(SANITIZED)PUBLICATIONS CONCERNING THE USSR AND ITS SATELLITES(SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R005600050002-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 134
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 29, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 22, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~t~`r~ MAY I~a x?61 CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL/CO'i~iTROL .i5 OFFICIALS OjTT? ~ '""
COUNTRY USSR/Satellites
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE CF
~~I~
Iv;.~i~ 1LIGENCE ~,~GENCY REPORT
R,~1`TiON REFaRT'
ublicatigns Concerning the USSR and it.s Satel]_ites
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNI7E0 STATES WITNiN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT SO
U. S. C.. 31 AND 32. AS AM EN DE O. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER 70 AN UNAUTHOR12E0 PERSON IS PRO?
NIBITEO BY LAW. REPRODUCTION Of THIS iORM IS PRO M BITEO.
I. Miscellaneous Items on the USSR and Sa
~es
J. 1~?otes on the Observance of human Rights in Czechoslovakia
K, Notes on t he Observance of Human Rights in the USSR
CD N0.
DATE DISTR. 22 Aug, 1g~0
N0. OF PAGES 1 50X1-HUM
N0. OF ENCLS. 11
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NC3
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
'~~Darumerrlr
~tates`~
n~~ ~ arsr?~zn
H. Miscellaneous Items on the iiSOR an
G. I~?iscel ~_aneous Items on the USSR a
D. Control ~~f :?.'orkers in Countries
E. Daily Life in a Commun._st State
F. Soviet Tlabor Discipline
Attachments:
~. Essence of Soviet Foreign olicy
B. Gormnunist Conquest of the 3altic
C. Christ:~.~=nity in the Soviet Union
STATE
ARMY
NAVY
AIR
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL/CONTROL US OFFICIALS ONLY
NSRB ~
~~ ~
ell
~
50X1-HUM
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005
600050002-2
 Declassified
~+ cnv~ ~ ~~ inn
in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2 ' """'
II. Cox_u:~ents on the Dr4 f t Dcc:lar^ t;ion ef' I-iurZ~.n ua~;ht.:~,
article "a~' Usta.c~.e.. ~p - "~""
Z . Introduction, B~ c~tgroun~ _ ~. Arr~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ 1'irticle. 1 ~ {Nattzr~al equality)
,l,,xticle 2
article i.
~rticlo ~..
2~ ~~ xl31 pYOau~ by
(Discrir.~in~tcry practicc~~:~~a~~~?nceAgeaa4
(I,a.fe, libort;~, and securitsr)
(Servitude)
.~. Taxistence: of sl.avor,y (Cl~,usc I)
B. Condition, (Clause II)
C . Evidence f turn victa.r:~s
D. i~viclonco :fro;:z Soviet sources
~. Forcccl Dabour ~.n the: E~ste.rn. zone of
l~rticle 5. (R~:co~nition bcf'orc the law)
~-. .article C. (Lqua19_ty before, the 7.~v1)
,rtiole 1. (l~.rba_-trar~ arrest and detention)
Para~;r~.phs '!-7 arrest g-11
Para~;rapti~~ >-10 Detention ~1
Con.tax~ued overle4~'
~ ~~e~-t,.) ~ e.~ ~ ~,,~ ws cam. ~~ ~~f.s w. ~'~+a: G.: a S ~,
~.
~---5
~-7
7w8
Gexr~an~r g
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~' ~ ~~ 7 ~~~~ ~~~. C~~~ ~ R~ ~.
~~~~~
31 1oCU~a b?
'ih~+- l~al~Ia e11~~""~ A~~ pages
1`~rtzcle ?3. (~~a:i.r. hearint; by itlpa.rtial ?tri1x~na1}
,~yrticle
1'.rticl~
1~.rt1Ca_C.
l~.rticle:,
l~,rt iclc,
lLrtir.,le
.~1rt iclc
~"~rticlC
~`articlc;
Proc~w-.ton of innoc~;ncc}
No retrospective legislation}
?i 3
73
((lnreasonnblc~ intcri'orence} 13-'11-x.
'11 . (I~'rcec~o7r: oi' r~io?vea.ient and resiclenee}
'~ ~ .
'~ ~ .
1 F; .
(ls.=>;yrlur.. .~'r0~.! "~",GrSeCU~1,~:kOn}
(DcZ,r iv~tion r~,' no.tionality}
(1:~ura.;^, r~.uc:. the i'arail;r}
,.,.
( t~'~ :~i;'~C~;_t O:~' O'~1n1Qn anC~. i;iY.`,,~rG'SS:LOn}
14
~~
~ -16
~~
sce below
20. (Social socurity ~.nd right;}
Cl~.use.~ T ~: II A Right o:I' ovork} 1B
Cl~usc III - lradc unions} 1819
_P.tix?ticlc 22. (Social ,",cx?vices}
lsrticle 23. (Ec~zcation}
+ lirticle 21~., (RiL;ht to 1 cif' the. ti~rorka.ng olass coincide ti,r5.th those of the sf'orerlost
or anise:cl. cl,etachs_.ent of that class t . Thcrofarc, in the U~ S, S.R, , frcedora of
spec;ah, prc:~s, ~~sc~cr^.b7.y and c1cr~.cn vt;ration are guarantcacl only when. they
confori.t with tha interest~~ of the Cc?:~:.uni st 1:'rzrty. Zn fact, Soviet citizens
axe free only to sl>e{tk, print ~^~nc:~ dcr_tonstrnte their a;reemcnt with the
pronouncerients ~u~d actian~, of the Car_~r.uni~t I'^rty, i.c, of the Palitbureau,
ire., of the State. It >houl~l. bo paa_ntc,d eta-t-here: in parenthesis tkia.t
Soviet propaganda, bath ir~tcr.nrxl and e:xternal., makes "teat-play of what it
describes as sUalshevik . cr~.t:+.c:i_sm c~nd self-criticisms . That this has nothing
in carrnnon ~ri.th. -the real si;;nificancc of criticism is app~~.rent from tha
inclusion of the ~~reliminar,y ep~.the?t. In practice i?t consists of encouraging
rank-anc~.file x~~.rarnbers of the Cor~rnuna_st :~'a.rty or carne: ath,er suublic or State
organisations to er~>res.:; d:issatisf'action Frith tkLe ~eray in ~;thich tta.e orders of
the Soviet leader;~ are being carried out ~ As a result of such 'criticisms
heads kv~.vc; af'ten. been lcnozrm to fall fraut minor burc~~ucrati a shoulders. The
system, is not ~xrithout its u;~c, to thca Sovic;t lcacl.er:.:, a,:~ tt-rerclay any discontent
bretifing up as a .r~;cult of inefi"ics.ent or rnistakc,n planning, frarn above can. be
most effectively diverted to break over subordinate heads. TkZe;rc has never been
any c*xamplc of rank.-anc~ fi1.c, critioi~;m of the ~risCior~l of plans and orders
emanating from ~tkie soviet leaders ~ such a thing is indeed untha_nlLable in the
uoviet Union,
3. The final paranraph of Article, X25 indicates the enact methods vnc~rcby
these amenities ~3.re ensured. Pres:acs, stocks of papas, pulal:ia buildings, the
s`trects, cornxnunications facilitio~s Znc?. other material. rct~ua.citc;s are 'placed
at the c~.isposa.l of the 'crorlcing peaplc and tha-i r orga nisations s . This means
that they ~~re p1acE;~d. at thra dispos~~l of organisations of vrarlcing people -they
are: certainly not placed at the disposal of individual working per cans,
~,, Zt is useful to contrast this dr~crea ti~ra.th the a,dnLirtistrative
regulations (precise rcfcr~,nao unfortunately not ava~.lable at present 't~rt~.:ich
deal wa..th the ri~~,k~t to acciuirc: any form of hsnd-duplicating, machine;. Here a
licence must be abtaa_nc:d fxon~ the local police authorities and it must be
issued in the naanc of the; hc~~d of the, sa--called "Secret Departrncnt" { i, e.
the department resparisiblU f'or security to the. iti`linistor of Security) of the
undertaking or organisation app2ying~ far the licence, or in the name: of the
organisation if thex~e iti~ no "Sc:crct Departmen'L?" . T~acencas are not issued 'to
individuals. Thf; 1.}a:chiru mus~L? bra registerac:l ti~ritkL the State Publishing and
Ccnsortihip Dopar.tzricnt, ~I'hc. l:i.cence mast ~bc proauccd c^ah, time before replace-
. r_lents, aace:ssories ar. materials far trt~ machine can be purchased. vGrything
produced on the; r.7achine i~~ subject to p.rli7itinary censorship by the local
brangh of the; State. Publishinc; Dc~p~~.rtxnex~t 'before ~:~t can be distribu'Ged.
CONFIDENtlAL CONTROL U. S. GI'~'l~IALS OILY
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 ' i
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~- ~~t~~~RL ~. S$
~~ ~.~~ r
~ lDE~iT,q~.
? r ~ ~' I1tI~ Ilt 6u2g3IIC6 AQA21Cf
1 , Clausa T. Tlae basic description of -the Soviet electoral system
is given ~n Chapter 1T7~ of the Sova.ct Constitut~..an. I~ror:~. this ~-re learn that
'The highest organ of State authority of tha U. S.S,R, is the Su7,remu Soviet
of the US,S.R.' -and Yre already kno?tiv that the Cor~ununist Party is the lea~:ling
core of all Sts.te organisations (Article '126) . Article: 32 cf the Constitution
tolls us that 'the legislative potiaer of - tt~e U.S,S.Fc, is a~L~:rcised c:~clu;~ively
by the Si~prcmc Soviet of the U.S.S.R. t; ~.rticlc 33 states that the Suprrrle
Sa~raet is bicameral; consisting of ~~ Soviet of the Union and a Savie;t of
rdationalitias. Article jl~. Explains that 'the Soviet a~', the Union is elected
by the oit:izans of the U?S,S*R. according- to eleatoral. areas on tha basis of
one deputy T"or every j00,000 of the population'; and l~rticlc 35 explains
tk~.zt the Soviet of Natiorralitics is also c.].eetcd according to a proportional
rcprc;sentation s.y'stari (t~rhich need not conac~rn us here) . Finally, l~rticle ~6
states: 'The Supreiic Soviet of the U,S.>,R., at~z joint sitting of bath.
C11~unbers, appoints the Government af' the; U,S.S,E~, nariely the Council af' 1~Tinistars
o? the Li.S,S,R,' Frorn chapter Yl of tha Sovact Ckcnstitut9.on 5rc loam th~.t
all Sovi~:t deputies t~rc e;lcctad 'on the bo.sis of universal, direct and cc~ual~
suffraue by ecfual ballot' (.Garticle 13~.) ; that ~ 11 Soviet catizen:~ of 1S and
over, ti~Ta.thout any sexual, racial, economic, religious or other discrir:linat ion,
have the right to vote, Furthermore cash oitizcn has ono vote (lpx?t:icle 136)
Cf ~;raat signifacanee as arta.cle 11'1, ~sv?hiclz states; 'The right to. nonzxn^tc
candidates is secured (not to individuals but) to public arlanisatians and
societies of the tiuorking people; Corru:~unist Part~r organi,?~ations, trade un:LOn.~~
cowopcrative:s, youth organisations and cultural societies,?' l~Toti~r it :~ ollalrs
froi~~ the nature of the 'leading core' (~~rt:icle '126) of the 'public arganis~ t:i.ans
and societies of the ~,vorlc:ing people' , ths.t they cannot in practice nar~inat<
candie~~,tes in. any vray opposed to the bclic:f's and actions of tl~c Col:u~unxst 1'art,y'.
