From Australia. Dear Anna. As Historian and Geographer (specializing in world powers), your clip is incredibly true in analysis, content and presentation. Well done.
Дякую for yet another marvelously insightful and informative video. Several years ago, on my first trip to Ukraine, I visited St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv. This was the first Orthodox church I stepped foot in, and it left a deep impression. It goes without saying that the church is stunningly beautiful, but what really stood out was the people's faith. It was fairly early in the morning on a weekday, but the church was teeming with activity. One elderly woman in particular stood out. She was bent over, nearly parallel to the ground. It was glaringly obvious that walking was excruciatingly painful for her, yet she had nonetheless traveled to the church to pray. I was humbled as I watched her kiss an icon and light a candle. Although I've never been particularly religious, it was impossible not to be moved by such a scene. I doubt anyone else there took much notice of her, but she had a profound impact on me. I later learned that the cathedral survived Soviet times by being converted into a museum of atheism, which now seems like a brilliant joke played by history, with the USSR's attempt to repress faith backfiring so spectacularly. Religion literally became a force for resistance against Soviet oppression. More frequently than I probably should, I engage Russian trolls online, and one oft repeated claim they make is that Russia is a deeply Christian nation, as if that somehow would justify their atrocities in Ukraine. But what really makes this argument seem not only desperate and absurd is their blatant ignorance that Ukraine is even more Christian than Russia! The British have a great word that describes my reaction: gobsmacked. Russian trolls are completely detached from reality.
I also battle ruzian trolls frequently. The ignorance and disinformation they try force on everybody. Problem is you have to fght their propaganda, because there are people gulible enough to believe it and perpetuate it(Specialy latin america).
Ah, yes... the separation of church and state is a much-lauded pillar of the liberty enshrined in the US Constitution... in marked contrast to the British system, with the Monarch also being head of the State Religion. Remind me. Which of the two abolished slavery first?
When I was growing up, when I stated I was an atheist, I was immediately reviled. I quickly learned to hide my lack of religiosity. Fortunately, things have changed over the last 40 years and I no longer fear prejudice when I do mention I am not religious. By the way, I am not American or in the USA. In my humble opinion, if a politician cannot openly state they're an atheist or non-religious, you have a problem. The trouble isn't religiosity or lack thereof, but *intolerance* which one finds in abundance in all walks of life, religions, and non-religious.
Were you nailed to a cross and crucified? No. So get over it and live your life the way you see fit - intolerance is a fact of the human condition. Ignore it. You can't force tolerance on another person, because then you become the intolerant one. Remember, when you point your finger - three of them are pointing back at you.
@@RW4X4X3006 I was in Jerusalem where the local guide pointed out that nailing wasn't a Roman crucifixion thing. More likely the crucified were tied to the crosses. As for pointing fingers barb, I sense you're defensive; why is that? Do you want your intolerances and eat them, too? "Forcing" tolerance. Hmm. So it is fine and dandy to hate the _other_ ? Is that very Christian? *WWJCD?*
@@RW4X4X3006 Why, thank you for your generous advice. However, as it is based on intolerance, I shall sadly have to reject it. I prefer your religion's Love thy Neighbour philosophy, which is actually rather Universal. You ought to try it one day.
@@marcor4706 Where's the intolerance in my comment? Spin spin spin.... So it's ok to be intolerant of Christians, but not ok to be intolerant of nihilists. Got it. Here, chew on this bone - Religion tells children they are imperfect and must work on themselves. Secularism tells children they are perfect and should work on everyone else.
And, evidently, the great God Science gives non believers the right to trample underfoot those they disagree with. See Carl Sagan's numerous writings for one infamous example. Sorry if I spat upon one of your icons there.
Thank you Anna for another great presentation. I just watched a very informative interview with Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Hrytsak in which the interviewer Olena Gnes poses the questions "Why did Russia attack Ukraine?" and "Why must Ukraine win?" At the end of the interview, Yaroslav Hrytsak recommends resources in English on the topics. That interview was broadcast today (Sept. 4th) on the RUclips channel called "What is Ukraine."
As a child of the 1980's I am fascinated by the Cold War. Sadly as events in the Ukraine demonstrate we thought it ended in 1991. Clearly it did not end for Russia. Love these videos an insight into the minds and attitudes of the depressing dreary Soviets. Sadly Stalin is being remembered in Russia now as some great folk hero of the war. Not the brutal monster of genocide and famine.
Yeah it blows my mind how Lenin and Stalin are revered in Russia. Lenin wasn’t the monster that Stalin was, but communism has never benefited the people of a country more then providing meager supplies and lots of work.
@@Youre_Right Lenin got a good start on his campaign of genocide but then he died and Stalin took over. If Lenin had lived, he would have been just as bad.
He is a hero because he reopened the bottling plants for the vodka. Russians just too drunk to remember this is really why they love Stalin. They forgot about the 20 million deaths he caused.
@Vera Z, they simply started doing their business outside of Russia. Now they destroy Ukraine's history, and do crimes internationally with the same Satanic dogma, You're forced to honor the recent history. If you disagree you go to jail. Pitiful Russian, proud of the souls you capture for Putin. It;s like Muhammedans forcing conversion before executing, proud to capture souls for the moon god, Allah. There is no love there, only fear and selfishness.
I'm not religious but my auntie was and had her funeral last week. The catholic priest was from Poland. I heard him say some Ukranian religious nuns had to relocate in some Poland town temporarily as it just not safe in Ukraine at moment. Hopefully they can return to their own town soon but I glad Poland is a good friend to their Ukraine neighbours which Russia will never be as a terrorist state.
Yes Poland is a quite good friend off Rutnenia (South Ukraine ( and Russian speaking East Ukraine ) it has only problems with Western Ukraine only the rest off Ruthenia is poor, good, friendly tergetd by Putins dictatorship (called Putlin,Putler, as some say self from West Ukraine family Privalov by father and Putina by mother adopted later by a distant Leningrad family), yes East Ukraine and South Ukraine is poor.
Well done "debunk" of such a critical component of the soviet union. Crazy about Stalin seen as kind of a religious icon by some today. Loved the analogy of you being an exorcist.
Whatever belief system dominates in a society will try to control the population, religious or otherwise. Beliefs should remain personal and separate from the state.
There is a quote of uncertain origin, “Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.” The Soviets were slow to catch on, but they learned.
I am a devout Christian; my faith is intensely personal. I only talk about it when someone asks me and God tells me to share in Love. Yes, God talks to me. The Bible says: “My sheep hear my voice and know me and follow me.” Jesus has NOT TALKED TO PUTIN OR KIRILL. If He did He would tell them to cease their wicked ways, cease, repent, and fix what you have broken! Beg for forgiveness in humility!!
Anna's description of the destruction of religious buildings etc. during the Soviet era is very reminiscent of the reformation in England. In Tudor England monasteries and nunneries were destroyed, religious art was destroyed, monks and nuns were made homeless and destitute and people who wished to continue with the old religion were persecuted.
I don’t think the comparison is valid: In England, a corrupted and politicized church was replaced with a less corrupt and less politicized church. In Russia a corrupted and politicized church was replaced with nothing.
@@georgemiller151 After the reformation the English church may have been less corrupt (though that's arguable) but it was vastly MORE "politicised"! The English reformation was little more than the hostile takeover of the English church by an unholy alliance of raw political power and ultra-Puritan religious bigotry. In Russia a corrupt and politicised church (is any state church NOT corrupt and politicised?) was replaced by the secular religion of communism. But my point was in reference to the destruction of religious buildings and art and the persecution of those who won't meekly follow whatever edict those in power decide to impose. In that respect the parallel is very clear.
@@georgemiller151 that replacement church in England was by no means less corrupt nor less politicized. Oliver Cromwell did to the Irish Catholics what Putin hoped to do to the Ukrainian Orthodox.
When the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was reconstructed in Moscow back in the late '90s I though that this was a symbol of real change (for the better) in Russia. Unfortunately this didn't materialize and now we have to deal with this new RoguePutin.
Keeping the dates but changing the names is not an exclusive Russian thing, it's exactly what the Christian Church did in Sweden when, just one example, they changed the Winter Solstice Viking holiday (Midvinterblot) to Christmas
The Roman church did exactly the same thing. It is why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th, because it was the traditional birthday of one of the Roman deities (Mithras I think, but I may be wrong).
@@bobjohnbowles Correct, Mithras. And the resemblance between Jesus' mother Mary and the mother-goddess Isis is also not a coincidence. Both Mithras and Isis had a large number of worshipers back in the day.
Christmas is literally the rebranding if the Roman holiday of Saturnalia held on 23rd December which is why it is still more of a party than a religious day.
Very odd that people carry an icon of Stalin after he let millions of Ukrainians and Russians die of starvation. A very good and extremely informative video, Anna. Thank you for taking the time to put this together, I learnt a lot. Love from Wales. Slava Ukrainija!
Considering the fact that the unburied corpse of the "leader of the proletariat" has been lying in the middle of the city on the main square of Muscovy for a whole century, I seriously doubt that they are Christians... And after their open aggression against Ukraine, I have doubts that they are people at all...
