communist soviet sources produced polemical pamphlets in 1930, an encyclopedic article in 1933, and most seriously in 1938 "monstrous accusations" accusing baháʼís of being 'closely linked with the leaders of trotskyite-bukharinist and dashnak-musavat bands'. following this numerous arrests and oppression of the religion, baháʼís across the soviet union were being sent to prisons and camps or sent abroad. baháʼí communities in 38 cities across soviet territories ceased to exist.