The Russian Orthodox Church and Reconciliation with the Soviet Past

Abstract

The history of the Soviet Union, and particularly that of political repression, is a key political issue in Russia. The figure of Stalin has deeply divided the population. This certainly explains why the memo-rialization of mass repression in Russia remains limited. Far from being encouraged by the state, specific initiatives have been the work of isolated individuals and associations, such as Memorial, a historical and human rights society. Following the interest generated by Stalinist history in the 1980s and early 1990s, the general attitude of the population today seems to be characterized not so much by oblivion, but by a certain indifference.¹ In this context, as the Russian Orthodox Church was accused during the collapse of the Soviet Union of having compromised its principles with the Soviet regime, the church has progressively become the principal official actor in the process of memorialization. Some of the political ideas that are mobilized by the church are to a great extent in line with what the elites and an important part of Russian society are ready to accept about the past.