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October 19, 1946

Cable No. 35419 from Petrov in Nanjing on Arrest of Orthodox Archbishop

This document was made possible with support from Blavatnik Family Foundation

 

CABLE

 

STRICTLY SECRET
Reproduction prohibited

 

Copy Nº 1 MARKUP
Copy Nº 2 to Stalin Department
Copy Nº 3 to Stalin
Copy Nº 4 to Molotov
Copy Nº 5 to Vyshinsky
Copy Nº 6 to Dekanozov
Copy Nº 7 to Malik

 

 

Copy Nº 8 Copy
Copy Nº 9 10
th
Copy Nº 10 to file

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Handwritten over the distribution list: "Cde. Stalin agreed with Petrov's suggestion" [illegible initial]

 

From NANKING Nº 35419 1900 19.10 1946 Copy Nº 2

 

URGENT

Spets. Nº 1040

 

The Chinese arrested Archbishop Viktor on 19 October. Thus our statement about Viktor made [to] Wang Shijie on 19 June (see Your Nº 401) and the request to consult with the Embassy on questions connected with his past activity have been completely ignored. Having taking this exceptional step through insolence, the Chinese are obviously showing that they do not want to reckon with our opinion. Please permit [me] to visit Wang Shijie and, reminding him of our statement of 19 June, declare that the Soviet government does not understand the goals which the Chinese authorities are pursuing in persistently continuing to repress Soviet citizens, going, in this case, to take the step of arresting a representative of the Moscow Patriarch and thereby demonstrating their reluctance to take account of the wishes of the Soviet Embassy with respect to Viktor well-known to the MFA and the protests in connection with other, numerous cases of the persecution of Soviet citizens.

 

I consider it necessary to demand the immediate release of Viktor and to inform the Embassy of the materials of the investigation on the basis of which he was arrested.

 

Request urgent instructions.

19 October 1946  PETROV

 

10 copies kn

Sent 19.10.22-20

vyp. Gerasimov

Authenticated; [illegible signature] [handwritten: 7[[5]]94/N 10925 [[illegible initials]]

[handwritten in the left margin: "N 206  21 October [[19]]46"]

 

Petrov reports on the arrest of Archbishop Viktor and demands his immediate release.

Author(s):


Document Information

Source

RGASPI, f. 558, op. 11, d. 328, l. 12. Translated by Gary Goldberg.

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Original Uploaded Date

2016-06-14

Type

Cable

Language

Record ID

134155

Original Classification

Strictly Secret

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Blavatnik Family Foundation