@@AstroGremlinAmerican In Socialism not only the Socialists were more or less mentally deranged, through the given handouts you could only get benefits, if you marry and raise children. Let's say, to get a bigger apartment. So this resulted in many toxic relationsships. Women, which were protected in Socialism, had fewer men, because they all died fighting for Socialism. So, that's why women had to adapt more to men to get benefits, but also men had to serve Socialism and pay for these benefits.
Socialism is based on group identity. If you can convince people that anyone with more wealth is an “exploiter” then persecution becomes justified and those who carry it out become “saviours”. Look what happened to the Kulaks.
Dr. Anna, you definitely did a great job of teaching us about how the totalitarian regimes of the Soviet Union. We knew it was bad, but not how bad it actually was. In America, the pledge of the allegiance to the flag was said every morning in school had the words "under God" added because of Soviet atheism. The Soviet Union suppressed religion in favor of atheism... in America today there's many who want to force religion on everyone here... just another form of authoritarianism that must be resisted at all costs. The real question becomes... "can any man speak for God?"
Great presentation and great idea for a channel. I was in US high school during the 1980s and we always feared the big bad USSR. The Cold War was a topic I was fascinated with and thank you again for these stories. Can you do an episode on Stanislav Petrov? Not sure people know the significance the man played in saving the world from nuclear destruction. Take care Anna and thanks again for your great content!
eastern europe and the baltics have long spoken with consistent voice about the unique character and severity of the threat posed by Russia; it is not based on trivial historical rivalries but on first-hand knowledge of current thought and practice -- it is about time everyone else listened more carefully
I am an American. I have never been able to understand why people believe in supernatural beings like God and Jesus or, if God exists, why he or she would choose to communicate through a very small number of people in the same part of the world while ignoring the others, and then cease all such communication about 2000 years ago. Sadly, around 1953 the US rewrote its patriotic ritual Pledge of Allegiance to its own flag to add the words "under God" because politicians needed to show this "important" difference between the US and the USSR, as if democracy and a (mostly) free economy were not the truly important differences. When I learned this as a teenager, it was very disappointing to learn that my government had so intentionally declared my beliefs to be at odds with those of "the nation". The least respected religious group in the US continues to be the atheists and the agnostics, very few of whom are organized into any particular political or social movement. I hope Ukraine (and all nations) will allow people to express and discuss their doubts about religion going forward.
Yeah, there's absolutly no evidence of a god or gods or angels etc. And religions (when you look at their histories) are obviously man made. And in times of war or disaster, everyone thinks god is on their side. Clearly that's not the case.
Deep stuff. Let's start pushing meaninglessness on the Ukrainians before they even get to thank God for their survival as individuals and as a nation, and for the profound sacrifice of those who lay down their lives in a truly Christian manner to make it happen.
Let me explain, then. Getting rid of God means getting rid of natural rights, "endowed by our Creator." That's why both Nazism and Communism, the two main totalitarian movements, both attacked religion. The people who put "under God" in the pledge rightly saw God as a bulwark against totalitarianism.
@@magnasquids7864 I see god concept as the ultimate totality, the total dictatorship, and understand "faith in god" as to lie to oneself and to others. And I disrespect all of above.
Steve, I live in the UK, so forgive me if my understanding is flawed, but I see the USA as a country that is bitterly divided between two sides who don't understand each other. I am appalled by Trump. I would never vote for anyone like him. But I find it hard to believe that the 47% who voted for him are all intolerant bigots. I suspect most are people who are in pain, and who feel they themselves are reviled and mistreated. If some way cannot be found to get the two halves of the USA to listen to each other, and to speak of those they disagree with with respect. I fear for the future of the country. In my experience as a Christian in the UK, when it comes to the religious divide. You have religious people who state as irreputable fact that God exists, and revile those who disagree as deluded. But you also have atheists who state as irreputable fact that God does not exist, and revile those who disagree as deluded. The reality is that there are many philosophers and scientists with opposite views on this subject. If such talented people disagree with us, wouldn't we be wise to at least speak of those with different views with a little respect?
It looks like two of you, Vlad and Anna, either do not notice or ignore some relevant things about Ukrainian war. By refusing to listen to Russia, when Russia told Ukraine it should not join NATO, Ukraine have undermined whether words can solve the problem and by doing so they have put Russia to look for other means which are less peaceful, and that is how Ukraine have undermined the peace. Ukraine have put Russia into position where moral choice (of avoiding war) would have negative consequences (having NATO at their border).
@@UrosNikolic95 It looks like you are concerned. Afraid even. Vlad said - Go(x2) Anna. It does not mean ANY of what you said. Not even close. - * Where do you get your propaganda from ? / Which are your favorite source of propaganda ?
@@UrosNikolic95 Nato has been on the border a long time. Estonia and Latvia are as close to russia as Ukraine. Kaliningrad is in the middle of Europe. As you can see no one want to attack a country that has nuclear weapons. Nato narrative is just one of the childish excuses for war.
Thank you for the history of "Christianity" in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy. Being a Catholic, I was appalled when the Head of the Russian Orthodox church went public with Putin for the killing of thousands of innocent people in Ukraine. The fundamental belief of most if not all religions is the respect for human life. Governments over the last 2,000 years have often used religion as a control over the populations. I have always had a hard time seeing this happen even in modern times,. This goes against the fundamental principles preached and lived by Jesus Christ.
Interesting what Anna says about Russian religious culture. In 1961, my wife, born in Ulyanovsk within a stone's throw of the Volga River, then only 3 months old, was taken to visit her grandparents in a small village about 30 km outside Ulyanovsk. Late that night, with no one watching, her grandmother bundled her up, her grandfather put her on the back of a donkey, and together they walked the donkey by backwoods trails to an even smaller village an hour away, where an orthodox priest performed a baptism inside their tiny hamlet church. Then they brought her back home before the sun came up and no one was the wiser. Russians didn't do without religion entirely, but they learned to avoid entanglements with the Soviet authorities. My wife's father was an engineer working for the state, her mother a department manager working for the state department store GUM, in Moscow. Had Soviet authorities known about the baptism it would have created a black mark on the work records of both my wife's parents. Anna also mentions the destruction of many churches in Russia during the Soviet Era. One of the most beautiful churches in Moscow, the "Cathedral of Christ the Saviour" not far from the Kremlin, and presided over by no less than Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow, and head of the entire Russian Orthodox Church, was itself torn down by the Soviets, but their plans to put a public swimming pool and recreation center there foiled by poor soil conditions which were unable to support the massive concrete pourings needed. The site was later reclaimed and after the fall of the Soviet Union, the modern day Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was built as an exact replica. That's right folks, that massive old timey cathedral you see as you drive past the Kremlim along the bank of the Moskva River, is actually a modern building.
Girl!! I LOVE this!!! Thank you for sharing!! I'm so thankful we have gotten to know one another and I will continue to pray for the Lord's protection over your life! Keep up the good fight!
Thanks Anna, really enjoyed this one. Heard previously that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was a former member of the KGB like Putin and they appear to get on well. Another of Putin's brains like Dugin perhaps!
It's sad but unsurprising that the Russian Orthodox church still sidles up to "the tsar" at the expense of their alleged values and common faithful people.
Such a great video! I'm sure that you already must have had this planned, but it covers exactly the topic I asked about a couple of days ago in my comments on your live stream. Really excellent work! Thank you 👍🏻
Why the Soviets hated religion? Communism itself was a religion that saw the Church as a competitor. That also explains why churches were demolished and the new holidays celebrated in the same time as old church holidays. Christianity did it to the Roman celebrations e.g. Christmas instead of Saturnalia.
That's not really why, read up on Marx and you'll see why. The Communists viewed history as a class struggle, and in European history and definitely Russian history, the church conspired with governments and the aristocracy to oppress the proletariat. By destroying churches (and farms and businesses), they were creating a "classless society" where nothing separated workers from the fruits of their labor, and what better way to break ties with the past than to subvert the existing culture. Of course, it turns out that some people were more equal than others (Animal Farm)...
Thank U Anna ! Once again your articulation on the subject is Spot on ! Beautifully spoken & always to the point ! These things I knew ,as an elderly Australian Catholic man from history & Even though I am of Irish ,Scot heritage ,Some of my family have Come from Poland ,So I have known How they Suffered & were persecuted from these Regimes ! Really is So Sad ,How our fellow man Can treat each other at Times ? Please take care & may God bless U & your people ! Thank U again for the Wonderful job UR doing ! Wishing U all ,the very best with Love Prayers Hope & the will to Succeed in Victory ,with Peace ,Freedom to Come to the Great people of Ukraine ! 🙏🇺🇦🌻💞🇦🇺☘️☮️🙏 Slavia Ukrainin.
It was Marx who first called religion the opium of the people. As will you know Marx wasn't actually a Soviet but the Soviet Union was based on the philosophy of Marxism. But this phrase was in common usage by the left in the UK all my life not just the Soviet Union. But by the UK left it just seems to apply to Christianity but not Islam. Have you read Animal Farm by George Orwell? In it there is to the character Moses who represents the Orthodox church, so my teacher said. With his tales of the "promised land" to which all animals retire after death, Moses is the novel's "religious" figure. Like his biblical counterpart, Moses offers his listeners descriptions of a place - Sugarcandy Mountain - where they can live free from oppression and hunger. At first, the pigs find him irksome, since they want the animals to believe that Animal Farm is a paradise and fear that the animals will be prompted by Moses' tales to seek a better place. However, as conditions on the farm worsen, the pigs allow Moses to stay because his tales offer the animals the promise of rest after a weary, toilsome life. As Karl Marx famously stated, "Religion is the opium of the people," and Moses' tales of Sugarcandy Mountain likewise serve as an opiate to the animals' misery. We studied George Orwell's Animal Farm at school together with his other novel 1984.
