Education and Art in Soviet Russia/Document 25

DOCUMENT No. 25

MOSCOW

Governmental Enactments

From the Commissariat in charge of properties of the Rus-treasuries of the Russian Federated Soviet Republic.

To all museums, palaces, galleries and other art and science treasuries of the Russian Soviets Federated Republic.

(Circular)

Attached is a copy of the Order No. 594, dated April 6th, 1918. The people's commissaires of education and in charge of properties of the Republic advise to begin the transference to the Polish Commissariat, in the People's Commissariat in charge of affairs of all nationalities, of all objects mentioned in the aforesaid order, and at present in the possession of the said treasury, after a preliminary description and examination of the inventory of property evacuated during the period of the war.

Fixing no definite date for the return to Polish toiling masses of objects of art, science, and culture, removed from Poland before the present war at different dates, the People's Commissariats of education and in charge of properties of the Republic advise all the museums, palaces, libraries and other art and science treasuries of the Russian Soviet Federated Republic to immediately begin the preparation of a complete inventory of the above-mentioned objects, in co-operation with the representatives of the liquidation committee in charge of the affairs of the former Polish Kingdom and now functioning at the Polish Commissariat.

To accomplish this aim, it is necessary to establish—with the consent of the liquidation committee in charge of the affairs of the former Polish Kingdom—at each treasury mixed sub-committees composed of two representatives from the liquidation committee and said treasury. The sub-committee's object is the preparation of a complete inventory, of articles in possession of said treasury place, originally belonging to Poland, setting down the history of how these articles came into possession of said treasury institution, and to define whether these articles were transferred from Poland to Russia by way of seizure or regular commercial transactions.

People's Commissary of Education, Lunacharsky.

Secretary, Leschenko.

In charge of the People's Commissariat of Properties of the Republic, Malinovsky.

Secretary, Kaufman.