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September, 9 The Initiative group of protection of rights of
1982 believers and the Church was formed. Yosyp
Terelya, a former political prisoner, headed it.
Religious dissidents saw their goals in
struggle for rehabilitation and legalization of
Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Ukrainian
Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Protestant
churches. They fought for freedom of
conscience, free religious services, returning
of churches, expropriated by the state,
liberation of those who had been imprisoned
for beliefs and rehabilitation of the executed
clergymen. In December, 1982 Y. Terelya
was arrested, the religious opposition was
severely persecuted.
November, 10 L. Brezhnev’s death. Y. Andropov became
1982 the General Secretary of CC CPSU, who tried
to improve discipline and eliminate corruption
by means of administrative measures.
May, 26 The resolution of CC CPSU and Council of
1983 Ministers of the USSR “About additional
measures to improve teaching of the Russian
language in establishments of general
education in union republics”. In Ukraine
teachers of the Russian language obtained
15% rise in salary. The classes with more than
25 pupils were divided in groups for the
lessons of Russian. During breaks and outside
school, pupils were encouraged to speak
Russian. As “a significant manifestation of
internationalism”, the regulation that “the
Russian language is compulsory, the
Ukrainian language is learnt by wish” was put

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