We further kna~;r, from a study of the Soviet press over .>everal r.:onths preceding
the elections to, for cxuocoecling G~rta.cl.os to vrhieh this, is related.
1lf~TTC ~ 21,
1. Clauses T and TT_, Sea article lf,, (Forced Labour)
There is, to say the least, +;oad found{^tion ~'or the suspica.on~; that
prisoners arc arrested ~~nd condemned to forced labour purely to pravida ,~x
cheap labour f oroe: (ti~rhich they certainly do provide)
2. Clause TTI. The right of the Soviet citizen to join -ilrade union~~~
is guarante;ecl in hrticle 126 of the Soviet Con.statut:i.on, tivlrich lasts these
organisations among pcrr~latted public or~;anisatians, but Soviet Trade; Unions
certainly do not proteot the intarests of the ~Rrorkar. Their. true function is
revealed in an article in the Soviet Fncyelopacdia, (1910 ti?rhich point~~ out
CGi~EiDENTIAL ~~`R~~. C~. S. ~~ E~~~~IS Q~`~~"
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
-- -~~.
CO~F~fl~NT1Al. 0~ ~ ~~ ~~
rr~~~ t ri~l pr,.by ..
that tin 'conditions of tlic Dict~torshi~y_~ cf tho Proletariats the Trade Unions
fulfil the role of 'a :cllool of Cor:~runis7_z' , (Stalin hii.zse;lf in the 11th
edition of hia '~uestian of L,eninisr_.s (19L?~~ pave 132, explains that the
Soviet Trade Unions arc 'the gill-crnbracin ' organisation of the ti-rorking class
tirhich ~,s in potiver in our country....Thc:y forn:~. the link bettiveen the advanced
and the backrrarcl clerne;nt>s in the; ranks of the i~rorkin? class. t he goes on to
point out that the `.1'rad~: Unions constitute one of x'ive 'levers or transz~:issian
bcltss tirithout ti~rriose Zid tlrc dictatorship of the proletariat could not exist,
(Tfa.c other four 'transa_ais;>ion bel~~ss rei'crred to by Stalin are: the Soviets,
the Co-operative Societies, tl~e Young Corr~:~.tniti;t League, and the Cormlunist
Party itself.)) ,;.~ a tranr~r:=is.~ion belt for. the Soviet dictatorship and as
a school for Cor~~:~ranisi:r, the Soviet Trade Unions have little if' ~inything in
coruaon tiaith the or~an:isations of tha-L- n~ti~:; ~,-rhich tirc lLnoz-r in y;Testern Europe.
l~?,TICLE 22. It can be contandcd that social : crvice>> of the Soviet Union
are of a lour standard (r:~ach inferior to those of t;lic U,Fi. in alrlast every
respect , but thi~:~ i.s scarcely relevant to the main issue.
IsRTICLE 23.
1. Clause I. No cor~uic;nt. .
2. Cruse II. Soviet citizens are not educated to be intolerant of
and to hate other nations but reactionaries in those nations, though the
distinction undoubtedly becor:ics blurred. ________~
3. It is doubtful y,ticthcr Soviet children ar. o educated to a re~3pcct
for func~~rsnental freedoms, brat it c~,n be nrgucd profitlessly laoth tirays.
L~., ~.s rogarc~.s rc:li"iou.~, groups, ~,rticlc 12L~. of the Sovi.ct Constitution
acknoti~rledges the right of all citizens to freedom of anti-rcl.igious propaganda
and thus conduce;, to the :~rpread of intoleranco and hatred against religious
groups,
.kRT ICLE No C oirn.~.ent .
i7~'1,'~E, ~ No cor~u_7cnt,
1,RTICLE 26 ditto.
11RTICLE 2~: The cor~rtients on prc;cedinL 1':rticlc;s concerning; these rights,
and on the right of privactr (l~.rticle 10) and arbitrary arrest (rrticle 7)
provide cor~raent cn thiry ,irticle should it become a subject of debate ~v~.th
reference to conditions in the U.S.S.R.
l~FtTICLE 23. No cor.~rrrent,
CONFIDENTIAL
~~ ~ ~~~~ u ~ s. c
- Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18
CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~ >
w
C~~iF`in~NTO~L
NOTE
This document contains many citations f'rc~7. the
Czechoslovak press and- radio. As far as recent citations
are concerned, it is requested that the source should not _
be quoted unless it is considered essential to do so., fihe ..
Prague radio and the Gzeohoslovak press are a valuable
source of infarmat3on on local conditions and it is v~er~
d~;sirable that no action should be taken Mich might lead ~sib9
to the imposition of a closer censorship, . :b~~0?'~t ~~~,ac~ A4~~
~~~r~~~~~i ~~~
Cent ~ ~~~
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18
CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2 SUM
~~~~r~~, ln-~roauctiion ~~'~ A~-~
2. The Czechoslovak Const~tut one ~~fOS~R'
3?
~C~~D~,NTIAt
II. Retrospective Justico
~R
III. Sacuri ty Of pers
IV. Forced Labour
V. Danunciatian
VI. Freedom of Information
VIZ. Frocdom of Assembly
VTII. Rol'igious discrimination
IX. Freedom of ~Zovement
X. Right of personal property
XI. Racial discrimination.
Details of Violation of Human
Rights in Czechoslovakia
I. Integrity of the .Judiciary
and administration of justice
~~~~~~~
i Y a.~
~~~~ iti:ii .tt t ~L~cuic~~. tuy
~OYliT8113i 611ig~nCe ~~~
C~N~-I~i~N~lAt
C(3N i R~L U. S. ~~ r~CiAIS ONLY
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~.
CC~~~~r~
~~~~~AL
C`~I~TROL U. 5, Q~F~CIaLS ~'~~Y
SECTION- '1 .
.~....,
TNTRODUCTSON Centxal~ellt~ ~`~ pgenc4
It is unnecessary- to rccapitulato the stops
by yvhich the Communists seized potivcr ,in Czi~ehoslavak,~.a;
they w3:11 . be . fresh ~ in the mind of everyono. :Th'o
Corr~nunist teehn3.quc 'of ir~f;',:~tration into the sources
of power in a liboral democracy, and cspocihlly thQ
palice~ the armed forces, the municipalitic~si and ~thv
trades unions, is familiar enough. It is not Corrui~unist
practice to wait until. tho majority of tho eloctorat?
has been persuaded to support them; indeed this' has
never hap:~cncd, Powc;r is soizod as soon as the 1?arty
is in a position to cxo sa sa.fcly. But thc.rc has
always been an attempt to suggest that this scizur?
of power roprescnts the 1r 3.11 of the pe;ople+ and to obtain
the ~:ndorsemcnt of a rump of elected representatives.
This hypocrisy is the tributQ v~~hich vice pays to v3.rtue~
Thus, the prc;scnt Czechoslovak rSgime, ylhich th?
Communists forced an the people over the heads of the
constitutionally appointc;d leaders of thQ demaQ~ratic
parties, extracted a spurious rnand`tc from a terrorised
.National Assembly -from ~vhich seventy d~:~puties
had boon arbitrarily excluded. Ore established in
power this regime, by means of rigged elections,
vahere the ballot was neither free nor secret and no
opposition candidates could stand, forced on t.ha
people a conununist parr.atnent, ~ahich duly canfix~xnod
the govrrnmentTS mandate.and subscquen.tly unanimously
elected the leader of ~L-he Communist Party Prosid?nt
off' the Republic. The. seal vaas set on the Communist
seizure of powc;r by the passin?; of the neuv ,
canstitution,.which the legally elected President
Bones ha.d refused to sign. A Corr~nunist Prime.
~-. ~~~',~~~~~~~ /Mini suer .
~' . ~~ ~~
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
Minister, therefore, a Communist cabinet and a .
communist Assembly conspired to turn a communist
conception of government into Czechoslovak law and
write it on the Statute banks.
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
a
CaNF~~,~ ~-~~~
CeIItLal 111611tq'.~CQ ngeu+v7
law., dons .not daCroc~ othorvrisor "Tha .1ativ"~, nawh?r4
fixad :nor. def fined, is being cont3.nually addad toy.
so .that each no~v poeo of legislation mak?s 'yvidox
tha ~.aopholes yvhich th? constituticin has ~1oft~r
5? "Pars oval frocdom" we are told in S+octign, 2
"is guaranteed. It rr~ay bo rdstrictcd or "yvithhe~.d.
only .on the basis of law' "?:
' But- thQ~c~ is no ~.ayv to ir~d~.caty
vJhox~. a citizen may expoet to find his personal.
i'rcoc7.om-restricted or withheld. The Ass?mbly ,hs.s
subsequently passed. a 1?~tiv legalising ;slaw labru~-:'_
and Qvery citizen may vJCll w~ondor yvhat limit thorQ
will- be to laws passed in tho futuro v~h~.ch may restrict
his freedom. ~(seo Soction 3, item 1V "Forced labour`s ).
6.~ In Soctian 3 it states, "no one shall be
grosc~cuted except in casos permitted under the law
_._ ,.,
and. then only by a court or authorit~r c_ omgot?nt?
by~law~'! Thorc~ i~ nothing to indicato when th?se .
casks are permitted or,~ more important, vrhAt:author$ty
othor than a court can p~osQCUto. Sec also Section
3,~ item 1xI "S?curity of porson? )
7. It is the samQ with other civic rights which
should be inv3.olable,~ The in9iolability of.thQ:
domicil? is guaranteed, but it-may 'k;a rosti~ieted
'r on the basi,~ s of law" . No-~ono.'s promises may be. `..', .
searched " axce~t~in casQS perm~.tted and?r tho low".~
A search may bQ carriod out only on tho strength of
a tivritten circumstantiated warrant granted by a ~udgQ
? :z .
t authority. Thoro is no clue . as to -what
this competent authority may ba? -But it makes little
difference as it is stated furtkier~~ on that "~a s?:arch
can ba carried out. otherwise if thQ j.avr. so ~dirQCts."
~~~4~N~S6Ar: , ~a.
CONTRQL U. S. ?0'~F6CIALS
~r~r~a~ u. s.
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18: CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
In short all thes? rights may be r?stricted
"b~ ~ w", and the Nation Assembly ms.y well-pass
riotroactivo legislation ltest~icting -these rights
ens has indeed alr?ac~y ~on? so.
..
9, Special clauses'have boon incorporated into
th~i Dons ti tution to a11ow still Qore
scope to the secret police. According to thQSa,
'~$tatements and Acts that constitutQ a threat to
the indopandanco,ontirety and unity of the state,
constitution, republican form of government and the
Poopl?+s Democratic ?rdor are punishable according
to the lava" ~ Fina7.ly in Section 3$, vac learn that
all the rights and liberties concedQd in.th?
Constitution may bo restricted "~vhen ?vents occur
~~ ~ "~t~a't threAton in increased measure the indopendencei
...
onti'roty arid~ unity of the .state, etc. (sae abov? ~;
Tt is not laid dawn who is to determine ~vhen such
Quonts have occurred, but it seams evident that
they are likely to occur Orly frequently in th?
present state of tension batvaQen the Czechoslovak
rulers and the people.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18: CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~~~ ~ ~~~T~a~ u. ~. or~~~s~~s ~r~?
..
'
~~~. ..
