My grandmother never found out what happened to him. She didn't like to talk about it." At night the NKVD went out in vans named "black ravens" knocked on people's doors and the people were taken to a building called the Lubyanka in Moscow where they were tormented and tortured to confess to crimes they had not committed. .
Everybody in the Soviet Union knew that Stalin was the great leader and master of all. Everywhere pictures and boards of him were put up, even in private homes! Stalin was referred to as "Man of Steel", "Iron Soldier," and even "Universal Genius." He was applauded whenever his name was stated. A man wrote how Stalin had improved his love life he says, " All thanks to thee, O great educator, Stalin. I love a young woman with a renewed, love and shall perpetuate myself in my children I shall be eternally happy and joyous, all thanks to thee and when the woman I love presents me with the a child the first word it shall utter will be: Stalin." On the other hand during the period of 1934 to 1953 17 million guiltless citizens were sent to their graves (executed), deported or arrested for vague accusation such as links with Kirov's murder, political crimes and disloyal to the USSR. But still people thought of the Stalin as the great "Shining Sun of Humanity.".
The entire social and culture of the Soviet Union was altered due to one man's actions. Worship of Stalin was optimistic but religious worship was strappingly barred. Approximately 40,000 churches and 24,000 mosques were rehabilitated into clubs, schools, warehouses, and cinemas! A league of Militant Atheists was formed whose objective was to preach anti-religion to people. The league had about 5.5 million members by 1933. .
Education became far stronger and students had to memorize twenty rules of behavior, which they had to abide by, rule one says, "It is the duty of each school child to acquire knowledge persistently so as to become an educated and cultured citizen and to be of the greatest possible service to his country.