Bernatskyi V. Religious associations of Volyn-Zhytomyr under the Bolshevik regime in 1920-1930's.

The thesis investigates the situation of religious communities in the Volyn-Zhytomyr region in 1920-1930's. It has been explored that anti-religious campaign in the region was executed by the Bolshevist regime by taking the following measures: by methods of administrative pressure, legal limitations, campaign to discredit clergy, disorganization work of the SPA (state political administration), repressive policy, and anti-religious propaganda. In the 1920s, according to the new economical policy and indigenization, the attitude of the authorities to religious associations was relatively liberal, which enabled functioning of orthodox, Roman Catholic, Jewish, different protestant and sectarian communities. The level of public religiosity remained considerably high. The process of religious campaign enforcement, which began in 1929, was accompanied by executing of repressive policy towards clergy and the faithful, elimination of confessional institutions, and closure of ecclesiastical buildings. During the years of "grand terror" (1937-1938) resistance of believers was suppressed. However, the Bolshevist regime did not succeed in its attempt to make atheistic society.