Berezhko K. Social transformation of the Jehovah's Witnesses activity in the USSR in 1945-1991: the historical aspect

The Dissertation is devoted to the issue of the USSR authority attitude to the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1945-1991 and activity of this society in Soviet Union. The main attention is focused on such aspects: origin, dynamics and the main driving forces of religious society activity in Ukraine, peculiarities of the church - Soviet state relations in different times, believers' attitude to the society of that time and historiography of the problem. It is stressed that during second half of XX century the abrupt rise of society members was happening. However, starting from 1950s, the totalitarian regime resorts to mass repressions of believers. In particular, on April 1, 1951 the operation "North" was organized, and in result about 6,000 society adherents from Western Ukraine were deported to Siberia. In result, a spiritual work remained as a main type of activity. The community members also participated in a labor activity, but not connected with political or military areas. During the period of Soviet system crisis (mid-1960s-late 1980s) the USSR government tried to control the religious underground by means of communities' registration. Several laws were adopted in order to allow believers to leave deportations and return home. But their activity still was regarded as anti-Soviet. Real profound shifts on the USSR church policy happened only in a second half of 1980s and were caused by a new political course of M. Gorbachov. As a result on February 28, 1991 the first "Religious Society Jehovah's Witnesses" was registered in Ukraine.