~~~IFIDEN~
8EC ~ION~ ~ C ~ ~ ~~
~atral ~ ~Q~uce Aqe~
,,
Dotails oi' Vio1L~:t~.ori o:t~~IumS~x~. R~. r s ,
~incc tie ommunist. a~~~~. ,,,in ~~ebrui. r ~~4
The Tnto~rit~ of the Juaic_i~ry
Tho Communists were not slow in se~i.ng to it that.
all those .elements on tho C~~ech conch v~ho were: likely
to dispanso justice in tho 'cold-fashioned" way wc;ro
purged. The Pres~dcnt of the Surpeme Court of Justicr~
has boc:n disrnissc~d and replaced by a nominee of the
rSgim?. k~-, judges and 2 state Z~rosocutors have boon
removed fx~c>m the -same courts ~16 judges .have been
ramovod from the Gentral Court of Justice in Prague,
including the President a~1d Vico-President. The Court .
of O1,e~o~ucs in MUravi~ has ~e:~r~ r~urgad of its President,
Vice-President and e i~;ht judges.., Thc~sQ are only soma
of tho va,ctl.ms oi' the Cominunast ~urgc of ~ustico~-
2,, The Cantr~~l Action Cor,~r~litti;c. ~~~hich cLissolved
the 'Union of Czech laL~ycrs va ill nat ,alto ~a a Dwyer
to practica unless. he is "relis.ble" and yritGzholds its
permits from many roputablc lawyers, inclucl.ing any rho
wera so .rush as to dcfGnd co11~:~l~aratars or
black marketcQrs~
3? Dr.. Prok.op Drtina, the: Minister of ~astice~. vaho was
polit3.aal. ,tadvis?r to Presidorzt ~senas during ~iis yoars: in
England and-who championed. justice so haroical~.,y .against
Corrnnunist abusos w~~s removed. from his post during the. coup.
d~ e.tat and replaced by the uzii~rinciplcd Con~nuni~st fanatic
Ce1~icka.. The latter- hugs declared that the mission of
judges :: is to? be a support of the people ~ s dc~ialocratic
o.e~n3.nistratior~: ana to apply the l~.ws in the spirit of that
adnxtnistration f
t~N~lDE(~T1AL
~ ~ ~~~~,~5 ~~,~~~
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
acUnin3.strstian. Dr. Drtno- is no'~a in hc~;~ital tiJith sevcro
head injuries resultin~; rolz yYhat is rt;l~orted to have been
an `attom;~~t to comr,~it suicido.
4x Provision of an inde;?enc~c~nt judiciary was o. feature. of
tho'' old Constitution, Suction 9g. ol" uahich stated that judgos
.~
shoul%;. bo indel~ci~.deiit in't,he exorciso of.thc;ir conscic~ncc and
bound only by 1at~r, to abide by Vlhich they ;pledged thoi;~salvcs
on o~.th. On the: other hrin~~, ~:irtiela XT of .the new
canstittition, section 143, roc1uires judges to take an oath
that .they ~~i11Y'abide 'ay the latirs and orders and intorl~rc3t
thorn in th? light o~ the ,Constitution and of tho ;~rinciplos
of tho Peoplo's Democratic 4ru.cr etc,"
5. i'hc Na~~J Constitution, ?rovidcs far lay judges y~hose
votes arc oc~ual yJith thas? o-r' j~rofessianal judges. Lay
judgos, according to ,Section 142, are a1~;;~ointed by the
National Gommi-tt.oos, vrhich deans, in offcct, by the"fiction
Commlttces'; 1n tho caso o~' the revived xctuibu~cion Dccrc~a
and i'c~ople~ s Courts the -~cnch is to consist of a
;?rofess,ional judge and 2 or ~- lay judges. ~,s the: votes of
thu lay judges o.re dvci~ivc, the likolihooc~ of a fair trial
is remote.
6. Th? Old. Constitution csto.l~lished an inde;~cndcnt
Constitutional Court, incluc;.ing at least ttivo Suprcamc Court
judgos which could decl~rc a law ~d if it was cans~.dvred
. to conflict with the constitution. Section 6~ :of the nctia
constitution allocates to the ~raesidiu~1.. of .the Platioiio.l
' ,~~ssembly tho tasl~ of- int~rl~rctinr~; .thE laws i~l the c~vont
of a ccisputo and o:i deciding tijhcther o. lativ is at variance
with the constitution. Thus, unclcr tnu nc~J constit~ition
'chc judge:s~ so far from elccitlin~; thQ ve~lic.ity .of dccroos,
have to swoar to obey them.
7. r
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
Centxal In elltig once Ageaay .
Throe ~udgos ..who. wore cpncornod in ..the trial of
Cai~'~lD~NTIAL3 .~
the accomp~,iaes of General Jano~+~sek tivera dismiss?d
because. sentences imposed by them yrcre considered too light.
,8. ,Justice has been made still more. summary by the p assing
of two drastic moasuros,~
a, LAw 33 providing for. ,the ro-opining of cases
.which have come up or should have come up
before the x~otitr .defunct. Peoples Courts * This
is allowed vrherc the case should n.ot have
beaxz stopped or whore the sentonc? was too
.low or was never pronounced. This permits the
. , Communists to ro-try ~r~d ~.ncres.se the santdnces
of all those vrhom they ,specially wish to penalise.
It is an effective mdasurc of intimidation, An
example of 1;hQ flagrant injustice of this measure
~is th? casQ of Kaschtovsky. Ho was sentenced by a
pr?-February F?oples Court to 5. years imprisonment
on, charges of having denounced Czechs to the
G?xmans, At the former.trial witness?s stated.
that he had been aci;ivo in the underground
movamQnt, hence the.comparatively light sentence.
fit the ro-trial no vritnasses could. b:o found to
ropQat-.this statement and Kaschtovsky was therefore
ro--sentenced to 1ifQ imprisonment.
,
The
. now law .for, the defence of ,the Poople~
independence of thc~ constitutional unity of th?
re ublic wil
p 1 be treated as High Treason, as will
- _
also the folloti~ring crimes: the secession of
.parts. of the territory of the republic; attempts to
overthrew -the T'c;oplo's Democratic system or the
Dcmaeracy. Icy this law attempts to destroy
economic or soci~.l order of the , r~epuYa,lic: alliance
zov urana.tu:ti
r.~ines from the Las tern zone of Ger~_,any, have in so~:le cases chosen to serve
with the Israeli units rather than taork in the rainos.
l~erodroraes at ~atcc, Hr~~.dec Yralov? and Brno are arlong those used to
send arras and in so~_~c eases fuel to Palestine.
17/B (3 )
(5) le siatic li ffairs
N~HRU ai;YS COT;~,ZUNI;~TS OVL~;PL; ~~D Th~ITt fi~;NDS
The change in Cor~rlunist policy in ~';sia after the war and the possible
reasons vahich led the Coi.naunist Partie;:~ to o~,rorplay their hands ~acru discussed
by the P~irne Iviinistar cf India, Pandit Nchx`u at a press conference on '12th
Ncvfll;rbcr .
Pandit Nehru rc;called that there had been a ~~larked ckiange: in Carar:iunist
policy tirhen support fur nationali:~t g~overnr;~e;nts forr7e;d in .~isiar~,;countries ~~as
replaced by an opposition which inspired atte~:rpts to uproot these govc;rni.~cnts.
The progra~.rr_ie of the national goverrrracnts in Burr:ra and Indonesia ~-rer~;
advanced socialist pragrar_n_1cs, pointed out the Prir.~c i~,'inister. Ncvorthel.oss
the- Cor.~r~unists there rebelled a~~:r~inst thcr:~; they isolated thc;~-r~elvcs, in
othar words, from the national ~~rovor.~cnts y~h_i.ch ~vcrc still the rlost povrcrful
in those countries:?
This preiaaturu action on the part of the Coia~_tunists had only t~vo
possible explanations: "either the Co;araunist leadership in those countries
Uras very irirraturc and had no rc;alisation or appreciation of conditions in the
country, or they acted under orders fror_~ so;.ic other place t~hich ignored thc~so
conditions far sortie reason of their a~vn". "P~rhaps it was both", added
Pandit Nehru?
17/B (5) a
~~~~~`~~ ~ ~~,L ~C~~TR~L U. ~. ~~ ~ i~lAlS Q~L`~
C~
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 _ _e l wrnf!tYT?.1 777
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~~~n~~~Or~ c.a~al In ~Il,iq-^xica ~a4~~1,r1 cc
^.r~. ~ ~ r r~i~~+~ ~r~lL t
R:i~VOLT RLPOR'~D IN KO]~!;' S SOVI:~;T ZONl;
1~t least 6,000 rebels arc reported to have been killed by the ~~oviet-
trained North Korean People's ~,r~.ry after a t~cak, unor;anised and unsuccess-
ful revolt against Coi.~r.~unist dorlination had, broken out in eight cities of
the Soviet-occupied zone, according to Chung:lcin~~ radio on ~3th Noveriber.
Hunger, poverty, cold and oppression in the Soviet area are in=:.itrr all av~;ilablo f;.dstu~'f;:; in thc:.t?rindotas and
R r l! A ~.l
~~1 ~v ~ ~~
C
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~Q~r~'~V~ M~ ~e ~! ~ ~~~ ~~
CONFlDENTi~I
~~1.1,- rlht! lndt rt?Ll prOCille3 by
Central Ia elliq once Agency
at the xequest of the ;~ovict occupying power, shop-vJindo~.~s have to be -lit
up after closing hours to give an appc~ ranee of life and. ^.nii~atian
only 3.7=, of the population in the ruestern sectors have roistered
fur food and f uol in the aoviet sectors, despite the induce:r:iont a:ffordcd by
the prol.~isc of extra. rations; thir-~ ~acans that the nui_~~oor of .those vaho have
registered iri the ~aviet sector is '100,000 lower than that of those ~vho
voted for the Coi.liaunists in the 191,.6 elections.
17/~ (9) e
ROI7i'.~usNTl'3 ~:%i~V.ul~u CULTiJt~'sL LINK -.Z~i~I r'R~,NCE
The Con~aaunist policy of rofusin? free access to the: o~{t~ide world was
carried stc,~;e further in I-tountania vuhen the hot~~iani~.~n Gov~:rnr:~ent on 21st
Novel.~ber ddnounccd their Cultural ~',~rce~~ient Y~ith I+'rance signed on Tlarch 31st
1935.
Propaganda and t~~itation.
The French Institute is to be closed forthwith (cf. 6/B (9) a)~
17/B {9) f
aOUT.; T TI'v's WING ,aCHLI'.~ b~~, ILC
The acadc;i~y of Soci1 p
~~tY~ ~ e]ligsace F,Qena9
ti~OVIL T `.t'I~R~;A T TU A U~`IrRIA' ,~ :tZ~~, IL TR'~AT~;POR
Recent aoviet instructions to the ~~ ustrian Federal I-~ailways to
surrender 5t~0 engines and. 5,575 goods and passenger trucks as Soviet tivar booty,
have been denounced, reports the Vienrk~ press, by the Socialist ldinister of
Power, Hr. I~,iigsch as contrary to the ITag~uc Convention,, since no booty could
properly be dc-~~anded fror,~ Austria ~rvhich had never boon in. a state of war with
the U.,~.a,,:%,
1';cco.rding to the; ~~ocs.alist newspaptir ''Arboiter-Zeitung"9 the fulfilment
of th4 Soviet dcm~znd. would r,iean the restriction of railc~ay traffic to an
emergency standard in the ;soviet zone, for a.t would entail a depletion of
rolling-stock of some 1~.0 to 50 per cent. H:r. ;agr.~eistor, i:iinister of Food
pointed out that the transport of food supplies yaould be endar~;ered while the
12in.ister of `:Cransport, Hr. Uebeleis stated that the; surrender of this rol.ling-
stvck tivould mean the; collapse o:' ~~ uG;trian goods traffic.
