Materials of the NKVD of the Ukrainian SSR on the organized activities of the church-sectarian counter-revolution

 Archive: Regional State Administration of the SBU. F. 16. Op. 30. D. 87. L. 105-111. Typographic copy

April 25, 1937

Top secret

MATERIALS ON THE ORGANIZED ACTIVITY OF THE CHURCH-SECTANT COUNTER-REVOLUTION

April 25, 1937

After the approval of the Stalinist Constitution, the activities of the clergy, clergymen and sectarians revived in the country, aimed at raising the religious activity of the population, and in the upcoming election campaign they will undoubtedly try to achieve their positions in the Soviets.

The 39,000 legally registered church organizations in the country, which make up about a million of the church's active, are ready-made formations for anti-Soviet activities, especially during the election campaign.

The all-Union population census showed us that clergy-sectarians are capable of exerting a great influence on the population. In many places, under the influence of k-p agitation of priests, preachers, etc. church element, a significant part of the population was recorded as believers.

In the Cherkasy district of the Saratov region, as a result of the census, about 80 % of believers turned out to be, and in the Balandinsky district of the same region - 52.2 %. In Ukraine, in a number of regions, the percentage of believers is also very high.

In the Odessa region, in almost all areas, there is a sharply increasing activity of churchmen and sectarians who are using the Stalin Constitution in every possible way, for their own purposes.

There are already signals that the clergy and church activists are directing their activities towards using the upcoming election campaign to get their people into the Soviets.

The organized activity of priests and sectarians is aimed at preparing open anti-Soviet speeches by religious people demanding the return of churches and the formation of new church and sectarian communities.

For these purposes, the church activists, under the leadership of priests and preachers, freely collect signatures and money from collective farmers, send their walkers in whole delegations to the central authorities with a petition for the opening of churches. The clergy began to perform religious rites en masse at the homes of collective farmers, processing them in an anti-Soviet spirit.

A huge influence is also exerted on schoolchildren, and in many areas the priests baptize children of school age, instilling in them the spirit of fanaticism, persuading them not to join Komsomol-pioneer and other school organizations, attend church, etc. In some places there are underground study circles children to the Law of God (Berislav).

Particularly sharp activity is noted on the part of the clergy and churchmen in the national German regions and collective farms.

The absence of anti-religious propaganda, along with the clearly unsatisfactory organization of political mass work in the countryside, on the one hand, and the distortions and rude administration that were allowed in many areas during the closing of churches, on the other hand, create fertile ground for such anti-Soviet activity by church elements and lead to an increase in religiosity, population forming underground worship services and religious communities.

There are more than a hundred closed churches in the districts of the region, which have not been converted into cultural institutions, serve as a center of attraction for church elements that do not leave the dream of regaining them again.

THE FACT DATA OF THE STATEMENT FOR THE RETURN OF THE CHURCHES

In the SKADOVSKY DISTRICT, a group of clergy led by psalmists TISCHENKO and TIVETSKY prepared an anti-Soviet speech by religious people demanding the return of the church, which had been closed in 1936. On March 14, 1937, a group of 15 women came to the police demanding permission to continue collecting signatures and money.

IN THE OCTOBER DISTRICT: Priest TROITSKY freely roams the villages, preparing the performances of believers. He organized 40 religious people, rented a room for prayer meetings from the collective farmer DEMCHENKO, demanded permission from the District Executive Committee to open a prayer house. This statement, signed by all churchmen, reads: “WE DECLARATION THAT WE WILL NOT MAKE ANY ANTI-SOVIET OR POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS. WE WILL ONLY PRAY FOR THE SUCCESSFUL EXISTENCE OF OUR MOTHERLAND.” In another village, Dmitriev, in the same district, priest KURBAT conducts similar anti-Soviet activities, performing religious rites at the homes of collective farmers.

IN VISKOVSKY DISTRICT : priest SEMENOV, psalmist VIT-VITSKY, preparing the faithful for open speeches, organized a three-day prayer service in the apartment of the churchwoman SANKO, treating the collective farmers in an anti-Soviet spirit. When the chairman of the Village Council proposed to stop these illegal gatherings, SEMENOV resisted, saying: “Now we are acting according to the new constitution, we are not afraid of anyone, we do not need any permissions. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THIS, THEN READ BETTER THE NEW CONSTITUTION.

In the VLADIMIRSKY DISTRICT: the priest KURILOV and the churchmen Chudnovtsev, Pyatakov, Timofeev and others are inciting the faithful to an anti-Soviet action demanding the return of the church, sending their agents to the villages. KURILOV prepared several dozen statements, allegedly on behalf of believers, in which he writes: “... I ASK THE FIFTY AND THE PRIEST OF THE SAFONOV CHURCH TO CONSIDER ME A BELIEVER. I JOIN MY VOICE TO THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING LEAVES OF OUR CHURCH.”

