In 1941, 40% of the population of the USSR found themselves in territories occupied by the Third Reich. Drawing on previously secret documents and archival materials, as well as personal accounts and memories of the occupation, this chapter provides an overview of the musical, religious and cultural life of Soviet citizens during the German occupation. Divided into several sections, it focuses mainly on the Smolensk area, but also provides snapshots of cultural life in Yukovka, Minsk, Kiev and Odessa.