Under the 19.6 Contro~. A~rcor~zcnt the ~;oviet ~ler:;ent undertook, in
conjunction with the other throe Or.cupyir~; Povaers, to promote the economic
recovery of Austria,
'~ 7~'~ (11 ~ a
RUS'aIAN~; "CFN;~OR" I3liIiLIN T~Il}~PIIONa~ DII;EC 1~'OkY
Post offices in the Soviet scctar of berlin v~~ere instructed on 22nd
Novet~iber by the Soviet sector police to stop the distribution of the new
Berlin telephone directory to subscribers, according to the German nevrs agency
report.
The official rca:on given by the; Soviet sector police was that the new
directory did not give the police departmen~i~s su'ficiently clearly in its
pr-went form. In fac? the office of Dr. Johannes ;~turaci is quoted as the Berlin
Police I3eadquarters and not that of Hr. Paul :~arkgraf, whom the hussians
il7.eg'ally appointed as head of the; Berlin police force.
C~>~~r1~3FNTid1 ~ ~~~~~~Q~
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
i7Nali:GN ~A UTY
ibis maf ri~1 prr~cure ~ ~~
Ceatral Ia ellig~nae Agenay
The cxcaptionally violent anti ~rlerican tone of a Russian film "The
Russian ~uestiori", tivhich has been shatnrn racently in Prague, has apparently
succeeded in embarrassing sorio of the C zach film critics.
These critics tivcra tal~en to task in the Cor.~i.lunist Party newspapers
''Rude Pravo", "lvorba?t and "~,~lada Fronta" .
!`~pparcn.tl~ their fault vans to I~ay mare attention to the techna.cal and
artistic vaiite of the film than to t~ahat "119.1.ada I'ronta" described as its
"beautiful ide:alogy".
17,~~ (11 } c
T2'1RXI~T. FII~T~t~ T:CP
The F'apoff cig;~re.tte, ~.iade in the "people's otivn" tabacca industry in
the aoviet -Zane of Gex:~any, is accused by a recent correspondent of -the Potsdar.7
netivspapQr "i1IaQx~kischc Vollestimme" of "sabotaging praduction and and?rniining
the Tvvo Year Plan" .
?tI faint8d at ~rrork?' the tivriter said, "and rly throat burned for a long
time aftor smoltir~; one: of those rationed cigarettes" .
1 ~/B ('11 } d
Press
The follovaing articles riay be found to contain points of intcrast:-
(a} Titc~'s standing in Croatia, 1~y ~~lcxander Fd~:rth
T,Tanche;ster Guardian: issue: of 25th 1`rovcniber, 1948?
(b} ~:lr. i.Tolotav's Intervia~v vaith Gerr:~ans
lianehcste?r Guardian,: issue: of 26th Navei.~ber, 191+8.
Index
PART A ~- Noted British Scientist Resigns from IVloscova Academy
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 ~i15 (S AN FIYI~?~roer
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2 HUM
G~HRI~d~dO~tL~bI~-Y4~YT E
SOVIET UNION
THE ANTI-RELIGIOUS STATE AND THE CHURCHES
Zhis mat ri31 procuse3 by
Summary
Central In ells-9 ,nce Agenap
Under the Tsarist regime there was freedom of religious worship. The Orthodox
Church in particular had freedom of propaganda also, and was the established church
supported by the State.
Under the Communist regime the Orthodox Church is supported only because
the Soviet State is not strong enough to compel everyane to be atheist and because
toleration of the Orthodox Church is useful for the prosecution of Communist policy
abroad.
The Communist Party, which controls all activities in the Soviet Union, is
openly and militantly atheist. The Young Communist League is also brought up
to be militantlly atheist.
The Soviet Constitution entitles Soviet citizens to freedom of religious rite;
but there is no freedom to propagate religion. Freedom on the other hand is granted
by the Soviet Constitution to propagate anti-religious views and theories.
Entry into any career in the Soviet Union and progress in that career depends
on either the support of the Communist Party or membership of it. Since the Party
is atheist in principle, no~ member of any religious faith can progress in his career.
UNDER the Tsars the Established Church in
Russia was the Russian Orthodox Church,
which was supported by the State, both morally
and materially. Only members of the Orthodox
Church enjoyed the right of religious propaganda.
All other recognised religions enjoyed varying
degrees of rights and privileges, in accordance
with a fixed "hierarchy of religions." This
hierarchy was headed by the Roman Catholic,
Lutheran, Reformed, and Armenian Churches.
Somewhat less favoured was Islam, and at the
bottom of the hierarchy came Judaism. Adherents
of all these religions were permitted to worship
freely, but they were not given the right of
religious propaganda and a certain amount of
discrimination was shown against them. In
practice Lutherans were on an equal footing
with Orthodox Russians; Roman Catholics were
handicapped, particularly in the former Polish
COlVFlpENT1~4~.
provinces; and Jews were practically debarrad
-from administrative positions, professional careers
open to them were restricted, and they were
forbidden to live outside the "Pale of Settlement."
In this connexion, however, it should be borne in
mind that in Tsarist Russia official discrimination
against Jews was on purely religious and never
" racial " grounds.
Towards Religion in general the State attitude
was not merely favourable but protective.
Religious education was obligatory in all schools,
and the State recognised only religious marriage
and divorce. Anti-religious propaganda was
forbidden. "Non-confessionalism " was not
recognised as a status.
It is true that the State protection of the
Orthodox Church against any spiritual competi-
tion led to certain weaknesses within the Church.
The Church took no part in social activity,
C4NjR0~ U. S. OEEIUALS O~Ly
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
crammg given in s~emi~nar~s was often of poor
quality, although some ` seminaries `provided
education of a high sta'IIdaid, and priests assigned
to rural parishes were often men of inferior
intelligence and morals.
On the other hand it should be noted that the
Tsarist State was not excessively generous in its
material support of the Church. The Church
obtained most of its income from the voluntary
contributions of its adherents.
To sum up, the Orthodox Church enjoyed the
protection of the Tsarist State, for which it paid
the price of a certain ,degree of subordination.
This subordination weakened the position of the
Church when- the latent antagonism between
State and "Intelligentsia " developed. Religion
as such became identified with the temporal
power and the more subversive elements of the
" Intelligentsia " became atheist. However, the
ordinary individual, of whatever faith, was in
general encouraged to practise his religion.
Nevertheless, in the ear3y years of the twentieth
century a liberal tendency showed itself in the
Orthodox Church. A decree of 17th April, 1905,
repealed statutes forbidding apostasy, and
legalised the position of a large number of
hitherto illegal heretical sects. Many clergymen
realised the necessity of liberating the Church
from its subordination to the State.
The February Revolution and Church Reform
With the overthrow of Tsarism in February
1917, and the establishment of the Provisional
Government under Kerensky, the Orthodox
Church entered on a period of greater spiritual
freedom. A law granting full religious liberty
and giving for the first time legal recognition to
" non-confessionalism " or atheism was passed
on 10th July, 1917. .The Holy Synod. was
abolished in June 1917, and a Ministry of
Confessions set 'up. At the same time plans
were made for calling a Church Council, the
first to be held since the abolition of 'the
Patriarchate. In a session held. in October 1917,
the Council decided to restore the Patriarchate.
Archbishop Titchon, Metropolitan of Moscow,
was chosen as Patriarch. However, this decision
was taken after the Communist coup d'~tat, so
that this and other reforms had to be carried. out,
not in the democratic conditions obtaining under
the Provisional Government, but under the
Communist Dictatorship and in the teeth of the
Communist persecution of religion.
The Basic Communist Attitude to Religion
The doctrine of Communism, or Marxism-
Leninism, is much more than a political theory.
It is an all-embracing philosophy of life and
includes a metaphysical., system, a sociology, a
practical revolutionary methodology, and a
socio-political ideal: The basis of the Marxist
metaphysic is materialism: matter and its
motion .are all that exists; consciousness is the
product of, and therefore secondary to, matter.
Marxist sociology explains social processes on a
basis of purely economic conditions and relations,
which, in the pre-Socialist era at any rate, are
established and altered mechanically, that is,
independently of human volition! It is these
economic phenomena which form the basis of
society, and are reflected in the human brain in
"spiritual " forms such as morals, religion, and
"ideology." Hence, as the economic basis of
society changes, in accordance with certain
mechanical laws, thought processes (including
Religion) change with rt. Engels expressed this
concept in his "Anti-Duehring " in the following
words
" All religion is nothing but the fantastic
reflection in the minds of men, of those external
forms which dominate their everyday existence,
a reflection in which the earthly forces assume
the form of supernatural forces."
Similarly, Marx himself, in " Das Kapital,"
says:
" The omnipotence of God is nothing but
the fantastic reflection of the impotence of men
before nature and of the economic relations
created by themselves."
From this it was a small logical step to the
concept of Religion as one of the instruments of
oppression in capitalist society, which is expressed
in Marx's famous slogan: "Religion is the
opium of the people." Lenin expresses this
Marxist tenet in the following words
" Being born of dull suppression . .
religion teaches those who toil in poverty to be
resigned and patient in this world, and consoles
them with the hope of reward in heaven."
" The oppression of humanity by religion
is but the product and reflex of economic
oppression within society."
In reply to the suggestions made before the
(Communist accession to power by certain
'Communists as to the possibility of adapting
Religion to Communist teachings, Lenin said:
" There can be no good Religion, or perhaps
better Religion is still more dangerous than
bad Religion."
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
Immediately after the October Revolution
there were two schools of thought among
Communists concerning the position of Religion
in the new state:
A logical extension of the Marxist doctrine
of the role of Religion as an instrument of
oppressing classes in Capitalist society;
with the overthrow of the Capitalist
regime Religion would. fade from the
minds of the liberated people. Therefore
an open attack, on the Church was
unnecessary. All that was required was
the separation of Church from State and
the undermining of the Church's material
existence.
(ii) The view that the victory of Communism
was not yet complete. The bourgeoisie,
not yet annihilated, would exploit the
political ignorance of the proletariat, and
to assist that exploitation would resort to
Religion. Therefore, it was desirable to
destroy Religion as quickly as possible.
In the Constitutional Committee which
elaborated the First Soviet Constitution the
first, or more moderate, of these views, at first
prevailed.. Therefore the Committee wrote into
its draft the formula "Religion is the private
affair of the citizen." This formula, however, was
rejected by Lenin, who ordered that it be replaced
by a clause guaranteeing "freedom of religious
and anti-religious propaganda." This became
Article 13 of the R.S.F.S.R. Constitution of
10th July, 1.918.
This clause, liberal in appearance, was in
actual fact a declaration of war on Religion, as
" religious propaganda " was to be undertaken
by a weakened Church, deprived of age-old.
privileges, where~is "anti-religious propaganda "
was pursued. with all the vigour of the new state.
The course of the Communist war on Religion
in Russia may be best sub-divided into three
periods of persecution, leading up to the present
New Religious Policy.
The First Period of Persecution
The first period of persecution lasted from
November 1.917 to February 1922, and.. was
characterised by the following three features:
(i) The Church was deprived of material
means and of legal existence. A decree of
23rd January, 1918, on the separation of
Church and State and of Church and
School, ordered. that all Church-owned.
property be seized by the Government
(iii)
without compensation. Local soviets
were empowered to allow members of
" religious organisations " to retain as
much of their. property as was absolutely
essential to them : church buildings,
chalices, vestments, &c: Thus divine
service was permitted to continue, but in
conditions of extreme hardship: ln.
addition, Churches were prevented from
acquiring new property. Article 12 of the
decree said: " No church or religious
society has the right to own private
property; such societies do not enjoy the
rights of a juridical person." All Church
property was therefore converted- into
the property of - individuals acting as
trustees of the Church-but as private
property was very often confiscated, this
measure afforded little protection.
