The situation of Muslims in Soviet Russia in the 1917–1927

Abstract

Background. Representatives of more than 20 ethnic groups professing Islam live in Russia – the youngest, but at the same time the most conservative of the world religions, most of which have their own statehood in the form of national republics that are part of the Russian Federation. Despite the fact that Islam is one of the traditional religions of modern Russia, the state's relations with Mus-lims have a long and complex history, characterized by complexity and heterogeneity, primarily due to the peculiarity of this religion, which represents the unity of the religious and religious component and the socio-political basis of society. The purpose of the work is to analyze the position of his followers in Russia, their role and place in the crisis period of Russian history from 1917 to 1927. Materials and methods. The implementation of the research objectives was achieved on the basis of an analysis of literature reflecting interethnic and interfaith relations, regulatory legal acts regulating the spiritual life of Russian Muslims in the specified historical period, and centrifugal processes in the national republics. A special place in the framework of this study is occupied by the period of the February and October revolutions of 1917, reflecting the urgent problems in the legal status of Muslims. The methodological potential includes the method of historical and legal analysis, which makes it possible to compare the situation of Muslims in the Russian Empire and the Soviet state. Results. The article examines the relations of the state with the population professing Islam in the 1917–1927, analyzes the activities of religious Muslim organizations, identifies problematic issues of the legal status of Muslims in the Russian Empire, the causes and conditions for the consolidation of Bolshevik ideology in the Muslim environment. Conclusions. Studying the situation of Muslims in Soviet Russia makes it possible to understand the reasons, grounds and content of the Bolshevik policy towards representatives of national minorities, which became fundamental in their struggle for power, and to take into account their mistakes in organizing policy towards Muslims.