The Promotion of “Atheism” in Soviet Society and its Consequences

Based on archival data and periodical press sources, this article analyzes the repressive atheistic policy carried out by the Soviet state against religion and believers in the late 1920s and 1930s, as well as its consequences in the Uzbek SSR. Furthermore, the article reveals the brutal methods of the Soviet government—such as banning religious holidays, the mass closure and repurposing of mosques and churches into secular cultural facilities, and the persecution of believers as “class enemies”—demonstrating the severe spiritual and social damage inflicted upon society.