Russian people and Russian property in the Holy Land in the documents of the administrator of the metochions of the Orthodox Palestinian Society in Jerusalem (1919-1925)
Published documents from the State Archives of Israel are associated with the activities of Nikolai Romanovich Seleznev (1871-26.05.1925). Before the outbreak of World War I, he served as an assistant to the manager of the metochion of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society (IOPS) in Jerusalem. The office of management was located on the Sergievsky building. With the outbreak of the war, Palestine, including Jerusalem, became the arena of military operations. According to the IOPS circular, the Society’s departments were closed and the staff left Palestine. The Ottoman authorities also ordered all subjects of the Russian Empire to leave the territory of Palestine. The war and the subsequent revolution in Russia for a long time interrupted the connection of the Palestinian society with its property in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. After the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II, the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society ceased to use the word “imperial” in its name, resigned from the post of chairman, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and after the revolution political events dispersed members of the Society for different ideological camps and even countries.In 1919 in Jerusalem resumed its work management Representation of the Orthodox Palestinian Society (OPS). N.R. Seleznev returned from Russia to Jerusalem in July 1919. He was sent to the Holy Land with authority from the Supreme Governor A.V. Kolchak member of the Council of the Palestinian Society A.A. Neratov, who at that time served on the board of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia. By September, he is receiving recognition from the British Mandate authorities and is beginning an active work to stop the process of seizure of property of the OPS, formalize the rights of the company on the objects belonging to the Society and receive from their lease funds that could be spent primarily on charity goals. At that time, Palestine was already under British rule, and Syria and Lebanon - under a French mandate. Only February 24, 1920 with great difficulty, N.R. Seleznev as a representative of the Orthodox Palestinian Society was recognized as the supreme British and local authority. He survived very difficult times, trying to preserve the property of the Society. N.R. Seleznev maintained contact with A.A. Neratov and Prince A.A. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov, elected in 1917 as chairman of the Society after the departure of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, but left Russia in 1918. The story of an attempt to revive the Russian presence in Jerusalem, undertaken by N.R. Seleznev, is vividly reflected in the published documents containing valuable information on the history of Russian property in the Holy Land.