@@kerryyeroyan8212 Atheism is not a religion. Atheism is without beliefs in man made fiction and superstition, but you are right, fewer and fewr people are indoctrinated into religions. Good thing!
Religion has always been used by the rulers to opress people. That is why Putin now is using the Orthodox Church to further his evil. Anyone should be free to have whatever worldview they like, but religion has mainly been used to enforce a coherent belief aligned with the rulers mission.
Very informative and interesting, I have never learned so much history in my life as the last 6 months. . Wow getting to know the proud people and history of Ukraine and background is amazing thanks for sharing all of your intelligente insights.👍
Hello Anna, great video and interesting information! I also appreciate the upgraded composition of the perspectives and the high quality of the work. Only one minor thing to comment on the wide angle shot. The edge between wall and floor is nearly horizontal but not completely horizontal. I would try either a horizontal line or an angle with can be recognized as intended composition. Viele Grüße, Ralf
There is also a problem with the audio - Anna's voice can be heard louder from the left channel, which is annoying especially at the beginning and the end of the film, when we see Anna sitting on the right.
Well I'm an atheist and was horrified about the treatment of Christians under Stalin as well as the treatment of Jews under Hitler. I live in the US and have my problems with the Christian Right in my country. I value science and social justice and find religion gets in the way of both. That said I do appreciate the history of religion in the Soviet Union that you provided. Thank you.
If one thing is clear, Russia is a horrible evil empire that represents neither atheism nor Orthodox Christianity. It's just a shithole, always bullying its neighbors, well virtually no Russian neighbor besides Belrarus (another crappy dictatorship) wants anything to do with Russia, they want in NATO to get away from Russian influence.
Religion today only "gets in the way of science," and social justice as well, I believe, when people ALLOW them to do so. This is a double-edged sword, RuleofFive. I went through my own period of doubt some decades ago, and finally came to the conclusion it makes no common sense to believe the universe "simply happened" by random chance. Much like how it is all but impossible to accept that the Moon just happened to orbit so perfectly we have total eclipses. That, in and of itself, requires a leap pf faith, if you will.
@@starmnsixty1209 There is a concerted effort to shove religious beliefs into people's lives. Look at abortion rights, women's rights, birth control access, sex education, tolerance for LGBTQ people, book banning, evolution. Religious organizations try to block it all through right wing donor funded campaigns that put religious people on the courts. Hence our current knuckle draggers on SCOTUS. No scientist ever said the universe "simply happened". We know how old the universe is. We know how old earth is. We know how water got here, We know how we evolved. Life evolved here because the conditions to support life were here. If conditions weren't right then earth would be another barren planet void of life. I find it impossible to believe that some deity decided to create a universe around one species on a small planet where they can only live on about 30% of that planet and are surrounded by a completely hostile solar system. You want your deity to take credit for black holes, collapsing stars, astroids, supernovas then be my guest. I'll stick with science thank you. When I break a bone I don't run to church to pray about it I go to a hospital to see a doctor. Science delivers a better life.
That's a sensible / logical approach. I am from Scotland and we don't have that many deeply religious people any more, except in a few rural areas, and they tend to be the ones gossiping and ostracising anyone who doesn't fit their agenda. In my grandparents time, religion was deep rooted, I think my grand father was one of the first in our area to abandon the church. But religious differences in Scotland have caused many historical issues, and to be fair they still exist in the form of Celtic and Rangers, Scotland's 2 biggest football clubs each with 100s of 1000s of supporters. Though the intelligent ones can see past this religious divide and sectarianism.
This only shows that atheism is no better than religion. It also shows that the philosophy has nothing to do with it. People will pick whatever resonates with them. And some will just be hypocrites anyway…using their philosophy to justify their behavior. So it’s all about the person and how they are that makes the difference, not what they decide to identify as. That’s just cerebral and means practically nothing.
I extended myself and I apologize,…. great work, great subject, I love your blogs… keep up the great work, I have learned much regarding your culture, past and present… stay safe and don’t stop blogging, abrazos de un respetuoso admirador, porque no puedo hacer lo que tu haces… HEROYAM SLAVA
I think he’s commonly interpreted as “without the comfort implicit in ‘religion’, people would throw off their chains and rise up against their oppressors.” Trouble is, that’s not uniformly the truth. Quoth *Moses: “let my people go.”* Then, there are a number of instances in the book of Judges. Gideon was not the only one. There *are* parts in the New Testament, however, which *can* be exploited by unscrupulous people (e.g. Putrid) to further their own goals. There probably are many other parts for and against, but I can recall the parts I mentioned.
Anna, I enjoyed reading your article. I already new most of things you wrote about from western schooling. Your article written from a country that lived through those times helps confirm what I believed to be true. May God bless you and may God bless Your country.
“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” -Marx The entire quote in its context is much more accurate.
I am a non-practicing Jew from Canada. On my first visit to Kyiv, in 2001, I asked the lady I went to meet to take me to a Synagogue. I went in and found some people, one spoke English. She took me on tour and told me that during soviet times it had been a library. It was interesting for me to see and hear what had happened during Soviet times. This was an excellent presentation, Anna, only you did not mention Judaism. I noticed that. I still like you and support Ukraine.
I was born in Soviet occupied Latvia. We lived in extreme poverty. But not because of Atheism. I love Atheism. When I was a small kid I was forced to attend church. I hate jesus because of religious indoctrination I went through.
You need to meet Real Jesus, not church Jesus. Go out alone and read the 4 Gospels and Acts, paying attention to what Jesus say's. Ask Him who He is... You may come to know Him, you may not. But it's better than Indoctrination!
Great episode Anna! I find it impressive how quickly you guys have put a nice polish or finish on this production... Good stuff, and I’m really enjoying the content so far too! Looking forward to the next show! 💙💛
Atheism is the absence of religion. I don't collect stamps! Am I then a stamp collector who does not collect stamps? Someone presents a Hypothesis, I'm waiting for it to be proven. It is not me who has to prove that the hypothesis is wrong, it is the person who comes up with the claim who verifies that it is right. I have nothing to do with the hypothesis, I'm just waiting for an answer. Yes, but the hypothesis does not need to be proven because it is a Faith and you prove it with anecdotal evidence, and voila, now someone has to decide how I should dress. What to eat, what to do with my time. Which intercourse positions are permitted.
My mother-in-law was working in a statistical bureau in Cherkassy in the mid-late 70's. When she got bapized she got fired from her job. She was also not allowed to attend University, neither travel abroad. Her parents were both blind, with 10 kids and were persecuted by the police and authorities for many years, wanting to take the kids away from them. My father-in-law's grandfather was a Baptist minister and was executed in 1938, being accused of being a spy. Both of my in-laws were ministers and often got into trouble with KGB into the 90's. I also know of a famous person in Minsk who before graduation from university was taken to the KGB office and had to pick between a diploma and a Bible. He ended up as a blue-collar worker. As much as I am fascinated with Soviet times, films, music, lifestyle etc. - I understand that communism does not have the power to create anything better than a dysfunctional society. Glory to Ukraine! May God deliver it from it's enemies, and firmly establish and heal the nation! We hope to visit Ukraine within the next couple of months to be part of a project to build homes to people who lost them outside of Kyiv.
@Maaruks Hi. It's not that I believe in socialism or communism. Neither that I believe Soviet society was superior to western, but rather what is fascinating are the stark difference. It was a completely different society than us. My father attended the 1980 Olympics in Sochi, Leningrad and Moscow. He also smuggled bibles into East Germany and Poland. Since he told me those stories I've always been fascinates with the former Soviet world/iron curtain. I hear you, and am glad that Russia has been pushed back closer to its proper boundaries, and reduced to a lesser colony-state. I'm happy for you that Latvia is slowly finding it's roots again!
Hello from UK. I am curious to find out about how religion survived the Soviet reign. Though your talk was enlightening I did not fully understand the spectrum of social dynamics at play. Your deep emotions and zeal however speak volumes. So, thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. By the way, your classroom needs decorating (irony) and an IT upgrade- as I last watched a television like that in the 1960’s (sorry, more irony). Best wishes.
I love your scenarios Anna. I was a child when a neighbour bought a TV just like this one. And of course, the quality of your videos. Thank you so much!
I'm anti-theist, but pro-democratic. People should *always* be allowed their worship of whatever, but *_never_* be allowed to impose it on others. See the history of the European Wars of Religion. Atheism has nothing to do with enforced atheism. Enforced belief, whether by Spanish Inquisitors or Soviet Agents is a simple symptom of dictatorship - theocratic, communist, fascist, or other. Atheism is not the problem. Autocracy is the problem.
