Dwadcatki – organy wykonawcze organizacji religijnych w sowieckim systemie represji (obwód winnicki na Podolu, 1944-1964)

Abstract

Starting from the decree “On the Division Between the Church and the State and Between School and the Church” the successive legal acts constituted a new status of religious organizations. In place of a hierarchic church structure, independent parochial committees, so-called “twenties,” were established. Legislators intended to set church committees in opposition to the clergy. Life, however, had proved the opposite – the clergy dominated the “twenties”, or even more, where there was no priest the “twenty” replaced him, both in the religions and administrative dimensions. Thus the authorities sought to limit the activity of the faithful by legal-administrative means, something that was opposed as well. Various institutions were flooded with applications, letters, complaints; delegations were sent to Winnica, Kiev and Moscow; all this not only showed the scale of the problem for the authorities, but rather the faith of those who appeared to be witnesses to God and the Church.