Abstract
Khrushchev's Policies toward Religion: Repression in a Period of Reform
The rule of Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev has mainly been characterized by the Destalinization campaign and decrease of pressure on the Soviet people. It was thanks to his policies that many people sent to prisons, labor camps and exile during the Stalin era were rehabilitated. However, there was one field exempted from the relative liberalization campaign: Religion. His policy on religion was as repressive as that of Stalin, if not more. This paper aims to shed light on Khrushchev?s policy toward religion. The research question of the article is the following: Why did he carry out repressive policies as regard to religion, while decreasing pressure on other areas?<
Keywords
Soviet Union, Khrushchev, Religion, Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Repression,Stalin.