Several aspects of state-church relationships in the Soviet city in the period of the new economic policy

The study discusses the aspects of the relationships between the official authorities and the church in the Soviet city of Saratov in the period of the New Economic Policy. In the 1920s, Saratov was one of the largest cities in the USSR, where the fundamentals of the multiconfessional and multicultural environment had been formed since the pre-revolutionary era. After long years of the Russian Civil War and the military communism policy, the religious and ceremonial practices became relevant to Saratov citizens in their everyday life in the period under review. Based on the analysis of the 1920s situation in Saratov, the author concluded that the Soviet authorities remained loyal to the religious needs of its citizens. At the same time, it had to be noted that it was during this period that the government gradually entrenched the ideological tools in society to combat religion.