A Query into the Survival of the Russian Orthodox Church under Soviet Repression
Despite official discouragement of religion during communist rule, Russian Orthodoxy remains an integral part of Russian life today.? Cory McKenzie (REAP 2011), a history major mentored by Professor Cathy Frierson,?investigated the factors that contributed to the survival of the Russian Orthodox Church under Soviet rule, with particular emphasis on the role of iconography.?His goal was to learn how these venerated works of art inspired people to adhere to Orthodox faith in the face of atheistic communism. Cory traveled to the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts, and the Holy Trinity Monastery in upstate New York, to conduct his field research.