Furthermore, "religious organisations "
were not allowed exclusive use of Church
buildings, for the Commissariat of Justice
(in charge of "religious affairs " until
1924) decided that- churches- might also be
used for such pursuits as courses of
instruction, lectures, concerts, cinema
shows, political meetings and' popular
dances.
Finally, as the term "religious organisa-
tions " did not include monasteries and
convents, these were closed. down..
Priests and clerics were reduced to a.
socially inferior position. Article 65 of the
1918 Constitution proclaimed that they
were "servants of the bourgeoisie," and
as such they were disenfranchised. As
disenfranchised persons they received
either no ration cards at all or cards of the
very lowest category; they were not
allowed to belong to trade unions and-
consequentily could. find no work. in
State enterprises; they had to pay higher
rents for living quarters and higher
income and agricultural taxes; their
children. could not be educated in
secondary schools and. universities.
The Church's influence in various direc-
tious, particularly on education, was
destroyed. Article 9 of the Separation
Decree (see above) prohibited religious
instruction in schools. A decree of
13th June, 1.921, forbade the giving of
religious instruction to groups of children
under the age of 18. Thirdly, a decree of
18th December, 1917, later incorporated
into the Family Code of 22nd October,
3
~~~?C~A~.S ~~~~,~
C~NFIDENTt~II ~~~4t U. S' ~~ .~~ ~~~ ~ro~ ~
t~~ }
~~~ Ia e1lig;nce Agency
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
1918, refused legal recognition to Church
marriages and divorces.
During this first period the local Soviet
authorities encountered unexpected resistance
among the populace to these; anti-religious
measures, and had to resort to violence in
carrying them out. The execution, exiling and
imprisonment of bishops and priests, the closing
down of churches, the desecration. of religious
articles, were common features of this period.
Up to 1923, 28 bishops and over one thousand
priests of the Orthodox Church were executed
by the Communist authorities (cf. Timashev,
"Religion in Soviet Russia," which is the best
informed and best documented work on this
subject).
As an additional means of destroying the
Church, the Communist Government resorted. to
the construction of a schism. I:n May 1922, a
number of "progressive " clerics, opposed to
the Patriarch's policy, were induced to announce
the creation of a sycophantic religious organisa-
tion called "The Living Church," outlining plans
for reforms "compared with which (its manifesto
said) Luther's reform would appear as child's
play." Thereupon the Patriarch was arrested, a
large number of church buildings were forcibly
turned over to the new schism, 84 bishops
anal more than 1,000 priests were expelled'
from their offices to make room for the new
organisation.
A joint decree of the Commissariats of Justice.
and the Interior on 27th April, 1923, allowed all
religious organisations to call provincial and
central conventions and to elect executive'
boards, but only by special permission of the
governmental authorities. Permission was in fact
granted only to a few religious groups which had'
been suppressed by the Tsarist regime, and of
course to the "Living Church."
For lack of popular support the "Living
Church "rapidly broke up, and was dropped by
the Government in Junc 1923. Meanwhile the
Patriarch had 'been in prison since May 1922.
His impending trial was announced in such a way
that it was clear he was threatened with execution.
-Put large-scale popular protests throughout'
Russia and Europe caused the Soviet Government'
to capitulate, and the Patriarch was released on'
27th Junc, L923. This development represented
the breakdawn of the first Communist attack on
Religion. The Church had emerged from it still
vigorous.
The second period of persecution extended
from the end of 1922 until 1929. It was marked
by, the cessation of the direct attack on clergy
arad believers, for which new and more efficient
means of destroying Religion were substituted.
The most important of these means were: (a)
systematic calumny of the Church, and (b) the
establishment of a body of ideas based on
materialism in active opposition to religious
faith. To this latter end a "non-party publishing
company " calling itself "The Godless " had
been set up already in February 1922. In Novem-
ber of that year an anti-religious seminary was
opened in Moscow. Christmas (which is
celebrated in Russia in January) saw the
organisation of an "anti-Christmas carnival,."
described in Izvesziya of 10th January, 1923, as
follows
" Preliminary meetings were organised and.
the following themes selected for the mock
procession : the Performance of Miracles ; the
Opening of Holy Shrines; the Immaculate
Conception. The students of the Sverdlov
University imitated the representatives of
41i~fferent re[igious."
Militant Atheists League
For the organisation of anti-religious work a
neW and most important body was formed on
7th February, 1925-the League of Militant
Atheists. From 1926 onward, this League
disseminated anti-religious propaganda of the
moist violent. kind. All methods were used,
including music halls, playing cards, and children's
primers. In its propaganda the League pursued
three lines of attack. Firstly, it sought to demon-
strate that Religion in all its forms had always
begin the enemy of the workers; secondly, that
" Science had explained everything " and left no
reom for religion; and thirdly, that religious
belief constituted treason to the Soviet State, for
religion was incompatible with Socialism. In all
cases the League's propaganda was grossly
blasphemous, abounding in indecent cartoons of
God, Christ, the Virgin and the Saints.
Meanwhile, more direct, "administrative "
methods of persecution were by no means
neglected. Although church buildings had been
played at the disposal of religious groups, the
land on which the churches stood was taxable,
and these taxes were constantly increased.
Moxeover, church buildings had to be insured,
and the religious groups using them had to cover
the'cost of insurance. In December-1923, it was
decreed that if Church buildings were destroyed
by fire, the sums paid as insurance would become
State property.
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part - Sian(it~iyz~edL Copy Apprgo`ved( for ReleKase 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
On 16th July, 1924, the teaching of Religion in
churches was forbidden, and on 1st September,
religious instruction- given to groups of more
than three children was prohibited. On 30th July,
'1923, official holidays, which had previously
coincided with Church holidays, were transferred,
so that Church holidays became working days
and could no longer be properly celebrated.
Towards the end of the second. period. of
persecution the State made great efforts to stamp
out all traces of religious customs. In 1928, the
sale of Easter food and Christmas trees was
prohibited, and no Christmas ornaments. were
allowed. in shop window displays. They were
replaced by special "anti-Christmas literature."
On the death of the Patriarch Tikhon in l 925,
the Soviet authorities refused to allow the election
of anew Patriarch, and in addition arrested
successive Acting Patriarchs until., in Junc 1.927,
the Metropolitan Sergius of Nizhni-Novgorod
succeeded. in negotiating a compromise with the
Soviet Government and en retaining his office as
Acting Patriarch. Sergius' Declaration of
16th June, 1927, which turned out to be the
cornerstone in the relations between the Orthodox
Church and the Soviet Government, contained
the following exhortation to the faithful:
" We must show, not by words only, but by
deeds, that loyal citizens of the U.S.S.R. are
not only those who are indifferent to Orthodoxy,
or those who have betrayed it, but the faithful
for whom Orthodoxy, with all its dogmas and
traditions .' is as dear as truth and life.
We wish to be Orthodox and at the same time
to recognise the Soviet Union for our civil
fatherland, whose joys and successes are our
joys and. successes, and whose defeats are our
defeats."
The Third Period of Persecution
fay 1929, the failure of the second attack on
Religion. had. become obvious. Therefore, tlic
Soviet Government initeated a .new plan, con-
sisting of three principal features.
First, the direct attack was renewed, en the
form of the mass closing down of churches, on
the pretext that Russia was being transformed
into a Socialist society, whose members could.
not need churches. This attack was synchronised
with the forced collectivisation of the peasantry.
Throughout the country local Communists called
meetings which voted over the heads of con-
gregations that the churches be demolished,
church bells be melted down, and certain church
buildings be turned into granaries, schools and
cinemas. Iri this manner 1,440 churches were
closed down during 1929 alone.
The mass closing down of churches was
accompanied by a fierce attack on the Orthodox
clergy. Some 150 bishops were arrested, and their
successors, when appointed, arrested. in their
turn. Most of them were sent to the notorious
Solovetsky concentration camp, situated on a
group of islands in the White Sea: Priests were
exiled or executed in thousands; many of them
had. been seized as hostages in reprisal for the
murders of local Soviet officials by the incensed
peasantry, who were at that time resisting
collective atipn (cf. Timashev off. cit.).
A decree of 27th December, ].932, brought
new hardships to the Church by making the
carrying of identity cards compulsory and.
universal, and by prohibiting all "non-workers "
from living in the large towns and. their environs.
Consequently, priests could no longer live in the
cities and. had to travel to and .from the countryside
to their parishes.
A decree of 24th September, 1929, introducing
the 6-day week, made it difficult for workers to
attend church on Sundays, unless Sunday hap-
pened to coincide with the sixth, or rest day, of
the week. After the law of 20th November,
1.932, which penalised failure to appear at work,
church attendance, except on the rest day,
became impossible.
Second, the Soviet Government adopted a
plan of what may be best described as "cultural
strangulation." This was by way of a reaction
to an unexpected development in Church activity.
Sence the October Revolution, the Church had
become a centre of cultural and. social activities.
To put an eied to this state of affairs, the
Government issued. a decree on 8th April, 1929,
resuming the old restrictions and imposing new
restrictions on religious societies, especially on
their cultural and. social activities. Article 17 of
this decree forbade religious societies to farm
mutual aid associations or co-operatives;- to make
any use of their funds apart from the offering of
worship; to give material aid. to their xriembers;
to organise special prayer or Bible classes or
other meetings for children, adolescents and
women ; to organise groups, circles or excursions;
to open. playgrounds, libraries or reading rooms;
and to overate sanatoria or give medical aid.
This list of .forbidden activities shows how
numerous the functions of the Church had
become,
5
$. ~~~r~tALS O~~L
C~FlDENTlAL CC~~~~.Ot U
~, Lis mat ri ,1 pracuxe.~ by
CQntral Ia eIlig~nce Agenv9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
Among other things, the new decree meant
that the Church was refused the right of under-
taking re igious propaganda. This veto was
entered into the Soviet Constitution on 22nd May,
1.929, when "liberty of religious and anti-
r~ligious propaganda "was abolished, "freedom
of religious worship and of anti-religious pro-
paganda " being substituted therefor.
Further restrictions imposed by the new
decre:, were the following:-
Only those members of a denomination
living in one locality could form a religious
association. This was a provision directed
against denominations whose members
were widely scattered-e.g., the Roman
Catholics.
(ii) A religious .association was permitted
only one church building: this was a
provision directed against large parishes
which possessed chapels as well as a
main church.
(iii) Religious organisations were forbidden to
organise collections; donations had to be
spontaneous.
Additional pressure was brought to bear
through the Trade Unions.. In the autumn of
1929, the Central Committee of the Printers'
Union ordered its members to refuse to print
religious works. Similarly, transport workers
were ordered to refuse to tr~insport articles
intended for religious ceremonies, and the Union
of Post and Telegraph Workers_stopped answering
calls to or from members of the clergy.
Thirdly, all. active members of the churches
were condemned to socially inferior positions.
This part of the plan. was not openly promulgated.
in any law or decree, but in fact no opportunity
was given to practising Christians to advance in
either professional or industrial careers.
Fourthly, whereas hitherto teaching in schools
had been purely non-religious-i.e., free from any
reference to God or Religion-it now became
openly anti-religious. Textbooks appeared in
schools teaching the class origin of Religion and
its incompatibility with Science. The sociology of
Marxism-Leninism became one of the most
important subjects in the school curriculum.
