Abstract

The article analyzes the Soviet anti-religious policy in Georgia during the 1920s, its implementation methods, and consequences. The study is based on numerous archival documents collected within internal university-funded research projects at Telavi State University, preserved in the Central Archive of Contemporary History of Georgia, the Kakheti Regional Archive, the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the funds of the Telavi Historical Museum, as well as on previously unpublished memoirs and oral sources.

The analysis of archival materials demonstrates that the Soviet anti-religious policy was not continuous but exhibited a cyclical nature. It intensified significantly in 1922-1923, accompanied by the destruction and closure of churches and the mass persecution of clergy. Special attention is given to the repressions following the August 1924 uprising, when violence against clergy reached a mass scale.

After the armed uprising of August 1924, anti-religious pressure temporarily weakened against the backdrop of growing public dissatisfaction; however, it re-emerged from 1928 onwards, manifested in administrative, economic, and physical repressions against clergy and believers.

The study provides a detailed account of the practice of church closures, restrictions on the rights of clergy including their inclusion in so-called “silenced” lists, which led to social and civil isolation of clerics and their families. It also analyzes the replacement of religious holidays with Soviet rituals and the involvement of parts of the population in anti-religious activities. The research demonstrates that the Soviet anti-religious campaign was a significant instrument of state ideology, aiming to transform public consciousness and weaken the church as a traditional institution.

Keywords: Soviet anti-religious policy; Georgian Orthodox Church; Soviet repressions; Persecution of clergy; Church closures and destruction;1920s.

Tengiz Simashvili

Abstract