▁was ▁another ▁area ▁in ▁which ▁there ▁was ▁improvement ▁after ▁economic ▁development , ▁also ▁par alle ling ▁other ▁western ▁countries . ▁ ▁The ▁generation ▁born ▁during ▁St alin ' s ▁rule ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁near - univers ally ▁liter ate ▁generation . ▁Some ▁engine ers ▁were ▁sent ▁abroad ▁to ▁learn ▁industrial ▁technology , ▁and ▁hundreds ▁of ▁foreign ▁engine ers ▁were ▁brought ▁to ▁Russia ▁on ▁contract . ▁Transport ▁links ▁were ▁also ▁improved , ▁as ▁many ▁new ▁rail ways ▁were ▁built , ▁although ▁with ▁forced ▁labour , ▁cost ing ▁thousands ▁of ▁lives . ▁Work ers ▁who ▁exceed ed ▁their ▁quot as , ▁St ak han ov ites , ▁received ▁many ▁in cent ives ▁for ▁their ▁work , ▁although ▁many ▁such ▁workers ▁were ▁in ▁fact ▁" arr anged " ▁to ▁succeed ▁by ▁receiving ▁extreme ▁help ▁in ▁their ▁work , ▁and ▁then ▁their ▁achiev ements ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁propag anda . ▁ ▁Religion ▁ ▁The ▁system atic ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁church ▁began ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁took ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁St alin ▁intens ified ▁his ▁war ▁on ▁organized ▁religion . ▁Near ly ▁all ▁churches ▁and ▁monaster ies ▁were ▁closed ▁and ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁cl erg ymen ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁or ▁executed . ▁Histor ian ▁Dim it ry ▁P osp iel ov ski ▁has ▁estimated ▁that ▁between ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Orth odox ▁cler gy ▁died