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4Низамова М.А.
Преподаватель, ФГАОУ ВО «Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет».
Шайдуллин И.И.
Ассистент, ФГАОУ ВО «Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет».
Мусульманские школы и антирелигиозная борьба в Тасср в 1920-е годы*
Nizamova M.A.
Lecturer, Kazan Federal University.
Shaidullin I.I.
Assistant, Kazan Federal University.
Muslim schools and anti-religious struggle in the Tassr in the 1920s
The mention of the first Muslim schools on the territory of Tatarstan dates back to the 10th century, when, with the adoption of Islam in the Volga Bulgaria, mosques were built and educational institutions - mektebs and madrasahs - were opened at the mosques.
Muslim education is also becoming particularly relevant today, since Tatar schools are being closed in Tatarstan year after year, and madrassas can be counted on the fingers. Currently, despite various administrative obstacles, there is an attempt to preserve confessional educational institutions, the appearance of which causes a different reaction in the public environment. For example, there are still discussions about the expediency of religious education.
For a detailed study of this topic, we must first of all pay attention to the turning points in the history of our state, and also, if possible, try to identify the с laws and trends of the historical process. Particular attention is drawn
© Низамова М.А., Шайдуллин И.И., 2022.
to the history of Muslim education on the territory of the TASSR in the early years of Soviet power, when radical changes took place in the country, which largely influenced further development. During this period, the foundation of the modern education system is being built. The country is beginning to form a unified educational system with the inclusion of national schools, and confessional schools are fighting for survival in the conditions of building an atheistic state.
For many researchers, it is an axiom that after the Bolsheviks came to power, a significant part of religious educational institutions was closed, but the archival funds data allow us to say that things were actually much more complicated.
The methodological basis of the study is the main scientific principles applied in the study of the phenomena of socio-economic, socio-political and cultural life: objectivity, historicism, consistency, which allow us to consider historical events in development and in the cause-and-effect relationships.
The source base was made up of unpublished documents, which are presented in the funds of the State Archives of the Republic of Tatarstan. According to the documents stored in the archive funds, it is possible to provide a detailed description of the activities of the technical base. The annual reports of the Tatar National Committee of Education, the reports of the heads of education, and the data of inspection surveys of schools contain rich statistical material.
Economic, political and social changes took place with the advent of Soviet power in October 1917. Representatives of the new government attached great importance to issues related to the national, cultural and religious life of the country.
The number of Muslims in Russia by 1917 was over 20 million [9]. Therefore, despite the fact that the basis of the religious policy of the Soviet state was determined by militant atheism, in the early years of its formation, the attitude towards Islam was not unambiguous.
In 1917-1918, Muslim schools were closed in many large cities, but actively continued to work in the villages. One of the actions of the Soviet leadership was the elimination of the former system of public education management. All Muslim confessional educational institutions of the Kazan Governorate, which were previously under the jurisdiction of the Tatar communities (parishes-ma-halla), were transformed into cultural and educational institutions and transferred to the jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat for Education. The next step in this direction was the Decree "On Freedom of Conscience, Church and Religious Societies" of 20 January 1918, which proclaimed the separation of the church from the state and the state from the church. On the basis of this decree, the teaching of religious doctrine in all State and public, as well as private educational institutions where general subjects were taught, was not allowed; religious education could only be carried out in private [10].
In the first years of its existence, the Soviet government was forced to make temporary concessions in the field of religious education. Taking advantage of the reduction of Muslim educational institutions during the years of war and famine, the Muslim clergy begins to work actively in the educational sphere. The unsatisfactory state of secular education and the desire of the population to receive religious education contributed to this process. The clergy, with the support of the peasantry, expanded the network of Muslim educational institutions. "On October 26, 1920, at a meeting of the Collegium of the Chistopol Department of Public Education, permission was given to open one-year Muslim pedagogical courses" [1].
It should also be noted that there were also Muslim schools for adults. This is evidenced by an extract from the minutes of the emergency meeting of the Board of the Chistopol Department of Public Education dated October 16, 1920. The extract is given permission to conduct classes on the second shift in the premises of Muslim school No. 1 [2].
The acute shortage of material and financial resources in local budgets made it necessary to shift a significant part of this burden to peasant societies. Representatives of the canton departments of public education forced the villagers to sign agreements on the maintenance of rural schools. They indicated that the main part of the expenses (heating the school premises, purchase of school supplies, teaching aids, etc.), except teachers' salaries, fell on the villagers. In the absence of premises for a school, it was envisaged to rent the corresponding premises from private individuals [13].