A similar anti-Soviet agitation in the same area is being carried out by priest MARCHENKO, under whose leadership the church activists collect signatures and money for the opening of the church.

IN THE TROITSKY DISTRICT: church activists (VEZHELOVSKY, NESTERENKO, etc.), distorting the Constitution, are doing a lot of work among the population for the opening of churches. They say:

“...WE ARE RIGHT. THE SOVIET AUTHORITY IS TAKING THE WAY OF OPENING CHURCHES. SHE IS AFRAID OF GOD. STALIN HIMSELF SEES THAT IF THE PEASANT IS NOT FORCED TO PRAY TO GOD THEN THERE WILL BE NO BREAD ALL THE TIME. THE CONSTITUTION FOR US AND LIFE WILL BE REDUCED TO THE OLD.”

ANTI-SOVIET ACTIVITIES OF CHURCHERS. DIRECTED TO USE THE ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

In the BERISLAV DISTRICT, a German pastor in the village. Kostryve TSIMERMAN organizes meetings of religious people, seeking his election to the Presidium of the Village Council. Tsimerman says: "... WE SHOULD HAVE OUR PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGE COUNCIL, THEN WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR THAT OUR KIRCH WILL BE CLOSED".

COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY INFLUENCE ON YOUTH AND SCHOOL CHILDREN

IN THE VOSNEENSKY DISTRICT : in a number of villages, the priests - VENGERENKO, SANDULENKO and SVOREV - subject school-age children to mass baptism, persuading them to attend church regularly, not to join pioneer organizations, etc. These priests say:

 "... BAPTIZE MORE THAN YOUR CHILDREN. WITH THE COMING OF HITLER TO UKRAINE THE UNBAPTIZED CHILDREN WILL BE DESTROYED.”

In the VLADIMIRSKY DISTRICT: Priest MARCHENKO goes from house to house of collective farmers, baptizing school-age children, working them in a religious anti-Soviet spirit, inciting them to prevent the closure of the church.

In TSURUPINSKY DISTRICT: a group of evangelical sectarians involved 15 schoolchildren in an illegal sect. These sectarians say: “... IT IS NECESSARY TO TAKE CHILDREN FROM SCHOOLS. THEY ARE CORRUPTIONING THEM, TEACHING THE SATANIC WORK.”

IN THE OCHAKOVSKY DISTRICT : The counter-revolutionary activists of the sectarians are also drawing young people into the sect. In the village of BEIKUSH, the sectarian IVANOV, arranging prayers at his home, forces him to bring his children.

IN THE KHMELEVSKY DISTRICT: A group of priests travel through the villages, arranging prayers in the apartments of collective farmers and baptizing school-age children.

In the BERISLAV DISTRICT, the German pastor ZIMERMAN organized an illegal circle of children at his home, teaching them the Law of God. He drew the pioneers LANGAUZER, HOFFMANN, KRASMANN and others into this circle. Children are processed by ZIMERMAN in a nationalistic fascist spirit.

In the Kakhovsky and II Yurupinsky districts, among labor settlers from Central Asia, Mulla AIMBRALOV performs the circumcision of children. It has been established that children then fall ill from blood poisoning, since circumcision is done in unsanitary conditions (the wound is covered with earth and tied with dirty rags).

DIRECT COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES OF THE CLERGY. CHURCHERS AND SECTANTS

An active counter-revolutionary group of churchmen, led by church warden Vasily Gorbatyuk, was uncovered in the LUBATTEVSKY DISTRICT . Developing their activities aimed at the return of churches and preparing anti-Soviet speeches of believers, these churchmen carried out the following counter-revolutionary agitation:

“... THERE WOULD BE A WAR, THEN WE WOULD FIND OUR PEOPLE AND SHOW THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES AND THE COMMUNISTS WHERE THE CRABIES WINTER...” (cleric Antonyuk).

"... KIROV IS KILLED, ORDZHONIKIDZE IS DEAD, AND IF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS KILLED, WE WOULD LIFE BETTER..." (Churchman KOSANOVSKY).

“... YOU, COLLECTIVE FARMERS, WILL BE THE END SOON. GERMANY IS FINISHING BREAKING SPAIN, AND THEN IT WILL TAKE FOR YOU - THE SCAPS. THE GERMANS WILL DEFEAT THE BOLSHEVIK BECAUSE THEY ARE A JUST PEOPLE AND WE WILL SUPPORT THEM. IT IS BETTER TO HAVE YOUR OWN ECONOMY THAN TO WORK FOR FREE ON A COLLECTIVE FARM...” (cleric Grishchenko).

