Development without God: The Intentional Secularization as a Driver and a Barrier of Soviet Development

The Soviet Union’s intentional secularization policies, grounded in the ideology of scientific atheism, presented a complex and ultimately paradoxical dynamic in its pursuit of development. This paper examines how the state’s forceful implementation of secularization catalyzed rapid industrial and educational advancements, aligning with certain tenets of modernization theory. Drawing upon secondary data and employing a case study methodology, it explores how the Soviet regime’s atheistic ideology shaped its economic, social, and cultural policies. It argues that while secularization enabled the state to mobilize human and material resources toward industrialization and scientific advancement, it simultaneously eroded social capital, suppressed pluralism, and limited the moral foundations necessary for sustainable development. The top-down approach undermined social cohesion by encountering persistent religiosity, fostering cultural resistance, and exacerbating ethnic tensions. By analyzing the theoretical underpinnings of Soviet secularization, its historical implementation, and its dual impact as both a driver and a barrier to development, this paper illuminates the inherent limitations of engineering societal transformation through ideological imposition. Case studies from Central Asia and the Baltic region further underscore the uneven and often counterproductive outcomes of this ambitious social experiment. The paper reveals the dual-edged nature of secular governance and contributes to debates on the interplay between religion, ideology, and development.