The Russians denied that angels exist because Sputnik had not encountered any.
Not saying they do exist, just addressing your question.
“The Russians denied that angels exist because Sputnik had not encountered any.”
Actually, what I was thinking of is:
Lysenkoism
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Genetics) a form of Neo-Lamarckism advocated by Trofim Denisovich Lysenko, the Russian biologist and geneticist (1898-1976), emphasizing the importance of the inheritance of acquired characteristics
Heredity would indicate some people had better genes. Very much against communist doctrine.