ANTI-RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGNS AND RELIGIOUS REPRESSION UNDER THE TOTALITARIAN REGIME
Keywords:
religious repression, state atheism, Stalinism, Islam in Central Asia, anti-religious propaganda, Soviet Union, Uzbekistan, totalitarianismAbstract
This article investigates the systematic suppression of religion under the Soviet totalitarian regime, focusing particularly on the Stalinist period. The study analyzes the ideological foundations of state atheism, the legal and extralegal mechanisms used to control or eliminate religious institutions, and the socio-cultural consequences of religious persecution. Drawing on archival documents and contemporary scholarship, the paper pays special attention to how these policies affected Muslim communities in Central Asia, especially Uzbekistan, where Islamic identity was deeply rooted in everyday life. The long-lasting impact of religious repression on collective memory, national identity, and contemporary religious revival is also discussed.
References
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