Having watched your 3rd vlog on the Church's role and looking back to the earlier vblogs, 1st want to comment (at 75 yrs of age, 10 years of solitude by burned bridges of TRUST, by the Christian righteousness in colussion with deflecting wives), with your 6 months of STRESS (including mom's terminal cancer), I now see a "beautifully mature woman, recognized by a high wholesome respect❤"
Anna, thanks for well narrated, truth revealing of USSR’s devious destruction of culture, literature, and religion entities and identities for their benefits. Thanks again for your factual debunking of Russian myths. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦 🇺🇦
Organized religion is historically part of feudal cultures, thus political. This is understood through anthropological research involving Mesopotamian and other regional ancient empires. Happening to work for a skilled Ukrainian researcher of prehistoric symbolism, i was attracted to the old stepe and siberian peoples' origin and ethical tales, so similar to the indigenous North American tribes with whom i had familiarity. The spread of Buddhism into Central Asia and Siberia taught much about syncretism - the introduction of theism into peoples who had symbolic understanding ( words are symbols, not directly reflecting reality, but instead social, rhetorical methods of the subjugation that developed into feudalism, from which human large anonymous societies have never yet changed) As a child i noted that alcoholism and religion have essentially served the same purpose, substituting brutality and denial of simple basic questioning of clearly nonfactual represe tations made to them by adults more interested in social control, than in the beautiful reality that is , vulnerable yet resilient, life itself.
Even here in US our pass president Ronald Ragen once said, "The most feared phrase one can here from his or her government is "I AM FROM THE GOVERMENT AND I AM HERE TO HELP"'
Anna, I do not believe in God. I tend to look to science for my answers. But while I do not believe, I defend my neighbors right to believe. As long as he does not try to force it on me. Democracy and Freedom are messy, but also beautiful, because each of us uses his own mind, and makes his own decisions about what to believe and how to live.
@@unreal4127 _"Atheists should appreciate that someone teaches them to children."_ Un, no. Morality existed before religions were created, and wayyyyy before Christianity happened along all of 2022 less 33 years ago. There is this weird idea that atheists lack morals or a moral foundation i.e. based on a religion. No, we do not need a religion to tell us that killing someone is bad. Society worked that one out before religion came by.
@@unreal4127 Perhaps the reason Christianity has survived is because it has adopted a few good humanistic notions and passes those principles to children.
Have anyone ever researched if Stalin was molested by priests ? It’s quite a huge problem fir religious people and could of been what inspired his hatred towards the church Atheism ( I’m an atheist ) is not the hatred of god but rather the non belief in a deity .
Sexual abuse in the church (particularly cover up of it) has been/is a problem. However, studies have shown it is no more or less prevalent than abuse in other institutions (sporting clubs, schools, etc). However it is much more widely reported, so the perception is there. Not least of which most sexual abuse doesn't happen in institutions at all. The overwhelming majority happens in the home. You're right - atheism is simply the belief that gods don't exist. But that doesn't stop it being used as a tool of hatred. I have personally heard self-avowed atheists advocate for the killing/genocide of Christians/religious believers. Even science is not immune with people using the 'science' of eugenics to support their aims of genocide of certain groups. It is false science, but like religion, it doesn't stop certain people using it as a tool to support their political agendas. Thousands of orthodox priests were killed in the name of atheism in the 1930s. What remnants of the church remained by the 1970s was heavily infiltrated by the KGB. Now the Russian orthodox church is a tool of the Kremlin and thousands are being killed in Ukraine in the name of orthodox Christianity. Different tools being hijacked by still the same people with still the same outcomes.
I almost choked when you invited everyone in you live chat to come visit Ukraine & said HI. LOL!! You don't want a bunch of rabble coming there. And if they do come, make sure they have their own tools & put them to work. My international travel days are over at my age. But I'm sure there will be several well meaning people descend on Ukraine after all this is over.
I hope the potential visitors realize that there are millions of displaced Ukrainians who will need the rental housing. Best to wait until after the rebuilding.
Just to be fair about all religions. One of the greatest Irish comics George Carlin had very famous comedy show in which he sums up religions beautifully. Just type. GEORGE CARLIN ON RELIGIONS ..... I would like to remind everyone about how appallingly reacted Pope to Russian invasion. Pope was almost clapping to Putin. Two times if not more over this 6 months.
You really explained the ideology behind the Soviet "plan" they will never understand that faith is as internal as it is eternal. As we can see by complete fear putler and those before him have of people of faith. They pray upon the soulless and faithless. Which was brought about by the persecution of those practicing any religion. Those dark days are soon to be over. This regime will be the death of Tsarist rule in Russia. If it will even be called that after the war ends. Fantastic presentation's Anna! Slava Ukraine!! 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦✌️✝️
I've heard that the Russian Orthodox Church was oppressed mainly due to the political power it held before the revolution - that the Soviet government basically saw it as competition.
Hi Anna.. the two streams in your talk are very interesting. First, power and religion, the original context of Marx's words, about the cooperation of church and worldly powers to control the people and how those words derailed into hate in USSR society. And second, the line of succession of power, and the way in which power was preserved, from the Tsars to Stalin, whithin Russian "tradition".
I was with my family in Yalta in 1980 as part of a vacation to watch the 1980 Olympics. My 12 year old sister was wearing a necklace with a crucifix. A very old woman who was cleaning didn't seem to be able to stop staring at this crucifix.
This is really good, comprehensive stuff. A really effective crash course on Russian history and culture that will help people to understand the modern Russian mind now, collectively speaking.
sitting in front of the wall is, IMO, the best. hair and make-up is perfect. i love your poise. relaxation results in confidence. keep doing what you are doing.
I can't possibly thank you enough for presenting this topic in your video. I feel upset in my spirit, but it's worth it, and this feeling too will pass. So grateful, later, Bye........................Old Dave
From Australia. Dear Anna. As Historian and Geographer (specializing in world powers), your clip is incredibly true in analysis, content and presentation. Well done.
Дякую for yet another marvelously insightful and informative video.
Several years ago, on my first trip to Ukraine, I visited St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv. This was the first Orthodox church I stepped foot in, and it left a deep impression. It goes without saying that the church is stunningly beautiful, but what really stood out was the people's faith. It was fairly early in the morning on a weekday, but the church was teeming with activity. One elderly woman in particular stood out. She was bent over, nearly parallel to the ground. It was glaringly obvious that walking was excruciatingly painful for her, yet she had nonetheless traveled to the church to pray. I was humbled as I watched her kiss an icon and light a candle. Although I've never been particularly religious, it was impossible not to be moved by such a scene. I doubt anyone else there took much notice of her, but she had a profound impact on me. I later learned that the cathedral survived Soviet times by being converted into a museum of atheism, which now seems like a brilliant joke played by history, with the USSR's attempt to repress faith backfiring so spectacularly. Religion literally became a force for resistance against Soviet oppression.
More frequently than I probably should, I engage Russian trolls online, and one oft repeated claim they make is that Russia is a deeply Christian nation, as if that somehow would justify their atrocities in Ukraine. But what really makes this argument seem not only desperate and absurd is their blatant ignorance that Ukraine is even more Christian than Russia! The British have a great word that describes my reaction: gobsmacked. Russian trolls are completely detached from reality.
did you mean nearly parallel to the ground?
I also battle ruzian trolls frequently. The ignorance and disinformation they try force on everybody. Problem is you have to fght their propaganda, because there are people gulible enough to believe it and perpetuate it(Specialy latin america).
I’m a retired History teacher and you’re doing a great job.
yeah i think the people actually living under the Soviet Union got more than a history teacher lol
@@SM-nz9ff unless that history teacher lived under Soviet rule.
@@pqsk And if that history teacher was a teacher who taught teachers under Soviet Rule.
@@SM-nz9ff 😆
@@pqsk 😁
Separation of church and state is very important, when ever they get together, you will lose your freedom and maybe even your life.
Ah, yes... the separation of church and state is a much-lauded pillar of the liberty enshrined in the US Constitution... in marked contrast to the British system, with the Monarch also being head of the State Religion.
Remind me. Which of the two abolished slavery first?
@@jajabez8379 You tell me which one had slavery first.
@@jajabez8379 Can you please tell me why England stopped slavery first I need to know. Please find the information and let me know.
@@Jesusismykin islam....
Thé answer is France, an athéist country.
Enjoyed the Premiere, Anna! Production is top notch, Alex!! Looking forward to more episodes 😊
When I was growing up, when I stated I was an atheist, I was immediately reviled.
I quickly learned to hide my lack of religiosity. Fortunately, things have changed over the last 40 years and I no longer fear prejudice when I do mention I am not religious.
By the way, I am not American or in the USA. In my humble opinion, if a politician cannot openly state they're an atheist or non-religious, you have a problem.
The trouble isn't religiosity or lack thereof, but *intolerance* which one finds in abundance in all walks of life, religions, and non-religious.
Were you nailed to a cross and crucified? No. So get over it and live your life the way you see fit - intolerance is a fact of the human condition. Ignore it. You can't force tolerance on another person, because then you become the intolerant one. Remember, when you point your finger - three of them are pointing back at you.
@@RW4X4X3006
I was in Jerusalem where the local guide pointed out that nailing wasn't a Roman crucifixion thing. More likely the crucified were tied to the crosses.
As for pointing fingers barb, I sense you're defensive; why is that? Do you want your intolerances and eat them, too?
