Keston reports that in November, 1986, Orthodox Christian Galina Zelenskaya was removed from her post as deputy director of research at the New Jerusalem museum not far from Moscow, where she had worked for 20 years. The order of dismissal gives the reason as “an unauthorized showing of slides on the history of the Joseph of Volokolamsk monastery and the unauthorized invitation of museum staff from Kiev to the conference.” A local official, however, openly admitted that the real reason for her dismissal was her religious convictions. He claimed that she had organized religious services at the tomb of Patriarch Nikon in tge Resurrection Cathedral of the former New Jerusalem monastery, and was the instigator of petitions protesting the “barbaric” methods used by the museum staff in. its restoration. More than 40 participants of the conference–historians, art specialists and architects from the Moscow region.-sent a letter to Gorbachoy protesting Zelinskaya’s dismissal.

(KNS 3/5/87)