Anton Loginov


Anton Loginov was a Russian Bolshevik Revolutionary, Communist Party member, journalist, writer, Soviet publicist, and propagandist of atheism.

Life

Loginov was a member of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party starting in 1902 and had the party nickname "Anton". He was also a member of the Tiflis City Party Committee and the Soviet of Soldiers' Deputies starting in 1918. From 1902 to 1912 he led illegal party work in Moscow and participated in many revolutions such as the First Russian revolution in Moscow and the October Revolution of 1917 in Tiflis.
Loginov was a born speaker and a witty polemist. Lenin learned of his ability to speak with the masses in a simple and understandable language, to attract interesting material and witty answers to questions. He advised Loginov to engage in anti-religious propaganda. From the beginning of the 1920s Loginov devoted himself entirely to atheistic work, and trained qualified personnel in the anti-religious campaign. The Moscow Party had appointed Loginov to :ru:Костеловская, Мария Михайловна|Kostelovskaia's place on the Anti-religious Commission in March 1925, and by 1926 he was a leading League official. He was a member of the bureau of the district party committee, a member of the MK RCP, chairman of the Moscow and Central Soviet of Atheists, deputy People's Commissar of Communications, and editor of the newspaper and magazine "Bezbozhnik".
In the 1920s Loginov participated in disputes with representatives of the clergy. He focused on exposing the counter-revolutionary activity of churchmen, the antiscientific and reactionary essence of religion, and the class implications of religious morality. Loginov was the author of many articles and brochures on atheism and on religion. His book was published under the name "Anton Loginov". Typical of a pamphlet aimed at the countryside was Anton Loginov's "The Godless: the Best Friend of the Peasant". "We do not want to take religion away from you", explained Loginov, "we just want you to give it up. "And what do you replace it with?", he has the peasant ask. His answer: “Evil does not have to be replaced, but simply rooted out. That is our program". He died in Moscow, and is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Work