In the Voznesensky District , the counter-revolutionary church group of the priests VENGERENKO, SANDULENKO and Suvorov was liquidated. Carrying out k/p agitation in the countryside, they declared:

“... THE FASCISTS WILL SOON DEFEAT SPAIN AND TAKE ON THE USSR. WE ARE NOW TEMPORARILY UNDER THE POWER OF THE BOLSHEVIK. SOON GERMANY WILL TAKE UKRAINE. IT IS NECESSARY TO ORGANIZE THE WORKSHOPS AND PRAY TO GOD.”

In the GROSSULOVSKY DISTRICT , an active anti-Soviet group of churchmen was liquidated, which acted under the leadership of Priest GORBOV and prepared anti-Soviet speeches by religious people. GORBOV, conducting counter-revolutionary agitation, among other things, expressed his sympathy for the Trotskyists:

“... IF TROTSKY, ZINOVYEV AND OTHERS WERE IN POWER, THE PEOPLE WOULD LIVE BETTER. AFTER COLLECTIVIZATION RUINS THE PEASANTS AND DRIVES THEM IN NEED…”

A counter-revolutionary church organization headed by Bishop Varsanofy YURCHENKO, who had returned from exile, was uncovered in the PERVOMAISKY DISTRICT . Members of the organization organized illegal meetings, involving believers, in every possible way instilling in them hatred for the Soviet regime. They stated:

“... ALL COMMUNICATION WITH SOVIET AUTHORITIES IS COMMUNICATION WITH SATAN. DO NOT JOIN COLLECTIVE FARMS, DO NOT WORK AT SOVIET ENTERPRISES, A TRULY ORTHODOX PERSON CANNOT JOIN A TRADE UNION AND BE A STRIKER..."

In the KHERSON REGION , a similar counter-revolutionary church organization of the “True Orthodox” was liquidated. 10 people were arrested. The organization was headed by Bishops Titov and Skadovsky, who were in exile, with whom correspondence of an anti-Soviet nature was systematically conducted. The K-p activist of the organization had a great influence on the believers and recruited many people, especially women.

In the ELISAVETHRADKOVSKY DISTRICT , a church group was opened that was actively operating in a number of villages under the leadership of priests - IVANCH Fyodor, LIPSKY and the churchman POVALII, a former Socialist-Revolutionary. Carrying out counter-revolutionary agitation in the countryside, these elements declared:

“... THE PEOPLE WILL DISAPPEAR FROM HUNGER. PEOPLE ARE CLOSED, NO LIFE, NO FREEDOM, CHURCHES CLOSING. PEOPLE ARE TAXED BADLY. IN THE OLD TIME, PEOPLE LIVED MUCH BETTER...” (IVANCHA).

“...I SEE THAT THE SOVIET AUTHORITY DOES NOT PROVIDE THE PEOPLE. THE POPULATION GROANS. EVERYONE FIGHTS NOT FOR A COMMON CAUSE, FOR THEIR OWN EXISTENCE. THE PARTY IS MORE AND MORE TURNING INTO A CAST...” (former Socialist-Revolutionary Povaliy).

In the TSURUPINSKY DISTRICT , a counter-revolutionary group of sectarians was uncovered, carrying out anti-Soviet agitation among the collective farmers. The counter-revolutionary core—ZHADAN, BELY, POPOV and others declared:

“... ALTHOUGH THE DECRETE ON THE ETERNAL USE OF THE LAND IS ISSUED, THE LAND WILL HAVE TO BE RETURNED TO THE KULAKS. THE END WILL COME SOON, IT WILL NOT BE LONG TO WAIT. SOON WE WILL BREATHE FREELY. SOVIET AUTHORITY DOES NOT DO - EVERYTHING GOES TO DEATH. THE CROWNS FALL. THE HAMMER AND SICKLE WILL FALL SOON .”