"Forcing" tolerance.
Hmm. So it is fine and dandy to hate the _other_ ?
Is that very Christian? *WWJCD?*
@@marcor4706 Tied or nailed, what's the difference. I offered you some life advice. Stick by it or be miserable. It's on you.
@@RW4X4X3006 Why, thank you for your generous advice. However, as it is based on intolerance, I shall sadly have to reject it. I prefer your religion's Love thy Neighbour philosophy, which is actually rather Universal.
You ought to try it one day.
@@marcor4706 Where's the intolerance in my comment? Spin spin spin.... So it's ok to be intolerant of Christians, but not ok to be intolerant of nihilists. Got it. Here, chew on this bone - Religion tells children they are imperfect and must work on themselves.
Secularism tells children they are perfect and should work on everyone else.
Here after seeing you on Jake Broe. This excellent quality work, scholarly and desperately needed.
Religion gives monsters the faith to annihilate non believers.
And, evidently, the great God Science gives non believers the right to trample underfoot those they disagree with. See Carl Sagan's numerous writings for one infamous example. Sorry if I spat upon one of your icons there.
@@starmnsixty1209 Just remember - When science is proven wrong, it is proven wrong by science.
Thank you Anna for another great presentation. I just watched a very informative interview with Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Hrytsak in which the interviewer Olena Gnes poses the questions "Why did Russia attack Ukraine?" and "Why must Ukraine win?" At the end of the interview, Yaroslav Hrytsak recommends resources in English on the topics. That interview was broadcast today (Sept. 4th) on the RUclips channel called "What is Ukraine."
As a child of the 1980's I am fascinated by the Cold War. Sadly as events in the Ukraine demonstrate we thought it ended in 1991. Clearly it did not end for Russia. Love these videos an insight into the minds and attitudes of the depressing dreary Soviets. Sadly Stalin is being remembered in Russia now as some great folk hero of the war. Not the brutal monster of genocide and famine.
Yeah it blows my mind how Lenin and Stalin are revered in Russia. Lenin wasn’t the monster that Stalin was, but communism has never benefited the people of a country more then providing meager supplies and lots of work.
@@Youre_Right True on paper Communism sounds great but the grim reality of the USSR was anything but a workers paradise more like a workers graveyard.
@@Youre_Right Lenin also had plenty of blood on his hands ...
@@Youre_Right Lenin got a good start on his campaign of genocide but then he died and Stalin took over. If Lenin had lived, he would have been just as bad.
He is a hero because he reopened the bottling plants for the vodka. Russians just too drunk to remember this is really why they love Stalin. They forgot about the 20 million deaths he caused.
I learned a lot from this Anna. My eyes were opened to a lot of things. Excellent talk.
sorry for a strange question but what exactly?
@@rayfighter I learned about Russias attitude to religion and spiritual groups- I sort of knew already but Anna filled a lot of gaps in my knowledge.
@@Waynegee7 aha, I see.
@@verar5844 Thanks- I should do more research!
@Vera Z, they simply started doing their business outside of Russia. Now they destroy Ukraine's history, and do crimes internationally with the same Satanic dogma, You're forced to honor the recent history. If you disagree you go to jail. Pitiful Russian, proud of the souls you capture for Putin. It;s like Muhammedans forcing conversion before executing, proud to capture souls for the moon god, Allah. There is no love there, only fear and selfishness.
I'm not religious but my auntie was and had her funeral last week. The catholic priest was from Poland. I heard him say some Ukranian religious nuns had to relocate in some Poland town temporarily as it just not safe in Ukraine at moment. Hopefully they can return to their own town soon but I glad Poland is a good friend to their Ukraine neighbours which Russia will never be as a terrorist state.
Yes Poland is a quite good friend off Rutnenia (South Ukraine ( and Russian speaking East Ukraine ) it has only problems with Western Ukraine only the rest off Ruthenia is poor, good, friendly tergetd by Putins dictatorship (called Putlin,Putler, as some say self from West Ukraine family Privalov by father and Putina by mother adopted later by a distant Leningrad family), yes East Ukraine and South Ukraine is poor.
Exorcist to fight evil Soviet spirits. Brilliant.
Well done "debunk" of such a critical component of the soviet union. Crazy about Stalin seen as kind of a religious icon by some today. Loved the analogy of you being an exorcist.
Whatever belief system dominates in a society will try to control the population, religious or otherwise. Beliefs should remain personal and separate from the state.
There is a quote of uncertain origin, “Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.” The Soviets were slow to catch on, but they learned.
I am a devout Christian; my faith is intensely personal. I only talk about it when someone asks me and God tells me to share in Love. Yes, God talks to me. The Bible says: “My sheep hear my voice and know me and follow me.” Jesus has NOT TALKED TO PUTIN OR KIRILL. If He did He would tell them to cease their wicked ways, cease, repent, and fix what you have broken! Beg for forgiveness in humility!!
Anna's description of the destruction of religious buildings etc. during the Soviet era is very reminiscent of the reformation in England. In Tudor England monasteries and nunneries were destroyed, religious art was destroyed, monks and nuns were made homeless and destitute and people who wished to continue with the old religion were persecuted.
Exactly, it is the pattern of new religion replacing the previous. It has happened many times before.
I don’t think the comparison is valid: In England, a corrupted and politicized church was replaced with a less corrupt and less politicized church. In Russia a corrupted and politicized church was replaced with nothing.
@@georgemiller151 After the reformation the English church may have been less corrupt (though that's arguable) but it was vastly MORE "politicised"! The English reformation was little more than the hostile takeover of the English church by an unholy alliance of raw political power and ultra-Puritan religious bigotry.
In Russia a corrupt and politicised church (is any state church NOT corrupt and politicised?) was replaced by the secular religion of communism.
But my point was in reference to the destruction of religious buildings and art and the persecution of those who won't meekly follow whatever edict those in power decide to impose. In that respect the parallel is very clear.
@@georgemiller151 It was not replaced with nothing. At least if you use the term 'nothing' in conventional way.
@@georgemiller151 that replacement church in England was by no means less corrupt nor less politicized. Oliver Cromwell did to the Irish Catholics what Putin hoped to do to the Ukrainian Orthodox.
When the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was reconstructed in Moscow back in the late '90s I though that this was a symbol of real change (for the better) in Russia. Unfortunately this didn't materialize and now we have to deal with this new RoguePutin.
Thanks Anna. Russian Religious Hierarchy:
Putin.
^
KGB/FSB.
^
God
^
The masses.
Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦
Keeping the dates but changing the names is not an exclusive Russian thing, it's exactly what the Christian Church did in Sweden when, just one example, they changed the Winter Solstice Viking holiday (Midvinterblot) to Christmas
Not just Sweden. Clever trick though, making the new religion seem like the old ones.
The Roman church did exactly the same thing. It is why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th, because it was the traditional birthday of one of the Roman deities (Mithras I think, but I may be wrong).
@@bobjohnbowles Correct, Mithras. And the resemblance between Jesus' mother Mary and the mother-goddess Isis is also not a coincidence. Both Mithras and Isis had a large number of worshipers back in the day.
Christmas is literally the rebranding if the Roman holiday of Saturnalia held on 23rd December which is why it is still more of a party than a religious day.
@@iris1224wwad the birthday of the unconquerable sun- dies natalis solis invictus 25th December
Very odd that people carry an icon of Stalin after he let millions of Ukrainians and Russians die of starvation. A very good and extremely informative video, Anna. Thank you for taking the time to put this together, I learnt a lot. Love from Wales. Slava Ukrainija!
Considering the fact that the unburied corpse of the "leader of the proletariat" has been lying in the middle of the city on the main square of Muscovy for a whole century, I seriously doubt that they are Christians... And after their open aggression against Ukraine, I have doubts that they are people at all...
@@AstroGremlinAmerican In Socialism not only the Socialists were more or less mentally deranged, through the given handouts you could only get benefits, if you marry and raise children. Let's say, to get a bigger apartment. So this resulted in many toxic relationsships. Women, which were protected in Socialism, had fewer men, because they all died fighting for Socialism. So, that's why women had to adapt more to men to get benefits, but also men had to serve Socialism and pay for these benefits.
Socialism is based on group identity.
If you can convince people that anyone with more wealth is an “exploiter” then persecution becomes justified and those who carry it out become “saviours”.
Look what happened to the Kulaks.
Thank you, Anna, for this very informative video. I learned from you some things I did not know!! 💙💛
Dr. Anna, you definitely did a great job of teaching us about how the totalitarian regimes of the Soviet Union. We knew it was bad, but not how bad it actually was. In America, the pledge of the allegiance to the flag was said every morning in school had the words "under God" added because of Soviet atheism. The Soviet Union suppressed religion in favor of atheism... in America today there's many who want to force religion on everyone here... just another form of authoritarianism that must be resisted at all costs. The real question becomes... "can any man speak for God?"
@@AstroGremlinAmerican That's between me and the supreme being. No preachers are allowed.
I'm learning alot from these episodes Anna. Thank you.
Great presentation and great idea for a channel. I was in US high school during the 1980s and we always feared the big bad USSR. The Cold War was a topic I was fascinated with and thank you again for these stories. Can you do an episode on Stanislav Petrov? Not sure people know the significance the man played in saving the world from nuclear destruction. Take care Anna and thanks again for your great content!