Thus, the main expenses for the maintenance of rural schools were shifted to peasant farms. Moreover, it should be noted that the decision was made in pursuance of a special circular of the People's Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR dated July 28, 1922, which prescribed the maintenance of educators in the autonomous republics at the expense of local funds.
Representatives of the rural poor were almost completely exempted from paying for the maintenance of schools; wealthier fellow villagers paid for them. The peasantry, especially its wealthy part, preferred religious schools than the Soviet ones. Sometimes, during the drafting of the agreement, the villagers demanded from the authorities the introduction of religious subjects into the curriculum or the opening of religious schools and were obliged to maintain them.
From the meeting of the Muslim clergy held on March 6, 1921 in the village of Sredne-Alkeevo, Alkeevo parish, the following is said: "In Appakovo, Yukhatinsky district, classes are going on, the teacher is provided by the people, only the lack of textbooks hinders the work. Things are bad in Verkh-niy-Almurzin, the reason is that the population did not bring firewood, and things stopped..." [3].
The active position of the Tatar population on issues of religious education
alarmed the local authorities, especially the spread of Muslim schools in the villages of the TASSR.
In 1922, Tatnarkompros reported: "Recently, it has been observed that mullahs, kulaks and unconscious peasants in Muslim villages, although weakly, are trying to restore, in parallel with the Soviet school, their school with teaching the dogma to children outside the state school. In addition, following the example of the Turkestan People's Commissariat of Education, the people express a desire to use Soviet schools, outside school hours, for lessons according to the law of God. In order to strengthen and develop Soviet education, the Canton Department of Public Education considers it necessary to wage a resolute struggle against attempts to revive the old school. A necessary measure is to forbid the teaching of dogma to children before they reach the age of majority; not to allow any public schools persecuting the teaching of dogma. Canton Department of Public Education, proposes to the Executive Committees and Village Councils to wage a religious struggle against the organized teaching of religious doctrine to children..." [4].
There is also the following information from the Presidium of the Spass-ky Executive Committee dated November 28, 1922: "According to information received recently by the Canton Department of Public Education, among the Tatar population there is a predominance of a craving for a pre-reform school with the teaching of dogma ... Religious schools spring up freely where religious fanaticism and religious tendencies are not exposed by the scientific rationalist world view. It is necessary once and for all to destroy the foundations of the theological teachings imposed by the mullahs on the superstitious peasantry and their children. These religious schools are supplied by the population with firewood, serviced by watchmen and teachers, for the maintenance of which public funds are spent. So, for example: citizens of the village of Koyukov, Pich-kassky volost, with their application to the Department of Public Education, ask to leave the teacher Minzyamal Shageeva in their service and assure that the society provides "all conveniences and devices" for her. In the village of Kamkin, Marasinsky volost, with the assistance of a local mullah, appeared a religious school, and for teaching were recommended a former guard and a citizen of the same village, Lutfulla Galeev. According to rumors, there are several such schools in Marasinsky, Bazarly Matakovskaya, Alkeevskaya and Pichkasskaya volosts. The Department of Public Education, in compliance with the decree on the separation of church from state and school, does not intend to ban the teaching of dogma outside the walls of the Soviet school. But Department of Public Education cannot agree with the fact that black and white magic, with their natural reactionary consequences, are beginning to appear in our villages, dark as night. According to Department of Public Education, the Kanti Executive Committee needs to issue an order according to which religious schools
cannot arise until the Soviet schools of those villages where citizens intend to organize religious schools are first of all supplied with firewood for the whole academic year, provided with watchmen and teachers of these schools will not be put in the same conditions of existence in which citizens intend to put teachers of dogma. In addition, in contrast to the spread of religious movements, it is necessary to take measures to organize anti-religious campaigns, mainly among the culturally backward Tatars" [5].
From these documents it follows that the Soviet government during this period with all its might hampered the development and spread of Muslim schools. Also, at the expense of Muslim schools, the Soviet government wanted to support Soviet schools. Muslims wishing to open Muslim schools in their villages had to provide Soviet schools as well. With such a policy, the Soviet government immediately solved two problems: it hindered the development of Muslim schools and supported Soviet schools at the expense of Muslims.
