S3:E10 Religious Persecution Under the Soviet Union

S3:E10 Religious Persecution Under the Soviet Union

After the fall of the Romanov dynasty, Russia fell into the hands of the Bolshevik political party. They led the country into one of the darkest chapters in world history when religious people and dissidents were targeted, imprisoned, and murdered. This history is hard to hear but important for us to know.

Our special guest this episode is Felix Corley of www.forum18.org.

In this episode, we discuss why Vladimir Lenin persecuted Christians and how Joseph Stalin instituted a policy of fear in the Soviet Union.

Helpful Links:

Topics discussed:

  • Why did Vladimir Lenin hate Christians?
  • Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia
  • Persecution of Muslims in Russia
  • How many people did Joseph Stalin kill?
  • Nikita Khrushchev
S3:E3 The Fall of the Romanovs

S3:E3 The Fall of the Romanovs

This is the second in a two-part story about the fall of the last czars of Russia. Their murder had a ripple effect across history. After them came Lenin and the rise of communism and the USSR. The modern American church changed to keep up. If Russia was going for collectivism and atheism, the USA would hold on to capitalism and Christianity. This means that the gospel would soon be identified with money, power, and military might.

In this episode, we follow the abdication of Nicholas II to the untimely end of him and his family. Theirs was just the first of a long string of murders that would elevate Lenin and Stalin to power.

Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible.

Our research was greatly aided by the following books:

The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore

A Well Ordered Thing – Michael D Gordin

S3:E2 Romanov Stroganoff

S3:E2 Romanov Stroganoff

One murder changed the course of Christian history. And it wasn’t of a pope or church leader – it was the murder of Russia’s last czars, the Romanovs. This is the beginning of our series on how communist Russia shaped modern Christianity in America. Tsar Nicholas II made many crucial mistakes: allowing Rasputin into his life, ignoring workers, the Russo-Japanese War, and many others. How we dealt with these tragic errors led the country into the hands of the Bolsheviks.

Oh yeah, and we made stroganoff. The recipe is below.

Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible.

Our research was greatly aided by the following books:

The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore

A Well Ordered Thing – Michael D Gordin

Dairy-free stroganoff recipe

Ingredients:

Egg noodles (as many as necessary – we used half a bag)

1 lb ground beef

1 can mushrooms (small)

1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 diced onion

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup dairy-free sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

  1. Brown ground beef in a skillet. A little extra beef is fine. Elk and deer meat work just as well, though you may want to add more seasoning if it is too “gamey”.
  2. Put hot water on to boil for the noodles.
  3. Drain the fat from the beef.
  4. Add noodles to hot water.
  5. When the meat is brown, add in garlic powder, pepper, mustard powder, onion, and mushrooms. Cook at about medium heat and stir.
  6. When the onion has softened a little, add in the mayonnaise, sour cream, and beef broth. Let that simmer for about 15 minutes.
  7. Drain noodles. Stroganoff is best served over a big heap of noodles. Put the beef mixture over the noodles and enjoy!

Questions we examine:

  • Why did communism take over Russia?
  • Who were the last tsars of Russia?
  • Who was Rasputin?
  • What was the Russo-Japanese War about?
  • Why did Lenin want to stay out of WWI?
  • Was Tsarina Alexandra crazy or just on a lot of drugs?
  • How did the downfall of the Russian tsars impact American Christianity?