I enjoy your articles very much, Anna. Greetings from Argentina. Slava Ukraini!
eastern europe and the baltics have long spoken with consistent voice about the unique character and severity of the threat posed by Russia; it is not based on trivial historical rivalries but on first-hand knowledge of current thought and practice -- it is about time everyone else listened more carefully
I am an American. I have never been able to understand why people believe in supernatural beings like God and Jesus or, if God exists, why he or she would choose to communicate through a very small number of people in the same part of the world while ignoring the others, and then cease all such communication about 2000 years ago. Sadly, around 1953 the US rewrote its patriotic ritual Pledge of Allegiance to its own flag to add the words "under God" because politicians needed to show this "important" difference between the US and the USSR, as if democracy and a (mostly) free economy were not the truly important differences. When I learned this as a teenager, it was very disappointing to learn that my government had so intentionally declared my beliefs to be at odds with those of "the nation". The least respected religious group in the US continues to be the atheists and the agnostics, very few of whom are organized into any particular political or social movement. I hope Ukraine (and all nations) will allow people to express and discuss their doubts about religion going forward.
Yeah, there's absolutly no evidence of a god or gods or angels etc. And religions (when you look at their histories) are obviously man made. And in times of war or disaster, everyone thinks god is on their side. Clearly that's not the case.
Deep stuff. Let's start pushing meaninglessness on the Ukrainians before they even get to thank God for their survival as individuals and as a nation, and for the profound sacrifice of those who lay down their lives in a truly Christian manner to make it happen.
Let me explain, then. Getting rid of God means getting rid of natural rights, "endowed by our Creator." That's why both Nazism and Communism, the two main totalitarian movements, both attacked religion.
The people who put "under God" in the pledge rightly saw God as a bulwark against totalitarianism.
@@magnasquids7864 I see god concept as the ultimate totality, the total dictatorship, and understand "faith in god" as to lie to oneself and to others.
And I disrespect all of above.
Steve, I live in the UK, so forgive me if my understanding is flawed, but I see the USA as a country that is bitterly divided between two sides who don't understand each other.
I am appalled by Trump. I would never vote for anyone like him. But I find it hard to believe that the 47% who voted for him are all intolerant bigots. I suspect most are people who are in pain, and who feel they themselves are reviled and mistreated.
If some way cannot be found to get the two halves of the USA to listen to each other, and to speak of those they disagree with with respect. I fear for the future of the country.
In my experience as a Christian in the UK, when it comes to the religious divide. You have religious people who state as irreputable fact that God exists, and revile those who disagree as deluded. But you also have atheists who state as irreputable fact that God does not exist, and revile those who disagree as deluded.
The reality is that there are many philosophers and scientists with opposite views on this subject. If such talented people disagree with us, wouldn't we be wise to at least speak of those with different views with a little respect?
Thumbs up!
Keep up the good work, you are really opening many eyes with you channel
Go go Anna!
And thank you ✨
It looks like two of you, Vlad and Anna, either do not notice or ignore some relevant things about Ukrainian war. By refusing to listen to Russia, when Russia told Ukraine it should not join NATO, Ukraine have undermined whether words can solve the problem and by doing so they have put Russia to look for other means which are less peaceful, and that is how Ukraine have undermined the peace. Ukraine have put Russia into position where moral choice (of avoiding war) would have negative consequences (having NATO at their border).
@@UrosNikolic95 It looks like you are concerned. Afraid even. Vlad said - Go(x2) Anna. It does not mean ANY of what you said. Not even close. - * Where do you get your propaganda from ? / Which are your favorite source of propaganda ?
@@UrosNikolic95 You seem to be of opinion that Ukraine is only allowed the options Russia is letting them have. Why this "Russia first" attitude?
@@UrosNikolic95 Nato has been on the border a long time. Estonia and Latvia are as close to russia as Ukraine. Kaliningrad is in the middle of Europe. As you can see no one want to attack a country that has nuclear weapons. Nato narrative is just one of the childish excuses for war.
Thank you for the history of "Christianity" in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy. Being a Catholic, I was appalled when the Head of the Russian Orthodox church went public with Putin for the killing of thousands of innocent people in Ukraine. The fundamental belief of most if not all religions is the respect for human life. Governments over the last 2,000 years have often used religion as a control over the populations. I have always had a hard time seeing this happen even in modern times,. This goes against the fundamental principles preached and lived by Jesus Christ.
Being a Catholic I thought you'd be used to things like that, your church have done the same thing again and again in the past.
Didn't Jesus Christ drown babies? You know, the flood.
Or did I get that trinity idea all wrong?
@@darkiee69 Church has been infiltrated! Pope and his supporting bishops took over in a coup. They are WEF stooges.
@@blueeyes402 There's been Popes and Bishops since the church was founded, it's not a new thing.
I was a Catholic so know the doctrine. Inquisition? Pope's support for Nazis in WW2 and afterwards? Evil hypocrites!
Interesting what Anna says about Russian religious culture. In 1961, my wife, born in Ulyanovsk within a stone's throw of the Volga River, then only 3 months old, was taken to visit her grandparents in a small village about 30 km outside Ulyanovsk. Late that night, with no one watching, her grandmother bundled her up, her grandfather put her on the back of a donkey, and together they walked the donkey by backwoods trails to an even smaller village an hour away, where an orthodox priest performed a baptism inside their tiny hamlet church. Then they brought her back home before the sun came up and no one was the wiser. Russians didn't do without religion entirely, but they learned to avoid entanglements with the Soviet authorities. My wife's father was an engineer working for the state, her mother a department manager working for the state department store GUM, in Moscow. Had Soviet authorities known about the baptism it would have created a black mark on the work records of both my wife's parents.
Anna also mentions the destruction of many churches in Russia during the Soviet Era. One of the most beautiful churches in Moscow, the "Cathedral of Christ the Saviour" not far from the Kremlin, and presided over by no less than Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow, and head of the entire Russian Orthodox Church, was itself torn down by the Soviets, but their plans to put a public swimming pool and recreation center there foiled by poor soil conditions which were unable to support the massive concrete pourings needed. The site was later reclaimed and after the fall of the Soviet Union, the modern day Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was built as an exact replica. That's right folks, that massive old timey cathedral you see as you drive past the Kremlim along the bank of the Moskva River, is actually a modern building.
Girl!! I LOVE this!!! Thank you for sharing!! I'm so thankful we have gotten to know one another and I will continue to pray for the Lord's protection over your life! Keep up the good fight!
Thanks Anna, really enjoyed this one. Heard previously that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was a former member of the KGB like Putin and they appear to get on well. Another of Putin's brains like Dugin perhaps!
It's sad but unsurprising that the Russian Orthodox church still sidles up to "the tsar" at the expense of their alleged values and common faithful people.
Such a great video! I'm sure that you already must have had this planned, but it covers exactly the topic I asked about a couple of days ago in my comments on your live stream. Really excellent work! Thank you 👍🏻
Never too old to learn. Thank you, Anna. :)
Why the Soviets hated religion? Communism itself was a religion that saw the Church as a competitor. That also explains why churches were demolished and the new holidays celebrated in the same time as old church holidays. Christianity did it to the Roman celebrations e.g. Christmas instead of Saturnalia.
That's not really why, read up on Marx and you'll see why. The Communists viewed history as a class struggle, and in European history and definitely Russian history, the church conspired with governments and the aristocracy to oppress the proletariat. By destroying churches (and farms and businesses), they were creating a "classless society" where nothing separated workers from the fruits of their labor, and what better way to break ties with the past than to subvert the existing culture.
Of course, it turns out that some people were more equal than others (Animal Farm)...
Thank U Anna !
Once again your articulation on the subject is Spot on ! Beautifully spoken & always to the point !
These things I knew ,as an elderly Australian Catholic man from history & Even though I am of Irish ,Scot heritage ,Some of my family have Come from Poland ,So I have known How they Suffered & were persecuted from these Regimes !
Really is So Sad ,How our fellow man Can treat each other at Times ?
Please take care & may God bless U & your people ! Thank U again for the Wonderful job UR doing !
Wishing U all ,the very best with Love Prayers Hope & the will to Succeed in Victory ,with Peace ,Freedom to Come to the Great people of Ukraine ! 🙏🇺🇦🌻💞🇦🇺☘️☮️🙏
Slavia Ukrainin.
The Poles where mostly ersecutaed by German nazs andin East also by Soviets.But the East Ukrainians, Ruthenians more.
It was Marx who first called religion the opium of the people. As will you know Marx wasn't actually a Soviet but the Soviet Union was based on the philosophy of Marxism. But this phrase was in common usage by the left in the UK all my life not just the Soviet Union. But by the UK left it just seems to apply to Christianity but not Islam. Have you read Animal Farm by George Orwell? In it there is to the character Moses who represents the Orthodox church, so my teacher said. With his tales of the "promised land" to which all animals retire after death, Moses is the novel's "religious" figure. Like his biblical counterpart, Moses offers his listeners descriptions of a place - Sugarcandy Mountain - where they can live free from oppression and hunger. At first, the pigs find him irksome, since they want the animals to believe that Animal Farm is a paradise and fear that the animals will be prompted by Moses' tales to seek a better place. However, as conditions on the farm worsen, the pigs allow Moses to stay because his tales offer the animals the promise of rest after a weary, toilsome life. As Karl Marx famously stated, "Religion is the opium of the people," and Moses' tales of Sugarcandy Mountain likewise serve as an opiate to the animals' misery.
