Some peculiarities of relations between the state and church in 1953-1964: regional aspect

The article focuses on the large-scale persecution that struck the Russian Orthodox Church during the office of N. S. Khrushchev (1953-1964). The topic is developed basing on the regional materials from the Central Public Archive of the Republic of Mordovia. The paper describes the main directions of atheistic work of the Party and the governmental bodies, the views of the Party workers, officials, clergy and believers themselves at the events that took place in those years. Many of the documents are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.