claim: Malta is officially atheistic.
evidence: Petro Tronko -LRB- 12 July 1915 - 12 September 2011 -RRB- was a Ukrainian academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and veteran of World War II .. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. World War II. World War II. He was a head of editorial collegium for the 26 volume encyclopedia on `` The History of Cities and Villages of the Ukrainian SSR .. The History of Cities and Villages of the Ukrainian SSR. The History of Cities and Villages of the Ukrainian SSR. Ukrainian SSR. Ukrainian SSR. Born during World War I in 1915 to peasant family in Sloboda Ukraine , Tronko started to work in 1932 in mines of Dzerzhynsk city in Donbas .. World War I. World War I. Sloboda Ukraine. Sloboda Ukraine. Dzerzhynsk. Dzerzhynsk, Ukraine. Donbas. Donbas. Eventually after finishing some teacher classes , he worked as teacher of social sciences and Ukrainian language in village school of Bohodukhiv Raion and director of Lebedyn children home .. Bohodukhiv Raion. Bohodukhiv Raion. Since 1937 he worked in Komsomol and in 1939 joined the Communist Party of Soviet Union .. Komsomol. Komsomol of Ukraine. Communist Party of Soviet Union. Communist Party of Soviet Union. In 1939 Tronko was a member of Western Ukrainian People 's Assembly that voted in for the Western Ukraine to join the Ukrainian SSR .. Western Ukraine. Western Ukraine. Ukrainian SSR. Ukrainian SSR. During World War II he was a member of the South-western , Stalingrad , Southern , 4th Ukrainian fronts , participated in defense of Kiev and Stalingrad and later in liberation of Rostov , Donbas , Left-bank Ukraine , and Kiev .. World War II. World War II. Donbas. Donbas. One of the first , Tronko entered the liberated Kiev on 6 November 1943 as a major and appointed the first secretary of the city and regional Komsomol organization .. Komsomol. Komsomol of Ukraine. In 1947 he was dismissed from the position due to accusations of Lazar Kaganovich in `` nationalistic perversions '' .. Lazar Kaganovich. Lazar Kaganovich. His dismissal from Komsomol work , Tronko used for education and in 1948 he graduated from the Historical faculty of Kiev University .. Komsomol. Komsomol of Ukraine. The same year Tronko enrolled into aspirantura of the Academy of Social Sciences -LRB- today -- Russian Academy of State Service -RRB- of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union defending his dissertation in three years .. aspirantura. aspirantura. Russian Academy of State Service. Russian Academy of State Service. Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1951-60 Tronko worked for the Kiev regional committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine and in 1960-61 he headed the department of propaganda and ideological agitation for the party .. Communist Party of Ukraine. Communist Party of Ukraine ( Soviet Union ). During the next 17 years -LRB- 1961 -- 78 -RRB- Tronko worked as a Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR taking care of matters on culture , education , healthcare , press , book publishing , cinema , radio and television broadcasting , social sciences and archives .. Ukrainian SSR. Ukrainian SSR. Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR. Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR. He was a member of Verkhovna Rada for nine convocations .. Verkhovna Rada. Verkhovna Rada. In 1968 Tronko defended his doctorate dissertation `` Ukrainian people in fight against Hitlerites occupiers during the Great Patriotic War -LRB- 1941-45 -RRB- '' .. In 1969 Tronko initiated the creation of Pyrohiv scansen that was opened in 1976 .. Pyrohiv. Pyrohiv