Sacralization of Soviet Holidays on the Example of the Celebration of the Anniversary of October: Social Theological Aspect

This article analyzes the process of formation of quasireligious civil rites in the Soviet Union, as well as the accompanying reorganization of the calendar and the entire festive system of the country. The author argues that for the new Soviet government, the elimination of old traditions and the creation of new ones was an important tool for legitimization, as well as countering its main enemies, the autocracy and the Orthodox Church. The course towards the sacralization of political power presupposed the gradual displacement of the Orthodox faith. Basically, it relied on the formation of a new Soviet ritual, which was supposed to become a new value core of society and necessarily unite each of its members. The article substantiates the idea that the study of Soviet rituals as the most important tool of secularization in the USSR will allow a deeper investigation into this historical and social phenomenon.