Editing Eastern Bloc (section)

==Religion==
[[File:Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Baku.jpg|thumb|The [[Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Baku|Alexander Nevsky Cathedral]], once the most dominant landmark in [[Baku]], was demolished in the 1930s under Stalin.]]
{{main|Treatment of Christians in Communist Bloc countries}}
Under the [[state atheism]] of many Eastern Bloc nations, religion was actively suppressed.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hobby|first=Jeneen|title=Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life: Europe|year=2009|publisher=Gate|isbn=978-1-4144-6430-5}}</ref> Since some of these states tied their ethnic heritage to their national churches, both the peoples and their churches were targeted by the Soviets.<ref>President of Lithuania: Prisoner of the Gulag a Biography of [[Aleksandras Stulginskis]] by Afonsas Eidintas Genocide and Research Center of Lithuania {{ISBN|978-9986757412}} p. 23 "As early as August 1920 [[Lenin]] wrote to [[Ephraim Sklyansky]], President of the Revolutionary War Soviet: "We are surrounded by the greens (we pack it to them), we will move only about 10–20 versty and we will choke by hand the bourgeoisie, the clergy and the landowners. There will be an award of 100,000 rubles for each one hanged." He was speaking about the future actions in the countries neighboring Russia.</ref><ref>Christ Is Calling You : A Course in Catacomb Pastorship by Father [[George Calciu]] Published by Saint Hermans Press, 1997 {{ISBN|978-1-887904-52-0}}</ref>