Religioonivastane võitlus Eesti NSV-s aastail 1957–1990. Tähtsamad institutsioonid ja nende tegevus
Date
2011-07-20
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Abstract
Peamiselt arhiiviallikatel baseeruv uurimus kirjeldab religioonivastasesse võitlusse kaasatud olulisemate ametkondade tegevust ja institutsionaalset arengut Nõukogude Eestis aastail 1957-1990.
Stalini valitsemise perioodile järgnenud pingelangus tõi endaga kaasa teatava „religioosse renessanssi“, mis alarmeeris mõningaid kõrgemaid parteitegelasi. See ja utoopiline plaan jõuda paarikümne aastaga kommunistliku riigini – mille ühe peamise takistusena nähti „kodanlikke igandeid“, mille hulka kuulus ka religioon – vallandasid 1958. aastal religioonivastase kampaania, mis kestis kuni 1964. aastani. Kampaania käigus karmistati religioonialast seadusandlust ja kutsuti ellu mitmeid uusi religioonivastase võitluse üksusi, mis tegutsesid religioonialaste seaduste kontrollimise ja ateistliku propaganda valdkonnas – seda nii piirkondlikul kui ka ülevabariigilisel tasandil; ateismipropagandiste hakati ette valmistama nii rahvaülikoolides kui parteiharidussüsteemis. Pärast 1964. aastal toimunud muudatusi riigi juhtkonnas leidis riiklikus religioonipoliitikas aset teatud leevenemine, kuid negatiivne suhtumine religiooni jäi kestma nõukogude perioodi lõpuni – muutused selles suhtumises on märgatavad alles aastast 1988.
Uuenenud religioonipoliitika ei toonud endaga kaasa mitte kampaania käigus loodud üksuste likvideerimist, vaid hoopis katseid neid nii efektiivsemalt kui ka varjatumalt tööle rakendada. Tõsi küll, edutult, sest arhiiviallikate põhjal ilmneb, et enamike riiklike organite ja asutuste ning ka parteiüksuste jaoks oli ateistlik võitlus täiesti ebaolulisel kohal. Võttes arvesse tegevuse olematut või puudulikku koordineerimist ning segaseid käsuliine, võib väita, et religioonivastase võitluse süsteem oli võrdlemisi ebaefektiivne ning taandus lõppkokkuvõttes ainult erinevate institutsioonidega seotud ateismientusiastide tegevusele.
Uurimuses leiavad käsitlemist partei propaganda- ja haridussüsteem, usuasjade voliniku aparaat ühes talle allunud ususeadusandluse kontrollkomisjonidega, ühing „Teadus“ ja rahvaülikoolide süsteem – nende omavahelised sidemed, areng ja tegevus.
Largely based on archival documents, this study describes the functioning of the institutions involved in anti-religion campaigns and their institutional development in Soviet Estonia in 1957-1990. The calming that followed the period of Stalin’s rule brought along a certain „religious renaissance“ that alarmed some of the higher Party functionaries. This and the utopic plan to reach the Communist state in a couple of decades – the main obstacles to which were thought to be the „vestiges of bourgeoisie“, including religion – led to an anti-religion campaign in 1958, which lasted until 1964. During this campaign the laws governing religion were hardened and several new units of anti-religion work were formed; these were involved in the control over religious legislation and atheistic propaganda both at the local and republic levels. Propagandists of atheism were trained in People’s Universities and the educational system of the Party. After the changes that occurred in the country’s administration in 1964 the national religion policy softened to a certain extent, although a negative stand towards religion persisted until the end of the Soviet period; changes in this attitude were not noticeable before 1988. The modified religion policy did not lead to dispersing the units established during the campaign; instead, it was attempted to employ them more effectively and also in a more concealed manner. This was, however, unsuccessful, as archived documents reveal that atheistic propaganda was an utterly insignificant matter for most national institutions and Party units. In view of the inadequate or inexistent coordination and obscure chains of command it can be said that the system of anti-religion fight was relatively ineffective and in reality it relied mostly on the activity of individual atheism enthusiasts working for different institutions. This thesis covers the system of propaganda and education of the Party, the apparatus of the commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs and its subsidiary commissions of assistance for observance of the legislation on religion, the „Science“ Society, and the system of People’s Universities, as well as their mutual connections, development and activities.
Largely based on archival documents, this study describes the functioning of the institutions involved in anti-religion campaigns and their institutional development in Soviet Estonia in 1957-1990. The calming that followed the period of Stalin’s rule brought along a certain „religious renaissance“ that alarmed some of the higher Party functionaries. This and the utopic plan to reach the Communist state in a couple of decades – the main obstacles to which were thought to be the „vestiges of bourgeoisie“, including religion – led to an anti-religion campaign in 1958, which lasted until 1964. During this campaign the laws governing religion were hardened and several new units of anti-religion work were formed; these were involved in the control over religious legislation and atheistic propaganda both at the local and republic levels. Propagandists of atheism were trained in People’s Universities and the educational system of the Party. After the changes that occurred in the country’s administration in 1964 the national religion policy softened to a certain extent, although a negative stand towards religion persisted until the end of the Soviet period; changes in this attitude were not noticeable before 1988. The modified religion policy did not lead to dispersing the units established during the campaign; instead, it was attempted to employ them more effectively and also in a more concealed manner. This was, however, unsuccessful, as archived documents reveal that atheistic propaganda was an utterly insignificant matter for most national institutions and Party units. In view of the inadequate or inexistent coordination and obscure chains of command it can be said that the system of anti-religion fight was relatively ineffective and in reality it relied mostly on the activity of individual atheism enthusiasts working for different institutions. This thesis covers the system of propaganda and education of the Party, the apparatus of the commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs and its subsidiary commissions of assistance for observance of the legislation on religion, the „Science“ Society, and the system of People’s Universities, as well as their mutual connections, development and activities.
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Keywords
Eesti, religioon, ateism, nõukogude aeg, propaganda, ajalugu, teoloogia, 1957-1990, Estonia, religion, atheism, Soviet studies, sovetoloogia, propaganda, history, theology