ATHEIST EDUCATION IN TERNOPIL TEACHER IMPROVEMENT INSTITUTE (EARLY 1960S – MID-1980S)

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of the study: analysis and coverage of the process of atheistic education in the Ternopil Teacher Training Institute in the period from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s. The study is directed to the study of the main methods, means and forms of atheistic propaganda used in the institute, as well as their influence on the formation of the worldview of pedagogical personnel and public consciousness in the conditions of the USSR state policy aimed at spreading atheism and reducing the influence of religious institutions on the educational system. Research methodology. A set of methods of scientific analysis was used, which allow to carry out a comprehensive and systematic examination of the process of atheistic education in the Ternopil Institute for the Improvement of Teachers. In particular, a comparative- historical method for analyzing changes in approaches to atheistic education at various stages of its implementation, from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s. A systematic approach for a comprehensive review of the Institute’s influence on the formation of atheistic beliefs among teachers, taking into account the social – political and cultural circumstances. Analysis of documentary sources – the use of archival materials, orders, programs and reports of the Ternopil Institute for the Improvement of Teachers, related to the organization of atheist education. The method of content analysis for studying the content of educational programs, textbooks, methodical guides and other literature used for atheist education. The use of these methods makes it possible to obtain a holistic view of atheistic education in the Ternopil Teacher Training Institute, taking into account the context of the ideological situation in the USSR at the time. The scientific novelty of the study is that, for the first time in historiography, atheistic education is investigated within the framework of the activities of the Ternopil Institute for Teacher Improvement in the period from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. Conclusions. Atheist education at the Ternopil Teacher Training Institute in the period from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s became an integral part of the educational process aimed at forming the Soviet worldview in teachers, where atheism played a key role. This process was part of a wider policy of the Soviet state, the aim of which was to eradicate religious beliefs and strengthen atheistic views among the population through educational institutions. Atheist education at the institute had regional features associated with the traditionally high level of religiosity of the population of Western Ukraine, in particular the Ternopil Region. In this regard, it was necessary to apply special methods of combating religious influence in the region, in particular through work with local teachers, who were often themselves brought up in religious traditions. Although atheist propaganda had a certain influence on the formation of the worldview of teachers, religious beliefs continued to persist, especially among the population of rural regions. This indicated that religious traditions were deeply rooted and could not be easily eradicated even by intensive state propaganda.