I've not heard this before.  What I have heard is much moaning about Putin's attempt to integrate symbolism, etc, from the "bad old days" into contemporary Russian national identity (lots of brouhaha regarding the national anthem and textbooks, which are "official...")   So I wonder, if these anecdotes are correct, if we're seeing the beginnings of Medvedev's great Westernization of Liberalization of Russia, as so many have prayed for.  Lol.  Sometimes I can't tell if he's meant to be Putin's puppet or the next Peter the Great!  I'm deeply suspect of either claim...

About the latter, OK that way. I add that Khrushchev also conducted an anti-Church campaign, where the irony is that he is buried at Novodevichy Monastery (which my sister also visited).

So I had to do a bit of research to know what you were talking about.  It seems he did in fact do this toward the end of his regime.  But wasn't he primarily known for his "thaw", which relaxed some of the official repression, censorship, etc?  I believe (though I cannot remember the title) there was even an openly Christian Soviet film made during the time.  It was banned, but shown originally.  I might be wrong.  Also, I've been reading these "memoirs" of Limonov, and he talks about some friends of his who were religious when he was a kid (under Krushchev.)  They didn't seem to be in any official danger for being so, just considered backwards and weird by a lot of people.  

BTW, did your sister like Novodevichy?  I think it is one of the most serene and beautiful spots in Moscow.  A good place to go to clear your mind.  If cemeteries don't freak you out.  

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.