By Bob Burckle
When Joseph Stalin initiated Russia’s communist rule in 1917, his objective to stamp out all religion became a priority. Stalin represented the new “socialist man,” free from religious oppression, modern and atheistic.
His rule seemingly wiped Christianity from Russia, paving the way for the USSR’s birth in 1922 as atheism became the state religion, suddenly forcing the church underground. Yet, although millions of Christians were persecuted, imprisoned, brutalized and murdered by USSR forces, the secret church prevailed.
When EEM’s Bible distribution ministry began in 1961, our mission was to smuggle Bibles behind the Iron Curtain to reach these Russian Christians. This was of course long before that late December day in 1991, when the Soviet hammer and sickle flag finally lowered for the last time. Previous to this, the ministry would hide small ‘Marlboro’ pocket Bibles (because they were the size of a pack of cigarettes) in pant pockets, jackets, suitcases and purses to reach the Russian people with the message of hope.
However, I recently learned about an unexpected opportunity for Russian evangelism and seed planting that took place during the USSR’s reign. Our ministry partner Oleg, born and raised in Russia, shared that amid this dark some 70 years, Easter never left. While the regime mercilessly aimed to delete Christianity and all forms of worship, the one thing it didn’t snuff out was Easter and its long-held traditions.
As Oleg shared, “Easter is perhaps the only religious holiday that was somewhat celebrated even then.” Generations of great-grandparents and grandparents carried forth Easter traditions such as egg-coloring, baking kulich (a special Easter yeast cake) and making paskha (a pyramid-shaped cottage cheese cake) for their Soviet grandchildren.
These joyful traditions of Easter not only offered a lighthearted bit of fun but also served as a gateway to share the hope and redemption of Christ to the young generations born into communism.
These very traditions are woven into Easter celebrations across Russia today, serving as reminders of God’s grace and sovereignty, despite all persecution and opposition to His Word. A solemn yet joyful act of reverence, the Lent season is marked by a 40-day fast, concluded by Orthodox Christians’ evening services and the procession of the cross on the eve of Easter. As Resurrection Sunday commences, Christian families in Russia gather for breakfast feasts, worship and joyous celebratory activities.
What a beautiful legacy to carry on! From hiding the lamp of God’s Word with but one holiday that couldn’t be extinguished—to freely worshiping on Easter Sunday altogether, reading God’s Word, primed for evangelism opportunities to better explain these traditions of old.
Our efforts in this region of the world continue today. Since the fall of the USSR, our ministry has evolved while the core of our mission remains the same. Though we no longer need to secretly smuggle Bibles to those in Russia, our task remains to get the Word of God into the hands of others.
Today, EEM supplies Bibles to Russia and its nearby nations, and the people of this region continue to grow in awareness and knowledge of God’s Word, learning the story of Jesus and sharing this message with others—not only on and around Easter but throughout the year. We continue to pray for the people of Russia and other former communist bloc nations, that the Gospel would continue to spread and bring peace and salvation to this region of the Globe.
Bob Burckle is President of EEM (Eastern European Mission), which has been delivering God’s Word to the people of Eastern Europe since 1961. Today, EEM publishes and prints Bibles and New Testaments as well as Teen Bibles, Children’s Bibles and coloring books, distributing them through a vast network of partner churches and organizations reaching 32 countries in 26 languages.
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