When the situation in the country as a whole stabilized, the Soviet government took a series of consistent measures to destroy the Muslim school. A serious blow was dealt by the resolution of the People's Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR "On Overcoming the Faith in Muslim Schools" of January 3, 1923, and the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on the closure of religious schools. In the meantime, illegal schools are being opened, a new stage of agitation for the freedom to teach religion is beginning, and letters are being sent on behalf of believers [11]. Teaching children the basics of the Muslim religion was carried out in all cantons, in every Tatar village where there was a mullah.
The situation forced state and party bodies to take decisive action. In February 1923, a secret circular was sent out by the Tatar Regional Committee of the RCP(b) and the United State Political Administration department. The main emphasis was placed on the fight against religious schools and clerics, with a great emphasis on Islam: "... The Christian religion, except for purely moral rules and doctrines, which are the ideal of christian life, except for external church rituals, gives almost nothing to believers and does not introduce civil and political elements into religious dogmas. Islam, in addition to all these qualities, introduces civil and socio-political elements into its religious system. Islam is not only a religious system, but, in general, remains a political flag of struggle, a banner of national revival and unification of Muslims around the world" [13].
At the beginning of 1923, the Muslim clergy began their activities. It undertook various actions aimed at removing restrictions on religious education. II All-Russian Muslim Congress held And in June 1923 in Ufa showed the complexity of relations between the state and Muslims. However, a significant achievement of the convention was the concession made by the government in
the field of religious education. The Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR (October 1923) allowed in Muslim regions the organization of group teaching of the dogma in mosques and private homes in their free time to persons who have reached the age of majority according to Sharia and have an education in the volume of 3 classes of a first stage school.
The forced concession of the authorities activated the Muslim clergy, which, with the support of the peasantry, began to create a network of Muslim educational institutions. The mass opening of religious schools, most of which were located in rural areas, falls on 1924-1925. For example, in 1926, 43 religious schools with 1279 students operated in Moscow, in Bugulminsky district - 101 and 3126, respectively, in the Buinsky district - 17 and 307, in Yelabuga district - 37 and 1005, in Menzelinsky district - 127 and 3364, in Spassky district - 22 - with 584 students [Akhmetova, 2013, p. 141]. In 1925, there were up to 240 Muslim schools with 8 thousand students in the TASSR, and in 1926 their number reached 800 schools with over 30 thousand students [15]. In addition, it should be noted that in Tatar villages it was widely practiced to teach children at home under the guidance of mullahs or mudarris.
The activity of the Muslim clergy in terms of opening religious schools forced the state authorities to take this issue even more seriously. The religious movement in the field of public education is increasingly becoming the object of the closest and constant attention of the central and local governments. Their departments are developing circulars that would ensure the full flow of information about the Muslim issue. Throughout 1926, the Canton Committee of the CPSU(b) sent reports to the Tatar Regional Committee on the state of the religious movement, which noted the activity of the Muslim part of the population, especially the clergy, and the growth in the number of schools. A secret letter to Tatnarkompros from the head of the Spassky Department of Public Education reads as follows: "Several reports have been received noting the presence and influence of religious schools in some villages. For example, the head of one school reports that before the opening of the religious school, the population was looking forward to the opening of the second complex, and after the opening of the religious school calmed down. Another head of the school reports that the religious school has no influence on the labor school, but it is noticed that the religious school is reading a book in the Tatar language not only for the purpose of studying some religious law, but also for the purpose of developing the reading mechanism. It should be noted that the rapid growth of religious schools threatens Soviet schools, because the population can only be satisfied with religious schools, not paying attention to the Soviet one" [14].
In 1926, the local authorities took the initiative to cancel the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of June 9, 1924. On July 29,
1926, the Tatar Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks sent a memorandum that outlined the reasons for the growth of the influence of the Muslim religious school in Tataria and outlined measures to combat it. "The main means of combating the activities of the clergy is a well-organized and properly functioning Soviet Tatar school ...". It also contained a request to allocate the necessary funds to improve the state of the Soviet Tatar school [12].
It follows from this memorandum that the Soviet government specifically created and allocated money for the distribution of Tatar schools in order to completely destroy Muslim schools in which the Soviet government saw a real danger.
