The Armenian Church Under Soviet Rule: Resistance in the Catacombs

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the persecution of the Armenian Apostolic Church under Soviet rule. From the Bolsheviks' anti-religious campaigns to the Great Purge targeting priests and believers, they trace how the Church became a symbol of national resistance. They discuss the role of Catholicos Khoren I, who was assassinated in 1938, and the survival of secret worship in basements and caves. The episode also covers the brief thaw under Stalin during World War II, the Khrushchev era's renewed crackdowns, and the church's quiet preservation of Armenian identity until the late Soviet period. Names like Gevorg VI, Vazgen I, and the Etchmiadzin Cathedral feature prominently. #ArmenianApostolicChurch #SovietUnion #Stalin #GreatPurge #Etchmiadzin #CatholicosKhorenI #VazgenI #GevorgVI #ReligiousPersecution #AntiReligiousCampaign #ArmenianHistory #Caucasus #SovietEra #ReligionAndState #SecretWorship #ArmenianIdentity #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo