THE ANTI-RELIGIOUS POLICY OF THE SOVIET REGIME AS AN OBJECT OF STUDY IN HIGH SCHOOL IN INDEPENDENT UKRAINE

Abstract

The article describes changes in teaching senior students – those in grades 10–11 of general secondary educational institutions in Ukraine – the history of the Soviet regime’s anti-religious campaign. These changes are present-ed in the context of the transformation of society and historical scholar-ship from the early 1990s to the present day. Particular attention is given to changes in interpretations and teaching methods concerning the key stages of the «storming of heaven» in the 1920s – 1930s and at the turn of the 1950s – 1960s, when the most extensive anti-religious campaigns occurred. It is shown that the democratization of society following Ukraine’s declaration of independence made it possible to revise Soviet ideological concepts that condemned religion and discriminated against its adherents. Socio-political transformations that made education more open to humanitarian and spiri-tual issues were manifested, in particular, through the inclusion of religious studies topics in the educational process. The article analyzes changes in curricula that expanded the field of study and placed new emphasis on de-veloping high school students’ competencies in accordance with contempo-rary challenges. It is emphasized that the Soviet regime’s attitude towards 

religious organizations and their representatives was systematically hostile: they were regarded as elements of the «old world» that had to be destroyed. Authors of history textbooks explained that this attitude stemmed from the theoretical foundations of the Communist Party and manifested itself in the constant aggression of the authorities in various spheres – economic, legal, administrative, criminal, propaganda, and others. New textbooks revealed such phenomena as the persecution of spiritual leaders, clergy, and active believers, confiscation of church property, mass campaigns to close churches, and so on. It is concluded that changes in curricula and textbooks demonstrate a gradual shift from reproductive teaching methods to problem-oriented ones, encouraging students to understand phenomena, processes, and formulate their own conclusions. At the same time, it was stated that many aspects of the anti-religious struggle have not yet been adequately reflected in school textbooks. This calls for teachers’ creative engagement and the use of various forms of extracurricular activities within the framework of the aforementioned topics, which are of worldview significance.