We studied George Orwell's Animal Farm at school together with his other novel 1984.
Thanks for outing yourself as a racist.
Correct as Marx was the foundation of Atheism in the Soviet block.
It doesn’t stop there though, it’s the new religion of the West!
@@kerryyeroyan8212 Atheism is not a religion. Atheism is without beliefs in man made fiction and superstition, but you are right, fewer and fewr people are indoctrinated into religions. Good thing!
@@garethmartin6522 Really. How so?
Religion has always been used by the rulers to opress people. That is why Putin now is using the Orthodox Church to further his evil.
Anyone should be free to have whatever worldview they like, but religion has mainly been used to enforce a coherent belief aligned with the rulers mission.
Each episode of this video series gets better and better. Thank you so much for making these videos.
Very informative and interesting, I have never learned so much history in my life as the last 6 months. . Wow getting to know the proud people and history of Ukraine and background is amazing thanks for sharing all of your intelligente insights.👍
Hello Anna,
great video and interesting information!
I also appreciate the upgraded composition of the perspectives and the high quality of the work.
Only one minor thing to comment on the wide angle shot. The edge between wall and floor is nearly horizontal but not completely horizontal. I would try either a horizontal line or an angle with can be recognized as intended composition.
Viele Grüße, Ralf
There is also a problem with the audio - Anna's voice can be heard louder from the left channel, which is annoying especially at the beginning and the end of the film, when we see Anna sitting on the right.
Well I'm an atheist and was horrified about the treatment of Christians under Stalin as well as the treatment of Jews under Hitler. I live in the US and have my problems with the Christian Right in my country. I value science and social justice and find religion gets in the way of both. That said I do appreciate the history of religion in the Soviet Union that you provided. Thank you.
If one thing is clear, Russia is a horrible evil empire that represents neither atheism nor Orthodox Christianity. It's just a shithole, always bullying its neighbors, well virtually no Russian neighbor besides Belrarus (another crappy dictatorship) wants anything to do with Russia, they want in NATO to get away from Russian influence.
Religion today only "gets in the way of science," and social justice as well, I believe, when people ALLOW them to do so. This is a double-edged sword, RuleofFive. I went through my own period of doubt some decades ago, and finally came to the conclusion it makes no common sense to believe the universe "simply happened" by random chance. Much like how it is all but impossible to accept that the Moon just happened to orbit so perfectly we have total eclipses.
That, in and of itself, requires a leap pf faith, if you will.
@@starmnsixty1209 There is a concerted effort to shove religious beliefs into people's lives. Look at abortion rights, women's rights, birth control access, sex education, tolerance for LGBTQ people, book banning, evolution. Religious organizations try to block it all through right wing donor funded campaigns that put religious people on the courts. Hence our current knuckle draggers on SCOTUS.
No scientist ever said the universe "simply happened". We know how old the universe is. We know how old earth is. We know how water got here, We know how we evolved. Life evolved here because the conditions to support life were here. If conditions weren't right then earth would be another barren planet void of life.
I find it impossible to believe that some deity decided to create a universe around one species on a small planet where they can only live on about 30% of that planet and are surrounded by a completely hostile solar system. You want your deity to take credit for black holes, collapsing stars, astroids, supernovas then be my guest. I'll stick with science thank you. When I break a bone I don't run to church to pray about it I go to a hospital to see a doctor. Science delivers a better life.
That's a sensible / logical approach. I am from Scotland and we don't have that many deeply religious people any more, except in a few rural areas, and they tend to be the ones gossiping and ostracising anyone who doesn't fit their agenda. In my grandparents time, religion was deep rooted, I think my grand father was one of the first in our area to abandon the church. But religious differences in Scotland have caused many historical issues, and to be fair they still exist in the form of Celtic and Rangers, Scotland's 2 biggest football clubs each with 100s of 1000s of supporters. Though the intelligent ones can see past this religious divide and sectarianism.
This only shows that atheism is no better than religion.
It also shows that the philosophy has nothing to do with it. People will pick whatever resonates with them. And some will just be hypocrites anyway…using their philosophy to justify their behavior.
So it’s all about the person and how they are that makes the difference, not what they decide to identify as. That’s just cerebral and means practically nothing.
I enjoy your videos very much. They are very thoughtful and honest and critical.
I extended myself and I apologize,…. great work, great subject, I love your blogs… keep up the great work, I have learned much regarding your culture, past and present… stay safe and don’t stop blogging, abrazos de un respetuoso admirador, porque no puedo hacer lo que tu haces… HEROYAM SLAVA
Marx was talking about opium as a medicine or comfort -not in the sense of drug Misuse or addiction.
I think he’s commonly interpreted as “without the comfort implicit in ‘religion’, people would throw off their chains and rise up against their oppressors.”
Trouble is, that’s not uniformly the truth. Quoth *Moses: “let my people go.”*
Then, there are a number of instances in the book of Judges. Gideon was not the only one.
There *are* parts in the New Testament, however, which *can* be exploited by unscrupulous people (e.g. Putrid) to further their own goals.
There probably are many other parts for and against, but I can recall the parts I mentioned.
Anna, I enjoyed reading your article. I already new most of things you wrote about from western schooling. Your article written from a country that lived through those times helps confirm what I believed to be true. May God bless you and may God bless Your country.
Another informative video, thank you Professor Anna
Quality of videos of Soviet myths debunked are higher and higher
Hi Anna, You are so creative, imaginative and full of wonderful information that you share with us. Thank you! I always learn something new from you!
“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” -Marx
The entire quote in its context is much more accurate.
Thanks for sharing! Hadn't been aware of that.
Have your asbestos suit prepaid?
Thank you. Somebody has got to say it. People have a bad habit of taking “the opium of the people” quote out of context.
@@TheTrueOnyxRose It doesn't really change it.
@@demsrchildabusers7959 The context absolutely changes it. “Religion is the opium of the masses” by itself is not what Marx said at all.
Excellent video Anna, thank you! 🙏🏻 Looking forward for the next episodes of the series!
Keep it up Anna. Good work!! Ken John from Gold Coast, Australia.
I am a non-practicing Jew from Canada. On my first visit to Kyiv, in 2001, I asked the lady I went to meet to take me to a Synagogue. I went in and found some people, one spoke English. She took me on tour and told me that during soviet times it had been a library. It was interesting for me to see and hear what had happened during Soviet times. This was an excellent presentation, Anna, only you did not mention Judaism. I noticed that. I still like you and support Ukraine.
Noticed same
There were many religions that she didn't mention.. i don't think your religion was just left out... it was about all religion in general
I was born in Soviet occupied Latvia. We lived in extreme poverty.
But not because of Atheism. I love Atheism. When I was a small kid I was forced to attend church. I hate jesus because of religious indoctrination I went through.
You need to meet Real Jesus, not church Jesus. Go out alone and read the 4 Gospels and Acts, paying attention to what Jesus say's. Ask Him who He is... You may come to know Him, you may not. But it's better than Indoctrination!
You are an absolutely brilliant young Lady---God be with you.
Thanks for sharing a bit of your universe, Anna. stay safe y'all.
From Croatia: Excellent, Ana!
Great episode Anna! I find it impressive how quickly you guys have put a nice polish or finish on this production... Good stuff, and I’m really enjoying the content so far too! Looking forward to the next show! 💙💛
Thank you Anna, that was very informative and helpful to understand more of the land of Mordor and how Orcs act and think.
Thank you Anna for insightful episode. I love your channel.
I dont believe in Religion!
Because i am responsible myself!
I believe in good doing!
Atheism is the absence of religion. I don't collect stamps! Am I then a stamp collector who does not collect stamps? Someone presents a Hypothesis, I'm waiting for it to be proven. It is not me who has to prove that the hypothesis is wrong, it is the person who comes up with the claim who verifies that it is right. I have nothing to do with the hypothesis, I'm just waiting for an answer. Yes, but the hypothesis does not need to be proven because it is a Faith and you prove it with anecdotal evidence, and voila, now someone has to decide how I should dress. What to eat, what to do with my time. Which intercourse positions are permitted.
My mother-in-law was working in a statistical bureau in Cherkassy in the mid-late 70's. When she got bapized she got fired from her job. She was also not allowed to attend University, neither travel abroad.
Her parents were both blind, with 10 kids and were persecuted by the police and authorities for many years, wanting to take the kids away from them.
My father-in-law's grandfather was a Baptist minister and was executed in 1938, being accused of being a spy.
Both of my in-laws were ministers and often got into trouble with KGB into the 90's.
I also know of a famous person in Minsk who before graduation from university was taken to the KGB office and had to pick between a diploma and a Bible. He ended up as a blue-collar worker.
As much as I am fascinated with Soviet times, films, music, lifestyle etc. - I understand that communism does not have the power to create anything better than a dysfunctional society.