In the RAZLELNYANSKY DISTRICT , a group of the savage sect of "Pentecostal Shakers" was discovered, which developed great activity in the village. It is characteristic to note that the counter-revolutionary core of this group, the former kulaks ADZHIGIREY, SOLTANENKO and others, in their counter-revolutionary agitation instill in the collective farmers hatred of the Soviet power, expressing their sympathy for the Trotskyist saboteurs:

“... IF TROTSKY WAS IN POWER, ALL OF US WOULD LIFE EASIER. THE BELIEVERS WOULD NOT BE OPPRESSED, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PRAY OPENLY, AS IT WAS IN THE FIRST YEARS OF THE REVOLUTION. IN THE SOVIET UNION, HALF OF THE POPULATION SUPPORTS THE TROTSKISTS. THERE ALSO ARE MANY TROTSKIST SUPPORTERS AMONG THE COLLECTIVE FARMERS …”

In the Znamensky District , a similar counter-revolutionary group of sectarians "shakers" was uncovered, which carried out activities to destroy the collective farms. The counter-revolutionary activist RAKULENKO, FILONENKO and others, treating the collective farmers in an anti-Soviet spirit, declared:

“... THE POWER OF THE ANTICHRIST HAS COME BUT IT WILL BE ENDING SOON. THIS POWER IS LEAD BY THE BLIND, IT MUST FALL. WE, BELIEVERS, WILL NOT DEFEND THE USSR WHEN THE GERMANS COME..."

In the NOVO-BU GSKY DISTRICT , a group of sectarians called "spiritual brotherhood" (KOVALENKO, TATARENKO and others) was liquidated, which carried out agitation against collective farmers, involving collective farmers in the sect:

“...DO NOT BELIEVE THE COMMUNISTS, THEY ARE DECEIVING YOU. COLLECTIVE HOUSES DO NOT PROVIDE THE LIFE OF THE PEASANTS. SOON THIS POWER WILL FALL…”

In the SAVRANSKY DISTRICT , a counter-revolutionary group of sectarians "Krasnodrakonovtsy" was liquidated. The leaders of this group, MOKROGUZ, ZADEREY and others, carried out active counter-revolutionary agitation in the countryside, and declared:

“... SOVIET AUTHORITY IS THE POWER OF THE DRAGON. DO NOT TAKE SOVIET PASSPORTS, IT'S A DRAKON'S SEAL. DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE REWRITTEN DURING THE ALL-UNION CORRESPONDENCE OF THE POPULATION. THIS SEALS THE ANTICHRIST. COLLECTIVE HOUSES ARE THE HOUSE OF SATAN..."

A counter- revolutionary group of Baptist sectarians (KHMEL', SHAVENKO, KUZ'MENKO and others) has been uncovered in the PESCHANO-BROLSKY DISTRICT . Carrying out anti-Soviet agitation in the countryside, they spread provocative rumors about the upcoming war and the fall of Soviet power:

“... THE WAR IN SPAIN - THERE IS A RELEASE FOR THE BELIEVERS AND THE ALL PEOPLE. FASCISTS ONLY WANT GOOD FOR PEOPLE...”

COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES OF THE CLERGY IN THE GERMAN COLONYS

A counter-revolutionary fascist organization was opened and liquidated, consisting mainly of German churchmen, headed by a German priest from the village of Velilarovo. ELANEPKOGO DISTRICT - ROLGEYSER Peter, 47 years old.

This counter-revolutionary organization trained anti-Soviet cadres from a hostile nationalist element for wrecking and subversive activities during the war. ROLHEISER, through his agents-churchmen FETTA, GRESS Yakov, BERGER, SCHMALTZ and others, argued about the imminent overthrow of Soviet power and the coming of HITLER to Ukraine.

In order to spread his fascist counter-revolutionary influence on the Ukrainian villages, ROLGEISER entered into a bloc with the priest LASTOVETSKY Alexei from Voznesensky District, who carried out anti-Soviet agitation, supplied ROLGEISER with counter-revolutionary slanderous information about the difficult situation in the collective farms, about the famine, etc.

A counter-revolutionary fascist organization was uncovered in the BERISLAV DISTRICT , headed by a German priest from the village of Kostiki, TSIMERMAN Adam, who spread his influence in a number of other German colonies through the counter-revolutionary church activists - TAUBERGER, AIZWERT, ZENKER, BEBER and others. ZIMERMAN processed in a religious spirit, argued about the imminent fall of Soviet power, the arrival of HITLER in Ukraine.

ZIMERMAN sent provocative slanderous letters, allegedly from German collective farmers to Germany, about their difficult financial situation, about famine, etc.

TSIMERMAN developed his activities, seeking his election to the Village Council.

He also involved the youth in the church community by teaching the children the Law of God.

7 people were arrested in the case.

In the TSEBRIKOV DISTRICT , a counter-revolutionary German fascist organization was uncovered and liquidated.

Along with destruction and sabotage activities, the members of the organization, the church elder - TRESTER Wilhelm and the churchmen - BRAUMSBERGER and others, over the course of a number of years, kept a secret record of the movement of the population (about mortality, birth rate, etc.) sending provocative information to Germany about a large mortality of the population from starvation, about the plight of the Germans. living in the USSR, etc., receiving special rewards for these spy materials.