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Abstract

The article deals with the religious life in Magnitogorsk founded as a «new city», free from the vices of capitalist society, including religion. The attitude to believers had changed in the city during 1930–1980s. The fi rst stage (1930–1940s) is characterized as the most diffi cult time for the believers of all faiths, because of their key task was to survive in a hostile atheistic environment and diffi cult social conditions. The second stage (1947–1959) was rather «quiet» time for the development and strengthening of religious customs in the families. The third stage (1959–1985) was the existence in the context of pressure from the atheistic propaganda and public censure. The periodization in general coincides with major changes in the state religious policy, which suggests the impact of political and social prerequisites on a religious worldview, the formation of religious practices and everyday way of life of the believers. Social upheaval and propaganda forced to change beliefs and to adapt them to the reality. The author concludes that despite the anti-religious actions from the authorities, and the declaration of the idea 158 МАКАРОВА “Magnitogorsk is the city without churches”, the population continued to practice religion, and the range of faiths in the city was wide enough. Purely external signs determined the religiosity of the population and the city: the presence of churches and chapels, religious rituals, external paraphernalia. This approach ensured a relatively peaceful existence of the believers in the city who had inner religiousness or professed nondenominational confession.

Keywords

historical anthropology, daily life history, religion, Magnitogorsk

Nadezhda N. Makarova - Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University, Russia, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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