861.404/4–847: Airgram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
A–409. Embassy officer who visited famous Troitskaya Sergeyevskaya Monastery at Zagorsk about 65 miles from Moscow, in 1944 and again recently reports following information on development of this monastery.
In 1944 monastery did not exist as religious society, had no resident monks, and religious services were apparently not being held there. Churches were used as museums. In 1945 and 1946 religious society of monastery was reestablished. There are now 35 monks living there. Services are held regularly during the winter in one of the cathedrals which can be heated, and during the summer also in the Cathedral of the Assumption. The third cathedral, the oldest and smallest, is not used at all for religious services at present time, but abbot of monastery expressed hope that it also would be available for services in future.
[Page 552]Abbot also stated that: 1. This monastery is to become residence of Russian Orthodox Patriarch. 2. There are now 92 orthodox monasteries operating in the whole Soviet Union. 3. Orthodox Spiritual Academy, now located at a Moscow monastery, is to be moved to Zagorsk. This academy trains orthodox priests.
Twelve thousand believers are expected to attend the Easter service on midnight of April 12. Visitors are to come from all over Soviet Union and a large part of audience will come from Moscow for this occasion.
All monastery buildings remain state property and are a museum under jurisdiction of State Committee on Arts. Monks have full right to use buildings assigned to them for services, living quarters, etc. and pay no rent. State maintains buildings and has 7-year plan for expenditure of 21,000,000 rubles for complete restoration and repair of monastery. Immediate repairs, however, necessary for religious use of buildings must be financed by monks from their own funds, and must be approved by representatives of Committee on Art in order to assure proper preservation of artistic values of property.
For instance, in Cathedral of Assumption it is forbidden by Committee on Art to burn candles which will damage old frescos. Committee on Art has apparently assigned Academician Grabar, best-known Soviet art historian, as consultant on restoration and supervision of monastery. Relations between Committee of Art authorities and abbot of monastery apparently cordial.
Thus indications are that this monastery is flourishing and will in not distant future become a principal center Russian Orthodox Church activity and also probably showplace for foreign visitors used to demonstrate thesis, which has propaganda value to Soviet State, that freedom of religion exists in USSR.