Politburo And The Church, Kremlin Archives

N. Petrovsky, S.G. Petrov

On confiscation of church valuables

Letter from L. D. Trotsky to the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) with proposals for repressions against the clergy, adopted by the Politburo with an amendment by V. M. Molotov. March 22, 1922

No. 23-23

March 22, 1922

ANNEX TO THE PROTOCOL OF THE POLITBURO No. 115, clause 12 .

1. The arrest of the Synod and the Patriarch is recognized as necessary [,] but not now, but in about 10-15 days.

2. To publish the information about Shuya, the guilty Shuisky priests and laity - to the Tribunal within a week (to shoot the grooms).

3. During the same week, put on trial the priests for the theft of church values (there are many such facts).

4. From the moment of publication about Shuya, the press took a furious tone, giving a summary of the rebellious priestly attempts in Smolensk, St. Petersburg, etc.

5. After that, arrest the Synod.

6. Proceed with the removal of the entire country, completely without dealing with churches that do not have any significant value.

L. Trotsky ¹ *

- L. 32. (A). A later certified typewritten copy. Dated from a copy of the APRF draft protocol.

- APRF, f. 3, op. 1, d.267, l. 15 — rev. (B). Draft minutes of the Politburo meeting. Handwritten original on the letterhead of the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council and the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, autograph. In the upper left corner of the litter in red pencil: "Paul [it] 6yuro". Before the text of the 6 points proposed by Trotsky there is no line "annex to the protocol ... item 12", instead of it the introductory phrase: "Concerning the proposals of comrade

Unshlikht:" Trotsky's text ends on l. 15ob. his signature and to the left of it the date "22 / ІII 1922". Below the litter by the hand of V.M.Molotov with the addition, which was then the end of item 6:“I agree with Trotsky's proposals. I propose an addition to clause 6 - “completely not dealing with churches that do not have any significant values.” This is at least now (for now!) Necessary. V. Molotov. ”

Notes and Comments:

¹ * Restored by B, absent in A.

[1] Gokhran - State depository of valuables. Created by the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars 03.02 1920 (SU. 1920, No. I.

[2]^The document was drawn up by RS Samoilova-Zemlyachka (see No. P-27, p. 18).

[3] In the typewritten white paper protocol No. 114 of the meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), made on January 18, 1926 and certified by E. M. Sherlina, paragraph 5 was added: "By telephone poll ..." - see: RCKHIDNI, f ... 17, op. 3, d.283, l. 1.

[4]^* So in the document, in the draft directive of Trotsky (No. 23-14) deputy.

^fifteenThe final version of this directive of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), which came to the localities in the form of a resolution of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) of March 20, 1922, was sent on March 22 and March 23, 1922 in a slightly different version than the document adopted by the supreme party body (No. 23 -fourteen). The recently published texts of this directive, received in 1922 in Yekaterinburg and Ivanovo-Voznesensk, allow us to note the following serious discrepancies. At the beginning of the document, sent, as usual, signed by Molotov, the local authorities