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Historama, December 8
Published: 09 December, 2009, 04:56
TAGS: Religion, Russia, Politics, History, Prime Time Russia, Historama
December 8 marks a date when top Soviet officials finally gave up on the idea of communism. Changes and liberal reforms frame this day's Historama.
Collapse of the Soviet Union
On this day in 1991, the pivotal decision was made by the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to formally abolish the Soviet Union.
The so-called Belavezha Accords were reached at a cottage outside the city of Minsk in Belarus, and were created behind the back of then-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
Boris Yeltsin, who was elected Russian President in 1991, later said that creating the Commonwealth of Independent States was the only alternative to a violent break-up of the USSR.
USSR gives up persecuting religion
A year before, on December 8, 1990 the Soviet Union introduced a law guaranteeing religious freedom across the country.
In the USSR, religion was persecuted by the Communist Party's enforced atheism.
During World War II, the church received a brief respite from Stalin when he turned to the Patriarch for support against the Nazi invasion. As a result, Soviet tank columns headed into battle painted with the names of Orthodox warrior saints and were blessed by priests.
08.12.2009, 22:54
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