aged ▁a ▁ 7 0 - year ▁war ▁on ▁religious ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁The ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁destroyed ▁churches , ▁mos ques , ▁and ▁tem ples ; ▁it ▁executed ▁religious ▁leaders ; ▁it ▁flo oded ▁the ▁schools ▁and ▁media ▁with ▁anti - rel ig ious ▁propag anda ; ▁and ▁it ▁introduced ▁a ▁belief ▁system ▁called ▁“ s cient ific ▁at he ism ,” ▁complete ▁with ▁at he ist ▁rit uals , ▁pros ely t izers , ▁and ▁a ▁promise ▁of ▁world ly ▁salv ation . ▁But ▁in ▁the ▁end , ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁older ▁Soviet ▁citizens ▁retained ▁their ▁religious ▁belief s ▁and ▁a ▁c rop ▁of ▁citizens ▁too ▁young ▁to ▁have ▁experienced ▁pre - S ov iet ▁times ▁acquired ▁religious ▁belief s . ▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁P urg es ▁ ▁As ▁this ▁process ▁unfold ed , ▁St alin ▁cons olid ated ▁near - absolute ▁power ▁by ▁destroy ing ▁the ▁potential ▁opposition . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 – 3 8 , ▁about ▁three ▁qu arters ▁of ▁a ▁million ▁S ovi ets ▁were ▁executed , ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁million ▁others ▁were ▁sent enced ▁to ▁length y ▁terms ▁in ▁very ▁har sh ▁labour ▁cam ps . ▁St alin ' s ▁Great ▁T error ▁rav aged ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁factory ▁direct ors ▁and ▁engine ers , ▁and ▁removed ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁senior ▁officers ▁in ▁the ▁Army . ▁The ▁pre text ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁assass ination ▁of ▁Serge y ▁K iro v ▁( which ▁many ▁suspect ▁St alin