A.P.Dobronovskaya
the leading expert
of archives committee of region administration,
The senior teacher of Krasnoyarsk
state pedagogical university
For a modern historical science interest to research of the state confession relations experience during the Soviet period of a native history is characteristic. The solution of the designated problems is complicated today by circumstance that the subject analysis is impossible without of scientific additional sources. Main of these sources is a complex of archival documents. In 2001-2003 the manuscript of the collection " Religion and authority in the Soviet period of a native history. 1917-1991 (Materials of Krasnoyarsk region) " has been prepared by the group of authors and it full this blank.
The authors couldn’t lost of sight the subject of political reprisals during the work about this collection (T.1 1917-1941). It’s known that construction of new Soviet state taught all the spheres of public life, including ideological sphere which was taken under the state control and it was subordinated to the aims of building the “new society” and creation the “new type of human”. Development of public live passed in the frames defined by state and it lost it’s independent. The whole layers, and first of all religion as a basis of representations about the device and development of society in pre-revolutionary Russia was the religious outlook were excluded from sphere of interests of the population. The uniform ideology basing the Marxist theory was imposed instead.
In 1920th –1930th years, when the state was afraid to be under the threat of influence of religion organizations and believers, there was a problem to keep the control over consciousness and behavior of the population in any way and to exclude influence of faiths. The history shows that in practice it is possible not only influence on the "internal" world of the person with the help of an ideological manipulation by his consciousness and behavior, but also due to external physical compulsion.
Complex of documents connected to reprisals has been revealed during work with the collection. Articles from documents of punitive departments of 1920th years will be published in the collection.
Documents of those years testify that arrests of clergy at that time were not the mass phenomenon. But to speak about a commensurability of compulsion measures to accused fault is also wrong. Accusations were standard - anti-soviet activity, preparation and carrying out of the armed counterrevolutionary meetings, convocation of illegal congresses, infringement of the decree about branch of church from the state and school from church.
Unfortunately, documents of punitive force of 1920th years don't give integral representation about reprisals scales, don't reflect sentencing practice of province administrative authorities in full measure and don't give an information about a fault suspected degree, about reliability of collected proofs.
It is possible to speak unambiguously that among priests in 1920th years there were valid enemies of the Soviet authority. But the significant part of cases has been forged, because the estimation of original evidences didn't represent the facts.
The analysis of legal cases testifies that there appeared two kinds of proofs, such as avowals of accused guilt and original evidences. As ecclesiastics didn't admit guilt, the most part of such cases began and came to an end by anonymous letters, by neighbors denunciations and often they just revenged. Authorities very often understood an incorrectness of the actions and tried to give out decisions about deprivation of ecclesiastics of freedom for will of people - for decisions of a rural society. There were cases when ecclesiastics entered in camp extrajudicially passing usual legal procedures.
Writing articles for the collection about a cult attendants and believers of the Yenisei region of 1930th years, and also about those who served time or was in camps, shows that in 1930th years political law machinery worked not only against valid criminals.
Representatives of exploiter classes, including attendants of a cult, have started to be called, even in official documents, " former people " at the end of 1920 - the beginning of 1930th years according to the doctrine about dictatorship of proletariat. Therefore they became imagined "enemies" though these people were not dangerous to the state anymore.
Mass reprisals against clergy proceeded during 1930th years and have ended only with the beginning of Great patriotic war at 1941-1945. Legal grounds for reprisals in most cases were absent, and the centre of gravity has been displaced to accused depositions (confessions). It is necessary to note, that accusations were standard. They have been accused not only of conducting counterrevolutionary propaganda, but also in creation of insurgent groups and in concealment of the social origin. Their belonging to sociopolitical organization was important. Therefore searches of "truth" were also specific. Concerning attendants of a cult verdicts were not put under doubt including accused. The writing of collection became possible due to laborious work of Krasnoyarsk branch of a "Memorial" society employees. Especially it would be desirable to express thanks to V.G.Sirotinin for the given materials. Also it's impossible to forget about the help of students of historical faculty of Pedagogical University rendered to the author and employees of "Memorial" in preparation of these materials.
Small help articles include biographies, and also a course of criminal trial and accusation. Articles are based on documents of punitive and judicial authority. Many of these articles are written from words of those events eyewitnesses and show the facts of heroism, struggle for the faith.
Our general work does not describe destiny of priests completely. It wakens national memory more likely. In fact people which will overlook the ancestors - will be lost, and the Church which will overlook about martyrs for belief - will not have the basis. When we composed biographies we used language of directories. In some cases quotation from documents and memoirs are resulted. Below references to sources of information reception are obligatory. We don't give an information about persons nationality though it's specified in investigatory and private cases.
Composers of given articles understand that the started business is far from being completed and demands the continuation. Therefore we hope for the real help in information about subjected to repression attendants of a cult search. And also we hope for realization of team-work with a Cultural Historical Museum Center and with Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University of field expeditions on gathering memoirs and data.