did not permit most churches in Kazakhstan to resume their activities afterward.