Soviet schools had no authority among the rural population, and this was evidenced by the fact that after classes in Soviet schools, students often went to study with Muslim clerics at home. A secret report prepared by the Tatar Department of the United State Political Administration for the Eastern Department of the United State Political Administration "On teaching children of the Muslim population of the Tatar Republic" (August 1926) stated that "with the advent of religious schools, Soviet ones began to have less authority and cases of students leaving schools became more frequent. The vast majority of the peasantry is religious and still strongly influenced by the clergy, most children attend both schools. In some places, classes in Soviet schools took place after religious schools" [13].
In those years, the idea of a decisive attack on religious institutions worried not only the local Soviet party leadership, but also the central one. So, in January
1927, the agitation and propaganda department of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks prepared a draft resolution of the Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks "On measures to combat the Muslim religious movement", in which it was proposed to sharply limit the possibilities of teaching Islam and training clerics [13].
After this decree, the Soviet government began a harsh policy, and this is clearly evident from the petitions of the rural population for permission to open Muslim schools in the villages.
An extract from the protocol No. 1 of the meeting of the Buinsky KIK presidium dated March 9, 1927 tells us the following information: "Citizens of the village of Novye Tinchali, Staroshaimurzinsky volost petition for permission to open a religious teaching point in the village of N. Shigalyakh. Decided: in view of non-compliance with the study program - to refuse" [6].
An extract from the Protocol No. 13 of the Bu"nsky Kantipolkom plenum meeting dated February 24, 1927, reports: "Citizens of the village of Nizhniy Naratbash of the Buinsky volost apply for permission to open a religious teach-
ing point in Nizhniy Naratbash at the one parish. Decided: in view of non-compliance with the study program and the education of one student under the age of fourteen - to refuse" [7].
But there is also evidence that states that in some cases local governments allowed the teaching of religion in Muslim schools. For example, an extract from the protocol No. 1 of the Buinsky canton executive committee Presidium meeting dated March 9, 1927, says the following: "The petition of citizens of the city of Buinsk for the issuance of an additional permit to study 7 students at the religious teaching point at 1 parish. Decided: to allow with the teaching of the Koran, Tajwid and ritual questions twice a week for one hour" [8].
In May 1928, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks made a decision to close Muslim religious schools, offering to back it up with resolutions of the Central Committee of the Republics. And on May 30, 1928, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR decided to "satisfy" the petition of the Tatar, Bashkir and other autonomous republics, and the resolutions of the Presidium of June 9, 1924 and June 28, 1924 "On the Muslim creed with the legal provisions and instructions arising from it - to cancel" [13]. Following this, similar legislative acts were abolished by the Central Executive Committee and the executive committees of the autonomous republics. Thus, resolutions prohibiting any form of organization of religious education were drawn up.
The results of the study showed that after the Bolsheviks came to power, a significant part of religious educational institutions began an active struggle for existence. The temporary "retreat" of the Bolsheviks during the period of the New Economic Policy made it possible even for a short time to allow the activities of Muslim schools in the villages of the republic. However, this was rather an exception to the rule and ended with the transition to the fight against confessional schools. The fight against religious schools was caused by ideological and practical considerations - the need for the so-called "building of a communist society." As a result of this struggle, which began with the adoption of the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars "On Freedom of Conscience, Church and Religious Societies" dated January 20, 1918, a resolution prohibiting any form of organization of religious education on the basis of the Resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR "On Religious Associations" dated April 8, 1929 was drafted.
Muslim education on the territory of modern Tatarstan dates back many centuries, and by the beginning of the 20th century, having gone through several stages of its development, it turned into a coherent system. With the advent of Soviet power, begins a new stage in the history of Muslim education. Muslim schools and anti-religious struggle become an important part of the
national policy of the Soviet government. In 1927-1929. on the basis of directive orders of the central government, the activities of all confessional schools were prohibited. The Soviet leadership in any way prevented the teaching of secular subjects in religious schools, at the same time, it severely limited the range of subjects on the basics of Islam and the history of Islam. Religious organizations have lost one of their most important functions - education. Obtaining religious knowledge has become inaccessible both at preschool and school age. Thus, the system of Muslim education was dealt a final blow, it was completely destroyed.
Библиографический список / Reference
[1] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-2029. Register.1. Case.22. P. 414.
[2] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-2029. Register.1. Case.22. P. 286.
[3] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-1763. Register.1. Case.101. P. 46.
[4] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-1763. Register.1. Case.155. P. 91.
[5] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-1763. Register.1. Case.64. P. 52.
[6] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-2482. Register.1. Case.118. P. 55.
[7] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-2482. Register.1. Case.118. P. 41.
