Evangelical Christian Baptists in the First Postwar Years (from 1945 to 1952): Peculiarities of Their Activities and Relations with Authorities (Based on Materials from Vinnytsia Oblast)

Abstract

The purpose of the research paper is to study the activities of Evangelical Christian Baptists (ECB) in the Vinnytsia region during the first postwar years and to elucidate the specific characteristics of their interactions with other Protestant denominations and the Soviet authorities.

The scientific novelty is in the attempt, based on archival materials first put into circulation, to trace and analyze the features of ECB activities in the Vinnytsia region during the first postwar years through the prism of relations with the Soviet authorities, the Union of ECB members, and other Protestant denominations.

Conclusions. As a result of the study, it is determined that the formation of ECB religious communities in the postwar years in the Vinnytsia region had certain peculiar features because of the agrarian nature, border status, and the multi-confessional character of Podillia. During the interwar period of the 20^th century, the predominant social group in this region was the Orthodox peasantry, which, as a result of the forced collectivization of individual landholdings, found itself incorporated into collective farms. Furthermore, in the aftermath of the Holodomor-genocide, political repressions, and persecution of the Church, many peasants also found spiritual solace in Evangelical Christians and Baptists, who offered a more accessible interpretation of the doctrine, a more comprehensible form of worship, systematic welfare assistance, and better organized underground activities than other Christian denominations.

The establishment of the official Union of the ECB only intensified the joining of Ukrainian peasants, who hoped to avoid persecution by the authorities within this religious formation. In the context of the post-war demographic situation, the believers of the ECB were predominantly middle-aged and elderly women, who were traditionally distinguished by greater piety than men. The rapid recruitment to religious communities was also facilitated by the low educational attainment among the peasantry.

The Union of the ECB led to the crisis phenomena planned by the authorities, which got out of control and provoked opposition sentiments. Some Baptists who did not accept the Union formed a movement of ‘pure Baptists’. Misunderstandings between Pentecostals and Evangelical Christian Baptists exacerbated the crisis both in the Union of the ECB and among Pentecostals not affiliated with the Union. Consequently, it led to an escalation in anti-religious pressure affecting both illegal and legal communities and thereby accentuating the multi-confessional character of the Vinnytsia region as a peculiar feature of its cultural landscape.