Inventory and confiscated items from a house search of an Archangelist-Inochentist Romania
Item
Title
Inventory and confiscated items from a house search of an Archangelist-Inochentist Romania
Inventar și obiecte confiscate dintr-o percheziţie a unei casei de arhangheliști-Inochentiști România
Опись обыска и конфискованные вещи архангелиста-иннокентьевца, Румыния
Description
The images show an inventory and confiscated photographs included in a case file forwarded to the Romanian 3rd Army Military Court on 2nd December 1938. The first image shows the inventory of items found in the house, which was located in Fălciu county. The officer lists the following Inochentist "propaganda" materials: "1. A brochure entitled 'The Deeds of the Archangel Michael', 2. a small icon of saint Paraschiva, 3. a cross sculpted from wood, 4. three photographs of Culeac dressed in white with a cross on his chest, 5. a photograph of Culeac dressed in vestments." The second image shows one of the photographs of "Culeac" dressed in white described in the inventory. The third image is the photograph of "Culeac dressed in vestments". The fourth image shows the first page of the brochure 'The Deeds of the Archangel Michael'.
The diligent way in which the items were listed and collated by the Romanian Gendarmerie in this case reflects the importance that the Romanian authorities placed on the prevention of the spread of Inochentist "religious propaganda materials" and their important use as evidence in anti-sect trials in this period. On the 21st April 1937, the Ministry of Religions and Arts had issued Ministerial Decision no. 4.781 “Regarding banned sects and religious associations” in which it was stated explicitly that the administrative and police agencies were to stop every form of “propaganda of religious prosleytism, whether this is done verbally, in the form of writing, through brochures and journals etc. by colporteurs, or members of the illegal sect.” The police were also to confiscate all religious materials and send them together with the completed documents to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Deciziunea 4.781 1937, 3-4). This policy ensured that many Inochentist brochures, photo-icons and photographs were preserved in the case files and penal files of individuals arrested at this time.
In the case featured here, the items did not result in a successful prosecution as the accused stated that the materials belonged to his daughter-in-law and that he had no knowledge of their contents or meaning.
These images come from the National Archive of the Republic of Moldova – Military Tribunal of the 3rd Army Corps ANRM-TMC3A 738-1-6849.
For related entries see
The diligent way in which the items were listed and collated by the Romanian Gendarmerie in this case reflects the importance that the Romanian authorities placed on the prevention of the spread of Inochentist "religious propaganda materials" and their important use as evidence in anti-sect trials in this period. On the 21st April 1937, the Ministry of Religions and Arts had issued Ministerial Decision no. 4.781 “Regarding banned sects and religious associations” in which it was stated explicitly that the administrative and police agencies were to stop every form of “propaganda of religious prosleytism, whether this is done verbally, in the form of writing, through brochures and journals etc. by colporteurs, or members of the illegal sect.” The police were also to confiscate all religious materials and send them together with the completed documents to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Deciziunea 4.781 1937, 3-4). This policy ensured that many Inochentist brochures, photo-icons and photographs were preserved in the case files and penal files of individuals arrested at this time.
In the case featured here, the items did not result in a successful prosecution as the accused stated that the materials belonged to his daughter-in-law and that he had no knowledge of their contents or meaning.
These images come from the National Archive of the Republic of Moldova – Military Tribunal of the 3rd Army Corps ANRM-TMC3A 738-1-6849.
For related entries see
Imaginile înfățișează un inventar și fotografii confiscate, toate incluse în dosarul înaintat Tribunalului Militar al Corpului 3 Armată la data de 2 decembrie 1938. Ofițerul enumeră următoarele materiale „propagandiste” inocentiste: „1. Una broșură intitulată A brochure entitled „Lucrările Arhanghelului Mihail”, 2. Una iconiță Sfânta Paraschiva, 3. Una cruce sculptată în lemn, 4. Trei fotografii Culeac îmbrăcat în alb și cu cruce pe piept și 5. Una fotografie îmbrăcat în veșminte.” A doua imagine conține una dintre fotografiile reprezentându-l pe „Culeac” în veșminte albe, descrisă în inventar. A treia imagine este o fotografie a lui „Culeac în veșminte preoțești”. A patra imagine reproduce prima pagină a broșurii Lucrările Arhanghelului Mihail.
Grija cu care a fost alcătuit și colaționat inventarul obiectelor de către Jandarmeria Română în acest caz reflectă seriozitatea cu care autoritățile române abordau prevenirea răspândirii „materialelor de propagandă religioasă” inochentistă și importanța acestor obiecte ca probe în cadrul proceselor intentate diferitelor secte în această perioadă. Pe 21 aprilie 1937, Ministerul Cultelor și Artelor a emis decizia nr. 4.781 „privitoare la interzicerea sectelor și asociațiunilor religioase” în care se stipula explicit că organele administrative și de ordine publică aveau obligația de a opri orice formă de „propagandă de prozelitism religios, fie că această propagandă se face verbal, fie că se face în scris, prin răspândirea de broșuri, reviste, etc., de către colportori, membri ai acelor asociații religioase interzise”. Mai mult, poliția avea obligația de a confisca toate materialele religioase și de a le trimite Ministerului de Interne însoțite de actele complete (Deciziunea 4.781/1937, 3-4). Astfel, numeroase broșuri, icoane de tip fotografie și fotografii inochentiste s-au păstrat în dosare, inclusiv cele de urmărire penală împotriva persoanelor arestate în acea perioadă. În cazul prezentat aici, obiectele nu au dus la condamnarea acuzatului deoarece acesta a declarat că materialele aparțineau nurorii sale și el nu avea niciun fel de cunoștințe despre conținutul sau înțelesul lor.
Imaginile provin din Arhiva Națională a Republicii Moldova – Tribunalul Militar al Corpului 3 Armată ANRM-TMC3A 738-1-6849.
Pentru rubrici similare, vezi:
Subject
Material culture--Religious aspects
Religious sects
Religion and state--Europe
Chapbooks
Confiscations
Evidence photographs
Underground literature
Creator
James A. Kapaló
Source
Archiva Natională a Republicii Moldova
ANRM-TMC3A 738-1-6849
http://www.arhiva.gov.md
ANRM-TMC3A 738-1-6849
http://www.arhiva.gov.md
Publisher
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme No . 677355
Date
1938
Rights
Copyright for these images belongs to Archiva Natională a Republicii Moldova
http://www.arhiva.gov.md
http://www.arhiva.gov.md
Format
image/jpeg
Language
RO
Type
image
Identifier
Archiva Natională a Republicii Moldova
ANRM-TMC3A 738-1-6849
ANRM-TMC3A 738-1-6849
Coverage
20th century
Moldova
Bibliographic Citation
James A. Kapaló, "Inventory and confiscated items from the house search of an Archangelist-Inochentist Romania
Item sets
Inventory from house search 
Confiscated photograph of Archangelist leader 
Confiscated photograph of Ioan Culeac 
Confiscated copy of booklet "The acts that were done 1920"