The Russian Orthodox Church is the dominant religious denomination in Russia. For generations, it was the country's official religions, and Russian people were automatically considered to be Orthodox, no matter what their personal beliefs. During the Soviet era, the government did much to weaken the church, including killing tens of thousands of priests, monks, and nuns, and closing most churches. The much smaller church that survived was largely controlled by the state. Because of state-sanctions atheism during the Soviet era, only 15 to 20 percent of Russia's population today actively practices Orthodoxy, although a much greater number claim to be Russian Orthodox Christians.

Question

Study the excerpt above. Based on this information, why wasn't the Russian Orthodox church more prominent or powerful during the Soviet era?

Responses

Many Christians converted to Protestantism
Many Christians converted to Protestantism

The government killed many priests, monks, and nuns
The government killed many priests, monks, and nuns

The church began to adopt new practices that the people did not accept.
The church began to adopt new practices that the people did not accept.

Islam became the dominant religion in Russia

Answer 1

The correct response is:

The government killed many priests, monks, and nuns.

This directly led to a significant weakening of the Russian Orthodox Church's prominence and power during the Soviet era, as the state took measures to control and suppress the church.