Tanya Khodkevich

 Tanya Khodkevich

“You can pray freely but just so GOD alone can hear.” -(page 23)

Tanya Khodkevich was a zealous woman in the Soviet Union who was sent to gulag for speaking about her faith. Tanya Khodkevich described how in the Soviet Union in the 1920s, individuals were allowed to have faith but not declare their faith to others. This was with the intention to prevent the instruction of Christianity in the Soviet Union. Parents were forbidden from instructing their children in the faith. We learn that despite the opposition, righteous parents kept instructing their children in the faith.

“True, they were supposedly being arrested and tried not for their actual faith but for openly declaring their convictions…”- (page 23)

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that parents were allowed to renounce their faith, yet most never did. Tanya Khodkevich was given ten years in gulag for stating that individuals could pray but not express their Christian belief to others. This is interesting because for speaking truth, she was envied and hated. There are different stories in the Gulag Archipelago that describe the incongruencies of Soviet Union false accusations. The intention was to prevent individuals from speaking truth and preventing individuals from realizing the truth.

Irina Tuchinskaya was also envied and falsely accused for being righteous. We learn that there are multiple stories in the Gulag Archipelago of Soviet Bolsheviks being envious and speaking lies about others. Despite the opposition, parents kept instructing their children in the faith seen in the story of Zoya and also children kept their zeal despite discouragements. We also read about the elderly, both men and women, who also kept instructing the faith and believing in GOD Almighty despite the opposition of the Soviets.

Despite the opposition, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that righteous faithful individuals kept persevering in their faith. Despite the envy, individuals decided to keep faith and worship GOD Almighty. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that he was surprised with how righteous Christians were able to have boldness and zeal in the Soviet Union. The Gulag Archipelago describes how amazing and impressive individuals who kept their faith were able to persevere amidst adversity. This led Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn to convert to Christianity.