[8] State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan Fund R-2482. Register.1. Case.118. P. 45.
[9] Ponomarenko M.V. Islam in the Religious Policy of the Soviet Power in the First Third of the 20th Century.
(Based on materials from Western Siberia) // Problems of history, philology, culture. 2008. № 20. P. 330-344.
[10] Konstantinov N.A., Medynsky E.N., Shabaeva M.F. History of Pedagogy. Moscow, Russia, 1982. 447 p.
[11] Minullin I.R. Muslim Communities in Tatarstan in the 1920s-1930s, Pax Islamica 2009. № 1 (2). P. 87-103.
[12] Tutaev M.Z. The development of public education in Tataria (1917-1940). Kazan, Russia, 1975. 203 p.
[13] Ablyazov K.K. Secular and religious education in the village of Tatarstan: 1920-1930. Kazan, Russia, 2005. 170 p.
[14] Akhmetova A.R. The elimination of religious education in Tatarstan in the post-revolutionary transformation of the cultural traditions of the Tatar people (based on materials from the National Academy of the Republic of Tatarstan) // Bulletin of the Kazan State University of Culture and Arts. 2013. № 2. P. 140-143.
[15] Iskhakov D. The phenomenon of Tatar Jadidism: an introduction to socio-cultural understanding. Kazan, Russia, 1997. 80 p.
Низамова М.А.
Преподаватель, ФГАОУВО «Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет».
Шайдуллин И.И.
Ассистент, ФГАОУ ВО «Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет».
Мусульманские школы и антирелигиозная борьба в Тасср в 1920-е годы Аннотация. Исследовательская работа посвящена истории мусульманского образования на территории ТАССР в первые годы советской власти. Для многих исследователей является аксиомой, что после прихода к власти большевиков значительная часть религиозных учебных заведений была закрыта, однако данные архивных фондов позволяют сказать, что дела на самом деле обстояли намного сложнее.
Для реконструкции более точной исторической картины, исследована политика советского государства по отношению к мусульманскому образованию, а также подробно рассмотрена деятельность мусульманских школ в условиях формирования новой советской идеологии в период НЭПа. На основе архивных данных изучены действия, которые предпринимались советским руководством по уничтожению мусульманских школ. Также эти действия были направлены на искоренение религиозного сознания и религиозных настроений среди населения в 1920-е годы. Советское руководство любыми путями препятствовало сохранению мусульманских школ и религии в целом.
Результаты исследования, расширяют знания о религиозном образовании в ТАССР и опровергают мнение о том, что жители ТАССР без препятствий приняли все изменения в области образования, которые воплощались в жизнь советской властью. Существование религии и мусульманских школ не вписывались в планы советской власти. И в результате антирелигиозных действий советских властей, произошли большие перемены не только в истории татарского народа, но и в истории мусульманского образования.
Ключевые слова: ислам, мусульманская школа, советская власть, образование, школьная политика, антирелигиозная борьба.
Nizamova M.A.
Lecturer, Kazan Federal University.
Shaidullin I.I.
Assistant, Kazan Federal University.
Muslim schools and anti-religious struggle in the Tassr in the 1920s Abstract. The research work is devoted to the history of Muslim education on the territory of the TASSR in the first years of Soviet government. For many researchers, it is an axiom that after the Bolsheviks came to power, a significant part of religious educational institutions was closed, but the archival funds data allow us to say that things were actually much more complicated.
In order to reconstruct a more accurate historical picture, the policy of the Soviet state in relation to Muslim education and the activities of Muslim schools in the conditions of the formation of a new Soviet ideology during the New Economic Policy (NEP) were examined in detail. On the basis of archival data, the actions taken by the Soviet leadership to destroy Muslim schools were studied. Also, these actions were aimed at eradicating religious consciousness and religious sentiments among the population in the 1920s. In general, the Soviet leadership in any way prevented the preservation of Muslim schools and religion.
The results of the study expand knowledge about religious education in the TASSR and refute the opinion that the inhabitants of the TASSR accepted all the changes in the field of education that were implemented by the Soviet authorities without obstacles. The existence of religion and Muslim schools did not fit into the plans of the Soviet government. And as a result of the anti-religious actions of the Soviet authorities, great changes took place not only in the history of the Tatar people, but also in the history of Muslim education.
Key words: Islam, Muslim school, Soviet power, education, school policy, anti-religious struggle.
