The Quarterly Journal of St. Philaret’s Institute

The article analyzes the activities of the commissioners of the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR (P. S. Gorbunov, A. A. Sonko, N. F. Suvorin) and their influence on the life of parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kama region. Based on archival documents, the author examines their social background, educational level and professional activities prior to their appointment to the relevant position. The author of the article also describes in detail the main areas of work and functions of the authorized representatives, such as control over religious organizations, clarification of legislation on religious cults, reduction of religious activity of the population, control over the preaching activities of the clergy and the financial state of the parishes. The author comes to the conclusion that the activities of the Perm commissioners were characterized by a rigid prohibitive tendency, which manifested itself in gross interference in the affairs of parish communities, material pressure on them, discrediting and persecuting the clergy, and neglecting the issues raised by believers. In the late 1970s, after some relief of pressure on religious organizations, the most important task of the commissioner was the organization of support for the domestic and foreign policy of the Soviet state on the part of the clergy and believers. The article uses the recollections of participants in the events described: Archimandrite Lev (Akhidov), Archimandrite Stefan (Seksyaev), Archpriest Petr Matolinets, Archpriest Petr Shoshin, L. N. Desyatkova, A. G. Norina, R. I. Sycheva, and L. Ya. Tarantina.