Kárpátalja történelmi felekezeteinek sorsa a késősztálini egyházpolitika fényében (1944–1953)

Abstract

The problem inherent in the subject lies in the fact that, although macro-level syntheses on Soviet church policy during the given period have already been produced in both Russian and Ukrainian, comprehensive and primary-source-based studies focusing specifically on the Transcarpathian region remain scarce. This is particularly true if one seeks a historical work that addresses all of the region’s traditional denominations and/or churches within a single analytical framework. Accordingly, the primary aim of this study is to examine how the fate of the historical churches of the Transcarpathian region evolved in the late Stalinist period (1944–1953) following the change of power in 1944. We also seek to illuminate the political background that shaped the room for maneuver available to the various churches and denominations, and to demonstrate how, through its regulatory measures, the Soviet regime determined and constrained the everyday lives of believers and the practice of their faith.