original_query: What was the state of Russian sociology during the Soviet period?
query: What was the state of Russian sociology during the Soviet period?
answer: During the Soviet period, sociology was initially thriving but then was gradually suppressed, declared a 'bourgeois pseudo-science', and effectively banned from 1929 to 1956.  Even when allowed, it was heavily dominated by Marxist thought.  After Stalin's death, restrictions eased, and sociology was officially recognized again in 1966.