School excursions were organised to anti-religious:
museums, and special anti-religious discussions
and readings were held.
Failure
The third attack too proved to be a failure. A
good deal of the peasantry's furious resistance to'
collectivisation was due to the fact that collec-
tivisation measures were often combined with,
the closing down of their churches. .Realising
this fact somewhat belatedly, the Soviet Govern-
ment decided to separate the issues of collectivisa-
tion apd de-Christianisation.
Therefore, on 15th March, 1930, a decree was
issued acknowledging that churches had been.
closed bylocal authorities against the will of the
populace, and ordering the cessation of the
practice. Shortly afterwards Yaroslavsky, head
of the League of Militant Atheists, published an
article in the League's journal Bezbozhnik (" The
Godless "), ridiculing those who organised
masquerades and dancing parties to divert
people-from churchgoing. Such measures are, of
course, typical of the Communist leaders, who are
always prepared to shift the blame for their
errors on tb the shoulders of their subordinates.
The Communist Retreat
Thus the direct attack on Religion was perforce
quietly dropped. But other forms of persecution,
especially the method of cultural strangulation,
persisted until 1935. Then began a period of
Communist Retreat, characterised by a nwnber of
minor concessions on the part of the Soviet
Government. This policy of course by no means
reflected a change in the basic Communist
attitude towards Religion. It was part of an
overall policy of concessions and adjustments to
popular feelings, made necessary by the rise of
Fascism in Europe, the threat of an anti-Soviet
war, and the Soviet Government's deep and
justifiable feeling of unpopularity at home. For
these reasons such exuberances as the " anti-
Easter " and "anti-Christmas " festivals were
stopped, and the closing down of churches was
officially condemned.
By Easter 1935, the sale of traditional Easter
food in the markets was once more authorized,
anal later they were sold even in the State shops.
At Christmas 1935, Christmas trees were again
allowed-although ostensibly for New Year's
celebrations.
On 29th December, 1935, a decree abolished
discrimination against the children of non-
workers,. and. the children of the clergy were
allowed to be educated. in all. schools. Finally,
the new Soviet Constitution of 5th December,
1.936, abolished the disenfranchisement of priests
and "non-workers "generally.
The Religious Purge
I'n August 1937, this retreat was quite suddenly
reversed, and a fourth attack was launched on
Religion. The Church's leaders were again
denounced officially as the "implacable enemies
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~rrrli
of social reconstruction," but the rank and file
laity were not so persecuted. This attack on the
Church coincided. with the climax of the Terror,
directed by Yezhov, then chief of the N.K.V.:D.
In November 1937, groups of Churchmen were
arrested throughout the Soviet Union on charges
of organising espionage and sabotage i,n the
interests of Germany and Japan, and of plotting
the assassination of Soviet leaders. These charges
were of course very similar to those fabricated at
about the same time in the trials of the Com-
munist Party's Old Guard-Kamenev, Zinoviev,
Bakharn, &c.-and of the leaders of the Red.
Army-Tukhachevsky, &c. In this way StaGn-
attempted. to assocrate the Church with the
" enemies of Russia "-his Communist Party
opponents-and to tuns the rising patriotism of
the population against both.
>/aster 1938 was marked by the announcement
of wholesale arrests of religious people. Charges
ranged from "espionage in the interests of
certain foreign states " ~to the " settrog up of a
miracle factory in Moscow.'.' At the same time
purely religious activity was alsopunished as
such. For .nstance,n the Leningrad area seven
peasants were tried for having gathered together
to read the Bible. One of them was sentenced to
10 years imprisonment, another to 8 years.
The Bishop of Stalingrad was tried for having
explained the Holy ~Irit to children. A wholesale
execution of clergy was reported from. the Crimea.
(Timashev op. cit.-who refers to Soviet press
items of the time).
During L937, 1,100 Orthodox churches, 240
Catholic churches, 61 Protestant prayer houses
and 11.0 mosques, it is calculated, were closed.
(Cf. Professor Ilyin: " Rnssi:~ "-New York,
1941.)
This fourth persecution ended as suddenly as it
began. The change coincided with. the removal of
Yezhov. Front January 1939, began a new era.
in the Connnunist battle with Religion.
The New Religious Policy
1/arly in 1939, the Soviet authorities declared.
that anti.-religious .propaganda must be " co-
ordinated with the exigencies of the class
struggle." By this they-meant that anti.-religious
propaganda h.ad failed, and that in future all
such activity was to be subordinated. to more
important political. matters.
After the Soviet Union seized Eastern Poland
in accordance with their agreement with Nazi
Germany, a reminder was issued to the League of
Militant Atheists that the anti-religious struggle
was not in alt circumstances a necessity. In
CON~BENIIAl.
short, in 1939, the Soviet Government found.
themselves compelled by their international
policy to permit freedom of religious worship
to their subjects.
Hence Soviet agencies were ordered to stop all.
attempts to "liquidate " Religion. Atheists
were instructed not to o11'end the religious
susceptibilities of believers. Trials of believers
were stopped.
Of great interest in this connexion. are Kalnin's
remarks to a teachers' conference, as reported in
Kornsomolskaya Pravda of 11th April, 1.939, and
in the Teachers' Gazette of 13th July, 1939.
Kalinin, the president of the Presidium of the
Supreme Soviet (the highest constitutional office
i^ the Soviet Union), said that Marxist education
should no conger be interpreted as meaning
merely the teaching of Marxist doctrine. It
should mean the " inculcation of love for the
Socialist fatherland, friendship .honesty
arid. co-operation in work, respect for the Soviet
Government, and love for Stalin." He also said
that it was not enough to destroy Religion, which
must be replaced by something else.
This speech of Kalinin was followed by mm?e
concessions to the Orthodox way of life. At this
time, the Soviet Government found it necessary to
abandon. the 6-day working week. The ordinary -
7-day week was re-established, and Sunday
again became the rest day.
Behind the New Religious Policy, three excellent
reasons can be discerned.
The Soviet Government had come to
understand. the usefuhless of Religion as
the guardian of morality and discipline,
and to realise that the moral disorder
obtaining in the Soviet Union was
disastrous to the fulfilment of their
social and. technical plans.
(ii) Persecution was being switched to the
Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic
clergy were declared to be the real enemies
of the Soviet Union and Communism. In
fact almost all Catholic priests in -the
Soviet Union have been imprisoned..
(iii) The Communist authorities realised that
it was far easier to control Religion when
it was under the jurisdiction of a well-
organsed and. centralised. church, than to
control the activities of countless local
" religious organisations." Consequently
the New Policy concentrated. ~n canalising
religious activity in the instituted. Church.
Although the New Religious Policy indicated a
great change in Cominuntst tactics, rt ~~n~"'~~
>~ ~ ~, ~ ~ 1'~~~~`i.`/
~~ ~t xi. it prt~cuxe3 bq
w__.a~~l i~ a~llia?riC9 ~II~l4
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2 :~
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
mean that the basic Communist attitude to'.
Religion had altered in the slightest. Indeed, in.
the summer of 1939, members of the Communist
Party and of the Young Communist League were
reminded that they ~,~-ould be expelled from xhos~'
organisations if they performed any religious rite.'
Under the New Religious Policy, anti-religious'
propaganda was revised thoroughly. In future,'.
the spearhead of the Communist attack was'
to be aimed at "superstition," and the concept
of "superstition " was to be identified with'
religious belief. For example, as .Pravda af!
20th August, 1939, said:
" Many still adhere to the rites and super-'
stitions of the Church, continue to believe in
religious doctrines, in the power of charms,',
sorcery and the interpretation of dreams. The
existence of such a religious ideology offers a'
fruitful field for the activity of the enemies of'.
the people, especially among the peasantry."',
Antireligiozruk, No. 4 of 1939, remarked:
" In the U.S.S.R. there is complete freedom of
religion. But we demand that the Soviet State '~
conduct anti-religious propaganda . by
ideological methods, through speeches, the
press, the school, the theatre, the clubs and the''
wireless."
On 27th February, 1940, the Commissariat of
Education, issued instructions for the improve-
ment of anti-religious work in schools. Special',
anti-religious circles were organised for parents.
Further, writing on the subject of the "religious
problem " in the newly annexed Baltic States,
Yaroslavsky said in Bezl~ozhnick, No. 4 of 1940:
" As 22 years have been insufficient to l
liquidate the Church in the U.S.S.R., we.shall'
have many dill'iculties in extirpating the'.,
remnants of religious prejudices in the Baltic
countries. One of the reasons is that many ;
people consider anti-religious propaganda no'
longer necessary. This opinion is false. Anti-'
religious propaganda is one of the essential'
aspects of Communist propaganda and must'
be carried out 6y a special organisation."
In a lecture given on tOth October, 1940,
Yaroslavsky's second-in-command, Oleshchuk
(now in the Communist Party's Section. for
Agitation and Propaganda) said that it was'
incorrect to ascribe progressive tendencies to'
Christianity as such, that it had played a pro- ~~
gressive role only in certain epochs, and that any'
attempt to find a compromise between. Christianity
end Communism was counter-revolutionary:
Under the New Religious Policy, religious
propaganda continued to be illegal. In 1940, no
religious press was permitted, no reprints of the
Bible had been made since 1927. No-one was
permitted to preach religion at open meetings,
and religious instruction might be given only by
parents to their children.
After the Soviet invasion of Eastern Poland,
Mikhailov, head of the Young Communist
League, said that both the Soviet and the Nazi
States were opposed to Christian ideology, and
their chief mutual enemy was the Roman Catholic
Church. Hence the two Governments should
exchange information and act together in this
field.
The Soviet-German War and the Orthodox Church
On the outbreak of war between Germany and
the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Russian
Orthodox Church, under Acting Patriarch Sergius,
rallied. to the support of the Soviet State. On
21st August, 1.941., Moscow radio surprisingly
called upon "all God-loving inhabitants of the
occupied countries " to rise in defence of their
religious freedom. It went on to charge the
German Government with "menacing the very
existence of Christianity and seeking the over-
throw of Christ the King, to instal instead the
philosophy of Alfred Rosenberg."
One ~ month later, the two periodicals of the
League of Militant Atheists, Bezbozhnik and
antireligioznik, closed down, officially in order to
conserve paper, but actually for other and
obvious reasons. Furthermore, in 1941, the
Moscow war-time curfew was lifted for the
benefit of those attending Easter midnight
services.
But nevertheless, in March 194], in the Baltic
States a number of religious associations had been
dissolved. as "inimical to the State " and their
members arrested. Churches had been closed
down in large numbers, and monasteries
destroyed.
The second great turning-point in the history
of the relations between the Russian Orthodox
Church and the Soviet State occurred in 1942,
when a book was published in Moscow, entitled.
" The Truth About Religion i.n Russia." This
unprecedented publication was well printed and
copiously illustrated, and contained contributions
from the highest dignitaries of the Russian.
Church. (lt is fiirthermore believed that the
book was printed on the presses of the League
of Militant Atheists!)
In November 1.942, the occasion of the 25th
Anniversary of the Communist Revolution,
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 . ^?r1 - 1 ~ .~ ~~^ st ^ t h A\ ii t,l
Declassified in{ Ppia~yrtp - San_i_tiz_ ed Copy Approve~dlfor Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
Acting Patriarch Sergius sent cordial con-
gratulations to Stalin, whom he addressed as
"the God-given leader of the military and
cultural forces of the nation."