Glory to Ukraine! May God deliver it from it's enemies, and firmly establish and heal the nation! We hope to visit Ukraine within the next couple of months to be part of a project to build homes to people who lost them outside of Kyiv.
fascinated with Soviet times ? I was born in Soviet occupied Latvia. We lived in extreme poverty. lack of good food / clothing , no freedom LOL
@Maaruks Hi. It's not that I believe in socialism or communism. Neither that I believe Soviet society was superior to western, but rather what is fascinating are the stark difference. It was a completely different society than us. My father attended the 1980 Olympics in Sochi, Leningrad and Moscow. He also smuggled bibles into East Germany and Poland. Since he told me those stories I've always been fascinates with the former Soviet world/iron curtain. I hear you, and am glad that Russia has been pushed back closer to its proper boundaries, and reduced to a lesser colony-state. I'm happy for you that Latvia is slowly finding it's roots again!
Again excellent Anna. I am only just catching up up on your work. Keep it up, I will try to catch up.
Thank you!
Hello from UK. I am curious to find out about how religion survived the Soviet reign. Though your talk was enlightening I did not fully understand the spectrum of social dynamics at play. Your deep emotions and zeal however speak volumes. So, thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. By the way, your classroom needs decorating (irony) and an IT upgrade- as I last watched a television like that in the 1960’s (sorry, more irony). Best wishes.
I love your scenarios Anna. I was a child when a neighbour bought a TV just like this one. And of course, the quality of your videos. Thank you so much!
Excellent as always, Anna. Vitaij'uj. I wonder if the Soviets hated God, or hated that they were not God?
Don't know of any other vlogs dealing with the remarkable myth-structure of the Soviet era. Well done!
Thank you for another Soviet Myths Debunked!
Peace, Freedom, and all of Ukraine's Land for Ukraine! 💙💛
I'm anti-theist, but pro-democratic. People should *always* be allowed their worship of whatever, but *_never_* be allowed to impose it on others. See the history of the European Wars of Religion.
Atheism has nothing to do with enforced atheism. Enforced belief, whether by Spanish Inquisitors or Soviet Agents is a simple symptom of dictatorship - theocratic, communist, fascist, or other. Atheism is not the problem. Autocracy is the problem.
Having watched your 3rd vlog on the Church's role and looking back to the earlier vblogs, 1st want to comment (at 75 yrs of age, 10 years of solitude by burned bridges of TRUST, by the Christian righteousness in colussion with deflecting wives), with your 6 months of STRESS (including mom's terminal cancer), I now see a "beautifully mature woman, recognized by a high wholesome respect❤"
LOVE your background btw.The BEST.
Should have put horns on the icon of Stalin, and maybe given him a pitchfork!
Anna, thanks for well narrated, truth revealing of USSR’s devious destruction of culture, literature, and religion entities and identities for their benefits. Thanks again for your factual debunking of Russian myths. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦 🇺🇦
Organized religion is historically part of feudal cultures, thus political. This is understood through anthropological research involving Mesopotamian and other regional ancient empires.
Happening to work for a skilled Ukrainian researcher of prehistoric symbolism, i was attracted to the old stepe and siberian peoples' origin and ethical tales, so similar to the indigenous North American tribes with whom i had familiarity.
The spread of Buddhism into Central Asia and Siberia taught much about syncretism - the introduction of theism into peoples who had symbolic understanding ( words are symbols, not directly reflecting reality, but instead social, rhetorical methods of the subjugation that developed into feudalism, from which human large anonymous societies have never yet changed)
As a child i noted that alcoholism and religion have essentially served the same purpose, substituting brutality and denial of simple basic questioning of clearly nonfactual represe tations made to them by adults more interested in social control, than in the beautiful reality that is , vulnerable yet resilient, life itself.
Even here in US our pass president Ronald Ragen once said, "The most feared phrase one can here from his or her government is "I AM FROM THE GOVERMENT AND I AM HERE TO HELP"'
This is a subject I have interest in. How Russia even survived to get to the 21st Century! You lay it out for the amateurs to follow. Fabulous blog.
Anna, I do not believe in God. I tend to look to science for my answers. But while I do not believe, I defend my neighbors right to believe. As long as he does not try to force it on me. Democracy and Freedom are messy, but also beautiful, because each of us uses his own mind, and makes his own decisions about what to believe and how to live.
Even if you don't believe you follow the principles of Christianity. Atheists should appreciate that someone teaches them to children.
@@unreal4127
_"Atheists should appreciate that someone teaches them to children."_
Un, no. Morality existed before religions were created, and wayyyyy before Christianity happened along all of 2022 less 33 years ago.
There is this weird idea that atheists lack morals or a moral foundation i.e. based on a religion.
No, we do not need a religion to tell us that killing someone is bad. Society worked that one out before religion came by.
@@unreal4127 Perhaps the reason Christianity has survived is because it has adopted a few good humanistic notions and passes those principles to children.
Have anyone ever researched if Stalin was molested by priests ? It’s quite a huge problem fir religious people and could of been what inspired his hatred towards the church
Atheism ( I’m an atheist ) is not the hatred of god but rather the non belief in a deity .
Sexual abuse in the church (particularly cover up of it) has been/is a problem. However, studies have shown it is no more or less prevalent than abuse in other institutions (sporting clubs, schools, etc). However it is much more widely reported, so the perception is there. Not least of which most sexual abuse doesn't happen in institutions at all. The overwhelming majority happens in the home.
You're right - atheism is simply the belief that gods don't exist. But that doesn't stop it being used as a tool of hatred. I have personally heard self-avowed atheists advocate for the killing/genocide of Christians/religious believers. Even science is not immune with people using the 'science' of eugenics to support their aims of genocide of certain groups. It is false science, but like religion, it doesn't stop certain people using it as a tool to support their political agendas.
Thousands of orthodox priests were killed in the name of atheism in the 1930s. What remnants of the church remained by the 1970s was heavily infiltrated by the KGB. Now the Russian orthodox church is a tool of the Kremlin and thousands are being killed in Ukraine in the name of orthodox Christianity. Different tools being hijacked by still the same people with still the same outcomes.
Greatings from Amsterdam ,keep up the good work!
I almost choked when you invited everyone in you live chat to come visit Ukraine & said HI. LOL!! You don't want a bunch of rabble coming there. And if they do come, make sure they have their own tools & put them to work. My international travel days are over at my age. But I'm sure there will be several well meaning people descend on Ukraine after all this is over.
Why are people who use their time to watch, listen, and support Anna/Ukraine be rabble?
@@SM-nz9ff True enough. But there are a lot of weirdos on the internet.
@@hardtackbeans9790 Yeah i'm just talking shit anyway :)
I hope the potential visitors realize that there are millions of displaced Ukrainians who will need the rental housing. Best to wait until after the rebuilding.
Just to be fair about all religions.
One of the greatest Irish comics George Carlin had very famous comedy show in which he sums up religions beautifully.
Just type. GEORGE CARLIN ON RELIGIONS
.....
I would like to remind everyone about how appallingly reacted Pope to Russian invasion. Pope was almost clapping to Putin. Two times if not more over this 6 months.
Not that I'm a fan-boy, but the Pope seems to be leaning more towards Ukraine these days.
Thank you, Anna! Your videos are truly inspiring!
You really explained the ideology behind the Soviet "plan" they will never understand that faith is as internal as it is eternal. As we can see by complete fear putler and those before him have of people of faith. They pray upon the soulless and faithless. Which was brought about by the persecution of those practicing any religion. Those dark days are soon to be over. This regime will be the death of Tsarist rule in Russia. If it will even be called that after the war ends.
Fantastic presentation's Anna!
Slava Ukraine!! 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦✌️✝️
I've heard that the Russian Orthodox Church was oppressed mainly due to the political power it held before the revolution - that the Soviet government basically saw it as competition.
The stark and minimalist background is perfect for this "myth" series. Religion can be a heavy topic as evidenced by the comments.
Hi Anna.. the two streams in your talk are very interesting. First, power and religion, the original context of Marx's words, about the cooperation of church and worldly powers to control the people and how those words derailed into hate in USSR society. And second, the line of succession of power, and the way in which power was preserved, from the Tsars to Stalin, whithin Russian "tradition".
I was with my family in Yalta in 1980 as part of a vacation to watch the 1980 Olympics. My 12 year old sister was wearing a necklace with a crucifix. A very old woman who was cleaning didn't seem to be able to stop staring at this crucifix.
Thank you. Very informative. I did not know this.
Very informative video Anna. Learned a lot. Thank you for doing this series.
Love to hear your thoughts, and PS really beautiful too!
Very good video! 22k subscribers! Channel is growing fast! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Well done, Anna. Another excellent production. Keep it up!
This is really good, comprehensive stuff. A really effective crash course on Russian history and culture that will help people to understand the modern Russian mind now, collectively speaking.
Have you read 'I chose freedom' written by Viktor Kravchenko? If not I would highly recommend it.
sitting in front of the wall is, IMO, the best. hair and make-up is perfect. i love your poise. relaxation results in confidence. keep doing what you are doing.
I can't possibly thank you enough for presenting this topic in your video. I feel upset in my spirit, but it's worth it, and this feeling too will pass.
So grateful, later, Bye........................Old Dave
Good job depicting Russian/Soviet history!