Change in state policy concerning the old orthodox church under the conditions of the Great Patriotic War

The article is devoted to the elucidation of political importance of the issue of religion during the war and post-war periods. The special attention is paid to development of legislation in the USSR in the area of the relations between state and confessions. The research shows that since 1943-1945 the significant changes has been made in the state policy towards the religion organizations in general and Old believers in particular. The prominent part of the Old believers in the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR has been granted legal guarantees and financial resources for creed, religious practices, maintenance of churches. New state bodies were formed - the Council for the Russian Orthodox Church, the Council for Religious Worship, which became an important tool of state policy in the religious area.