The improvement of the Church's position
reached a still higher level on 5th September,
1943, when Izvestiya announced that "Stalin
received the- Acting Patriarch Sergius, Metro-
politan Alexis of Leningrad and Metropolitan
Nicholas of Kiev. During the reception, Metro-
politan Sergius informed. Stalin that leading
circles of the Orthodox Church intended. to hold a
Council of bishops in the very near future and
elect a Patriarch. The head of the Government,
expressed 'his sympathy with the decision and
said that the Government would not hinder this
in any way." As a result of this conversation,
Sergius was officia ly installed as Patriarch of
Moscow and. All Russi:l, on 12th September,
1943. On this date too, appeared the first number
of the official publication of the newly restored
Patriarchate, the " Journal of the Moscow
Patriarchate."
It is perfectly obvious that the Russian. Church
was .given official recognition in 1943 for three
reasons: (a) the effect of the outside world, in
particular the Orthodox Balkans, but also the
Western Democracies; and (b) in expectation of
services to be rendered, both during and. after
the war; to the Communist Party and the Soviet
State by the Patriarchate; and (c) to counter
Hitler's policy of posing as the champion of
Orthodoxy in occupied territory. For its own
part, the Church had obviously to purchase its
right to a legal. existence at the price of political
subservience to the Soviet State, with whose
aims it would have to compromise as far as
possible without abandoning basic Christian
principles and while remaining aware that the
ultimate aim of the Soviet State involved. the
destruction of Religion. Thus the history of the
Russian Church since the Soviet restoration of the
Patriarchate is one of covert warfare with the
State :power, of enforced compromise and. careful
advance.
During the Soviet-German war the Soviet
State enjoyed the assistance of the Orthodox
Church in the following directions :-
(i) By prayers for victory the Church. sustained
and strengthened popular morale.
(ii) The Church collected money for direct
help to the war effort. E.g., the Church
collected over eight million roubles for a
" Dmitri Donskoy " tank column, and
millions of roubles for aircraft and relief
of war wounded and orphans.
(iii) The Patriarch used the authority of the
Church to prohibit collaboration with the
Germans in the occupied provinces. On
many occasions he solemnly condemned
bishops and priests who expressed. admira-
tion for the Germans.
(iv) The Patriarch helped to encourage
resistance to the Germans in Orthodox
countries outside the Soviet Union.,
principally in Yugoslavia.
In addition to ~ these services, the Patriarch
displayed a great willingness to support the
Soviet Government in its frequent quarrels with
its Western Allies. For example, in 1943, shortly
'before he became official Patriarch, Sergius gave
public support to Soviet demands that a Second
Front be opened. in France immediately.
Finally, Patriarch Alexis, like his predecessor
Sergius, has been very helpful to the Soviet
Government in its fight against Roman
Catholicism. In April 1945, for example, he
published a special article in the Journal of tdtc
Moscow Patriarchate directed against the Vatican.
In October 1943, the Soviet Government set
up a Council for the Russian Orthodox Church,
subordinate to the Council of People's Com-
missars. Headed by G. I:. I~at?pov, and consisting
of five. members, the Council provided a link
between the Patriarchate anal the Govermnent for
the settlement of Church matters when Govern-
ment decisions were involved. The Council has
representatives in every Soviet republic and
region, who arc appointed and. fuianced 'by -the
local Soviet, but who act under the direction of
Karpov.
The advantages received. by the Orthodox
Church in return for services rendered to the
Soviet Government during the war may be
summarised as Follows :-
(i) The Church was formally recognised and
given permission to elect a Patriarch.
(ii) The newly-formed Patriarchate acquired
a formal residence-the late German
Embassy in Moscow.
(iii) The training of priests was restored.
In December :1.943, Patriarch Sergius
announced. the opening of a theological
academy in Moscow and the beginning of
special courses for training priests in the
dioceses.
(iv) The printing of certain religious material
has become possible. In practice, however,
it is exceedingly difficult for the
Patriarchate to publish books of any
description.
r-,,~:3 ~ ~ ~~~~ROL U. S. C~ ~l~IA~S ~~~t~
~t~r.~E~UEN~'~~~.
9his mat ri31 procure i bq
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
(v) A few churches were re-opened in Moscow.
In Summer 1942, there were 26 churches
open. By Christmas 1943, there were
about 50. This, for a population of some
six millions, of whom one-third are said
to be believers, is very little.
(vi) Anti-religious museums were closed down
for the most part and the publication of
openly anti-religious literature stopped.
On 15th May, 1944, the death of Patriarch
Sergius was reported. The Metropolitan Alexis
of Leningrad, on being appointed Acting
Patriarch in exp:,ctation of his election, addressed
a warm personal letter to Stalin, whom he
described as "the wise leader placed by the
Lord over our great nation," and shortly after
his election he was allowed to publish in Izvestiya
an exhortation to the faithful to attend confession
and communion. At Sergius' funeral, the Soviet
Government was represented by a high Soviet
official.
Further concessions to the Orthodox Church
were made during 1944. In August of that year,
the Council for the Russian Orthodox Church
announced that "priests may go to their
parishioners and engage in proselytizing work.
either in church or outside." In September, the
Council stated that "Parents may religiously
educate children themselves ... or send them
to the homes of priests for such education:
Children of different families may also gather in
groups to .receive religious instruction." In
October a similar statement was made regarding
the religious education. of children of other
denominations. But it was emphasised 'that
religious instruction could not be given inside a
church, synagogue or mosque. '
At the end of 1946, according to data given by
Karpov, Head of the Council for the Russian
Orthodox Church (cf. paragraph 69 above),
the Orthodox Church had a Patriarch, 3 Arch-
bishops and 67 Bishops, i.e., almost as many
diocesans as before the October Revolution.
There were 22,000 Churches in operation. Also
there were 89 monasteries and convents, but
almost all of these were in territory newly acquired
by the Soviet Union. Throughout the Soviet
Union there were 12 Church seminaries. In
addition there was a theological academy at
Leningrad, and further such academies were to
be opened at Moscow and Kiev.
Post-War Developments
During the Soviet-German war, the New
Religious Policy was a marked success. So
much so that many outside observers have made
the mistake of exaggerating superficial resem-
blances between the new situation and that
prevailing before the Revolution. But the
opposing philosophies of Church and State
remained. unadulterated. The State did not
' abandon. Marxist materialism and its intention
' of destroying Religion, and the Church obviously
could not abandon its spiritual beliefs. Conflicts
were therefore latent.
These conflicts started to arise when the
Soviet authorities announced their intention,
' early in 1946, of pushing ahead with the con-
struation of Communism. This was followed by a
large-scale campaign for ideological rededication
and re-education, involving a thorough purge of
" remnants of bourgeois ideology " and "alien
ideological influences." In the summer of 1947,
'the official organisation for mass conditioning
known as "The All-Union Society for the
Dissemination of Political and Scientific Know-
'. ledge " was launched, together with an immense
campaign for the inculcation and inflation of
" Soviet Patriotism." Behind these "educational"
campaigns can be seen the modern Soviet method
of substituting psychological for physical per-
: suasion: This of course does not involve the
'; suspen~on of physical coercion-rather are its
limitations recognised, and due importance
given to the role of psychological methods. So
far the new campaign has not developed
sufficiently to produce ahead-on conflict with
' the Church, but there have been symptoms that
such a conflict is probably imminent.
Thus, the party youth periodical Young
Bolshc vik, No. 6 of 1947, published a letter
to the editor from a Young Communist,
complaining of the visit of a priest who had
' attempted to convert him, and requesting
official enlightenment on the religious question.
l n reply, Young Bolshevik published an article
' which pointed out that "the guiding force
~, of the Soviet people is the Communist Party,
which builds its activity on scientific foundations,
and implants in people a wholesome outlook,
incompatible with any superstition." The
article went on to explain the existence of
religious convictions in the minds of members
of SovieC society by the fact that Soviet society
had not yet succeeded in ridding itself of the
"birthmarks of Capitalism." "Only as it
,gradually develops from Socialism to Communism
will it outlive the relics of the past." As "Stalin
had written in his "Anarchy or Socialism "
. .. `~ mental and moral development are
preceded by the development of the material
side, the development of external conditions;
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~CONFtUtN i ~JNTROL U. S. 0~ ~~~1~LS O~~L~'
? external conditions, the material side, change paganda against all religious prejudices, because
first, and then the mind, the ideal side." it stands for science, and religious prejudices
Arguing from this quotation from Authority, are opposed to science, since any religion
the article went on to explain that Religion is contrary to science."
in the Soviet Union was a relic of the past,
and survived in some people's .minds by the The quotation from Stalin continued:-
power of tradition.. Further, like other relics
of the. past, religious beliefs could, in certain "There are cases in which some members
conditions, revive. Conditions favourable to of the Party occasionally hinder the thorough
such a revival were "the hardships of life," development of anti-religious propaganda. If
which induced the weak-spirited to seek "illusory such members of the Party are expelled, .this
consolations." Hence only the strengthening is very good., since there is no room in the
and development _ of Socialism, the concomitant ranks of our Party for such `Communists '."
cultural growth of the people and their "education
in the Communist spirit " would free them from This article then went on to point out that
religious convictions. the Young Communist League Charter, required
Thus, continued the Young Bolshevik article, Young Communists to conduct anti-religious
scientific and educational propaganda was propaganda. Obviously such propaganda could
an important means of overcoming religious be carried out only by young people free of
survivals. Such propaganda should provide religious prejudice. " A young man cannot be a
a materialistic explanation of nature and society. Young Communist unless he is Free of religious
? convictions."
The Young Communist League was to explain This article also complained of the article
patiently " to young people the superiority of in Young Bolshevik (see above), on the grounds
scientific outlook over religious faith. Religion that it contained " no orientation towards
was impossible for Young Communists, as it an offensive ideological struggle against religious
encouraged passivity, and through its belief survivals."
in an after life, it disarmed the will-power.
In short, "Young Communist organisations The latest of this series of pronouncements
must allow their members no deviations from on the official Communist attitude to Religion
the thesis of the Communist Party on questions at the present day is to be found in an article
of Religion." Nevertheless, it should be borne in Young Bolshevik for December 1947, entitled
in mind that "religious prejudices will be over- the Young Communist Attitude to Religion."
come only by long and patient work." " It This is an article vehemently condemning Young
would be a mistake to persecute a believer Bolshevik's own previous statements on this
for his prejudices-they are not his fault, but subject (see above), and contains the following
`his misfortune. He must be helped to free highly significant passages:-
himself of them by patient scientific and (i) ?? The preaching of a tolerant attitude
educational work. towards religious convictions ideologically
In June 1947, the Young Communist League's disarms Young Communists and prevents
magazine .Young Communist Worke`?, pointed their being a forward detachment of
out that anti-religious propaganda formed an youth, and conducting ideological and
integral part of Communist education. Soviet educational work among the masses of
youth had to acquire a materialistic philosophy young people."
and a scientific understanding of nature and (ii) "With the triumph of Socialism in our
social life. Hence Young Communists must country, the social roots of Religion have
not only be convinced athiests and opposed been eliminated, but religious convictions
to all superstitions, but must actively combat exist in the form of survivals from the
the spread of superstitions and prejudices among
youth." past in the consciousness of the backward
On 18th` October, 1947, the newspaper Young and, as a rule, insufficiently educated
Communist Pravda found it necessar to den and cultural people. Although these
y y survivals are withering away, they will
the possibility of any reconciliation between not disappear of themselves. For within
Religion and Communism. To prove its point the- country, the church workers are
it quoted Stalin to the following effect:- trying to increase their religious influence
" The Party cannot be neutral regarding on the backward part of our peo le in
religion, and it conducts anti-reli ious ro- p '
g p particular on the politically immature
. 11 ',his mat ri;l prxure3 by
central zn enig~nce Age~ay S ?~~~~~
co~Fi~ENt~~t ?~~~~~~~.
