Historical Science on the agreement and nonconformism of the Russian orthodox church in the ussr during the period of oppression in 1950-1960
Authors:   Cherkasy State Business College, Kuksenko Serhii 
Published: May 2022

The work aims to analyze the publications on the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the authorities in the USSR in 1950-1960; to investigate the issues of agreement and adaptation of the Church, manifestations of nonconformism and opposition, protection of the interests of the faithful. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, problem-solving, comprehensiveness, systematics, and objectivity. The mentioned principles are implemented through the methods of analysis, synthesis, and generalization, historical-comparative, historical-genetic, historical-typological. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that we conducted a historiographical analysis of the problems of agreement and non-conformity of the ROC in relation to the state. It was found that Soviet and official church authors avoided investigation of the tense situations of the relationship between the government and the Church. Most foreign, dissident, and contemporary Ukrainian and Russian researchers point out the lack of militant actions by the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) in the protection of the rights and interests of the believers from state oppression, accusing it in collaboration with the authorities in the question of closing churches. However, the degree and motives of this collaboration are evaluated differently by researchers. It is widely believed that the Patriarchate, trying to “survive” in the conditions of atheistic politics, to “adapt” to the Soviet state and communist ideology, by forced concessions to the authorities, maintained the structure and social positions of the Church. Conclusions. Most researchers, analyzing the attitude of ROC bishops to the anti-religious policy of party and state bodies, draw attention to the pas-sivity of the Church leadership, adaptation and reconciliation to the actions of the authorities. In the USSR, both the authorities and the MPs pursued the Russification policy, pursuing any manifestations of disagreement with the centralizing great-power imperial policy. The MP not only did not dare to actively protest but also cooperated with the authorities in restricting worship and reducing the religious network. Of course, among the bishops of the Church, there were some feeble manifestations of disagreement with the anti-religious course; but they were isolated, and not supported by senior management. Therefore, it was ordinary believers who resisted the atheistic onslaught the most. Ukrainian authors observe the higher religiosity of the population of the USSR compared to other republics of the USSR and, accordingly, greater resistance to the offensive. The ROC as an institution did not become an opposition force – even at a time when the state was actively restricting its activities, closing churches, and restricting worship. The hi erarchs of the MP at meetings with representatives of foreign churches and delegations assured of freedom of religion in the USSR. However, religion, as an ideology, was still an alternative to communist ideology, to a certain extent a “spiritual opposition.” Currently, the issue of conformism and opposition in the ROC during the period of oppression of the authorities is one of the least studied and promising to study.