~~~~~RO~ U? s.
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
among youth, taking advantage of every
weakness in the training work of the
Young Communist League and other
social and cultural organisations."
(iii) "The movement of our society forward
to Communism demands a constant
increase in the Socialist awareness of
Soviet people, and demands an intensified
struggle against all survivals of bourgeois
ideology and morals, including religious
prejudices and superstitions."
From the above quotations from recent
official Soviet publications it appears obvious
that alarge-scale struggle is in progress for the
minds of Soviet youth between the Communist
organs of mass conditioning on the one hand,
and the recently strengthened Orthodox Church.
The Soviet Constitution is so framed as to give
the advantage of position to the Communist
Party, in that it provides that "freedom of
religious worship and freedom of anti-religious
propaganda is recognised for all citizens," thus
giving the Church the right to exist, but not to
propagate itself.
As for the Orthodox Church, it must obviously
proceed very cautiously, lest it give the Soviet
Government cause for renewing anti-religious
persecution and abolishing its recently won
rights. Morever, since the setting up of the
" Cominform " in the autumn of 1947, the
Church has clearly had to exercise redoubled
caution. That the Patriarchate has this principle
constantly in mind can be seen from the way
in which it consistently supports the foreign
policy of the Soviet Government, assisting in
Soviet attacks on the Catholic Church and the
Western Democracies. For example, in an
article in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate
for November 1947, the following passage
occurs, in the language of the "Cominform "
" The international scene is growing clearer
and clearer-the outlines of two camps, of
Labour and Capital., are .plainly visible. Is
there any need to ask in which camp the
Russian Orthodox Church will remain ? With
all her inner truth, she is on the side of those
for whom labour is a matter of honour and of
heroism, on the side of ..oppressed in their
strivings to free themselves from enslavement
by capital."
As final proof that the Soviet New Religious
Policy is sheerly opportunistic, and brought
about by the obstinacy of Christian Russia,
it is sufficient to glance at the fate of Roman
Catholics in the Soviet Union. In 1939, there
were some ..half-million Raman Catholics in the
Soviet Union. In 1945, as a result of Soviet.
annexations, this number had increased to 7 or 8
millions. But Soviet Catholics are without
communication with the Holy See; -the few
Catholic clergy who remain at liberty- can be
counted on the fingers. On 18th March, 1946,
the Catholic Uniat Church, with Sees at Lvov,
Przemysl and Stanislav, was forcibly separated
from Rome and annexed to the Moscow
Patriarchate. In 1945, there were 10 Catholic
seminaries;- of which two now remain. Finally,
1th Octo'bc;r, ''rnust be vigilant in order to
strike at all the oncr.~ie;~ of the ~vo c1;.-iri~ class?' . In their decisions, they
iiiust not rely solely on legal pravisiorts, they l;iust take into account the
personality of the: o~'f'endur, his riotive ~~rid the; c~tent to :~hich the offcn~~acc
affects ... the achi?vu,-_ionts c.f the l~~orkir:;g class ...Jue'?cs r.~ust understa~id
the la~'r fro?~ the P;~ar_x_is~~; point; of vieta. `T'hey i_~ust realise that it is
inpossiblo not to r~~i'lcet clans difforenec;~ in the: application of the lavv">
In fact as the: ne~:aspapcr. "Univorsul" acl~rroti~rled~;ed on 6th October,
"the las:~a for the suppression o' c+conor.~ic sabotaF~e and illicit speculation is
at present a ~;~eapon of the ~,~rorking people against capitalist elcr_~cnts".
Illustrations of hour the judges have ceased to apply the la ~r "in a
fori,ial 4ray", in order to apply it in the "interests of the ,aorl~ing class",
svc;re given by i'~~. .slc~;.andru Vc:~i-tinovici, chief' public prosecutor of ~~ou?zania,
in an article published by "acantcia"' of 16th Octobr:r. ~ young peasant,
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~~
elli ~nae AgenaY
ti~ccording to i.. Voitinovici, s,ras tried on a charge of ste~~~~'~~ro sheep
before the era of people's judges. ~?;ftor he had adr:7ittcd the theft, confirt;7ed
' by ~ ,s~itncss, the accused liras legally, but undernocratical.ly, submits T,.,
Vo~tinovici, sentenced.i Vhen his' appeal Baas hoard by a people;'s judge, hc:
caas acquitted on the grounds that the plaintiff cans a "ltulal{", ovming mono
than 150 head of sheep and caishing to retain the defendant as his shepherd.
15/~ ~ 7) d
a0V:1~,T. DE~;Da aPr~t~K ,~ltt~I`1CrI'jF~ 'I.'fLiN 's(jRDS
.~
1'r The Claire to '~olcrance Dis rgvuc~
"Broad creative discussions on debatable questions- of M;cic;nce and art
have become a duly practice in ;;evict cultural life": (~~loxander b~aclcev at
the 'Troclaw G~ongre:ss of Intollactuals, August, X948)
The follocaing ~7ovict scientists have; been disrni;~Ncd from their posts
3.h ~,ovict i~cadornies and univvrsitic~s for holding; "raactiorkary, idealistic"
vicyas in biology, according to annaunccments made in the :~ovi.ct press during
the last tcao months.
Professor :~.?':. CTcrshenzon: dismissed frok~l the professorship of
Eiology at ~.~iiev University.
i;~r. L.A. Orbeli, dismissed from his post as secretary of the section
of ,biological sciences of the Academy of Sciences of the U..:~.:3.R.
ltir. I.~`:Z. I'olyal~ov: disi~iissed from his posts as departr~lental 'head of
the Institute of Ss:lection and Genetics and as professor of biology at
Kharkov University. P:ir. Polyukov opposed :2iT. Lysenko during the recent
debatm on l,iichurin genetics, but recanted after the latter had announced
that the Central Committee of the ;soviet Comrzunist Party endorsed his vieras.
i!1r. D.K. Tretyakov: dismissed Eton hi's`post as president of the
biology section of the Ul~rainian Academy of aci?nces and frorz his post as
dixc,ctor of the Institute of Zoology. .
:~:Zr. Zavadovski was forced to discontinue his yaorlc in the Institute of
Experi~,lental biology of the Academy of ;~cicnces of the Kazakh ~~oviet
Socialist FZepublic.
15/~ (7~ e
~/ ~16a~s~1"- ~.w. _ '+ti~r ~ a ~~V~ ~ 4. J. ~rlr" '~~~~ i~`'k ~
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~. ~ i ~ .; R
~oNFI~~~ ~~~ ~ , ~ ~~~~ ~.
' :SOVIET ~2LGIS'~t~I~ THOS C1it~ca;N FbP~ D~;POlt'l~'~TION~k~ mat ri~1 prccurai by
Central In elli,q,nce Agenay
Hove the :~acrot Police ~3Ctid in Estonia
? i;trikers, industrialists, policer:~En; nan~col.n.aissioi~.cd officers
mystics, diplor~iats and prostitutes, as e-roll ~~,:~ proi7inent raerlbers of anti-
Coi.zr_~uniut Parties and xelativr~s of ~ovict citizen; vvha have escaped abroad
all figured an the Russi~.~n sacrot police registary used as the basis for the
mass dcportation.s from x~stonia in June 1.94.'1.
This inforr_Z~~,tion, corzpilcd frorz docui,.,ents loft behind by the N.~.E:.V.D.9
is taken froii a coirlprehensive report on "aoviet Ucportations in ~~tonia",
subr~iittsd by ,cxilad political 1~-:adcrs, including Dr. l,. Rei, forr_zor ~'resiacnt
of the Republic, to thy: hVTlth International Red Cross Conf'cr::;rrcc at ;atockholm
earlier this year.
X511 "anti-Soviet" c1c~.~Unts tiJCro to bo r:cgistcred f'or later arr.ost or
deportation to Russia a,ccording~ to the N.}~..V.D. i:ianua.l "Opcratian register'".
Peopla .corning under this heading were divided .into no fvvrcr then ?_9 categories
and included all tho.so who had occupied prorlinent positions :i.n the civil .and
public :services of ind.epende;nt Estonia, worlicrs who had gone on ,strii;.c during
tho ~o'viet occupation, peasants who were hostile to collectivisation, public
prosecutors, ~.iagistrates and lawyers t-~ha opposcsd the revolution and all public
prosecutors engaged in political cases ~:~s ir:roll as "Trotskyites", ar~arch:ists
and social;.xevalutionarics". }?aoplc who served in the diplomatic service,
permanent representatives of foreign co~_n.lercial furls and r~:latives of those
convicted under the ,,avid rcgi?~u or t~vho hr:d carr:LCd on anti-,:soviet propa~
gander abroad, active .ienlbcrs of Zionist organisations, prison l~crsonnel,
restaurant owners, and officers of the regular ar?ay wire all ~.~entionad an
tha.S 1ZS t.
The secret police, to~cthcr '.~tith rae;t.~bar:, of the Colar~~unist P~~,rty, dr'et-r
up further lists of those to be deported irz~:.ediately and 19 railvaay echelons
taNFID~~T~~
~~. ~ ~ ~~ ~. U. ,~. ~~ ~ ~~.IA9.S 0~~. .
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
CONFIDENTIAL ~~~,~~~ ~y, ~, ~ ~ ~,~~
-B7- ',+his mad rill pr~curel by
Central tn.elligeace Agenap
nacre told to prepare for the deportation of 11,102 people on th? night of
June 14th. Novosibirsk, Velcanskaya and Starobielslc were three of the
initial destinations quoted on the "bills of lading" for this hu>oro to the point'
shipncnts of ;;evict and satcllitc ra~^t::;ri^1.s. Hy the e;nd of ;~uptc:r~ibery the
lbanian Cora~~unist 1-'arty, purifiad by 'the flar:ias cngendc:red by the: Cot_linfornz
spark, s,a~s ready to reshuffle the Cabinet. This they c:~ic1 on Oeto'oer 2nd,
removing the deviators and other "undesirablos9? vaho !eau oxp~scd thet:isUlves
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
 Declassified in Part_ -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/18 :CIA-RDP83-004158005600050002-2
~to an a:f' the: usual charg~as of error, p~rticul^rly Titois;:. Un Oc~a~~~ 2~1~~t"~~-~
a cor:~;_iuniquo attributed etll the victories clair_icd by the ~~lbaniari peol~lc to
the heroic Rod l,rray and the help of the: Uo.:~.C.r~= It :~dt:~itted that =;lbania
had Banc wrong by coring under Yugasley to ttze Levant Mates. ~~lthaugh
their names i,~ust be caithheld in tho interest of thou security, they have
given the folloti~~ina accaunt of life in Leninakan this ~!.utu~~.~n.
Each rr;patriat;ed fa~.~ily had t~~ be cor..t~;nt 5;rit11 =~rzo avora~,c-sized rood
in a ana-storied house of stono or c~..~ent - the nor;_1a1 ,:calo of ac~:o~ii_zod~.tion.
The tiaalls nacre not plastered anu. the roof, ;acre i~_.L~rovised. Na schools ~.aore
pravidcd for the r~:patriatos apart fxo~~l one sriall roar. fbr the vcxy y~uxzg
children.
Fro~_1 ten to fifte;cn roubles a d