MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Bolshakoff, Serge (Sergius) Nikolaevich, 1901-1990
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1961-1968, 1994
Volume: 46 item(s); 125 pg(s)
Scope and Content
This large collection of letters contains an important discussion between Merton and a Russian Orthodox scholar. Though the discussion of Orthodox religion and its mystical traditions is an important part of the conversation, many other subjects are explored. Bolshakoff traveled to many monasteries, both Catholic and Orthodox, and enters into ecumenical dialogue with Merton. Merton also speaks of the Vietnam War and his opposition to it; however, he must explain to Bolshakoff how he justifies a life of contemplation instead of active resistance.
Biography
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Serge Bolshakoff received a doctorate in philosophy from Christ Church, Oxford. In his travels to churches and monasteries in promotion of Christian unity, he became acquainted with such notables as Pope John XXIII, Patriarch Athenagoras, Archbishop Temple of Canterbury, as well as the Abbot General of the Cistercians, Dom Gabriel Sortais (see "Sortais, Gabriel" and "Fox, James" files).
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Related Information and Links
See also published letters from Merton to Bolshakoff in The Hidden Ground of Love, pp. 101-107; and see also the "Pâris, Etienne" file.
Other Finding Aids
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
Series List
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Container List
| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1961/03/02 | HLS | to Merton | I intended to write to you for some time but only now do it. I read the most of your books and many | |
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| | 1961/03/20 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your kind letter of March 14th. I have received it today on my depart. for Rome. | |
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| | 1961/06/21 | HLS | to Merton | I enclose the letter of the Abbot General which allows you to write a preface to the English | |
| [1961/06/02 letter from Abbot General Gabriel Sortais to Bolshakoff attached - gives permission for Merton to do a preface for English version of <i>Russian Mystics</i>] |
| | 1962/03/27 | HPCS | to Merton | I am again in Rome since March 12th and expect to remain in Italy till June 12th. My Italian book | |
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| | 1962/05/04 | HLS | to Merton | My Italian book "I Mystici Russi" is now out I presented it to the Pope in person at a very long | |
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| | 1962/07/22 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your letter of July 9th, which I have received here to-day from Rome. I left the | |
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| | 1962/09/02 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your kind letter. I am glad that you liked the manuscript. Of course, please | |
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| | 1962/09/03 | HNS | to Merton | P.S. I read your letter to the Mayor of Hiroshima with attention. I think it shall please, both | |
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| | 1962/12/28 | TAL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your two kind letters. I was interested to hear of your visit to the monks at Tolleshunt | Yes |
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| | 1963/01/05 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your letter and cheque for $50 which I didn't expect and which cheered me up much. | |
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| | 1963/01/08 | HLS | to Merton | I am sending you by the registered post my little Mss in French -- "Staretz Alexander of Gethsemani | |
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| | 1963/01/29 | TAL[c] | from Merton | You will be glad to hear that I have finished all the work on the revision of your manuscript and it | Yes |
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| | 1963/02/15 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your letter of Jan 29th, which I received here in Groningen, where I am since Jan | |
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| | 1963/04/11 | HLS | to Merton | I am already in Rome since April 6th and hope to remain here till July. Since I wrote to you on Feb | |
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| | 1963/05/26 | HPCS | to Merton | I received yesterday a letter from Archbishop Nikodim, dated by May 15th, where he says "I request | |
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| | 1963/09/06 | HLS | to Merton | Since I wrote to you on May 26th so much changed. John XXIII, whom I knew since 1927, died and Paul | |
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| | 1963/11/10 | HLS | to Merton | I salute you from Caldey Abbey, this fascinating island monastery, which I did not visit since 1951. | |
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| | 1963/11/11 | TL[c] | from Merton | For a long time I have been owing you a reply to your several very interesting letters, and Fr | Yes |
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| | 1963/11/25 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your letter of Nov. 11th, which I received in Dublin on my way here. I sent you my | |
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| | 1963/12/23 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your kind letter and cheque which is for me quite princely. It shall help me with | |
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| | 1964/01/26 | HLS | to Merton | Before Lent begins and I leave Oxford on Feb 13th for London and abroad I send you this letter. I | |
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| | 1964/03/19 | HLS | to Merton | I send you my Easter greetings. I left Oxford on February 13th for Tolleshunt Knights, the little | |
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| | 1964/05/25 | HPCS[x] | to Barry, Colman | Since I received your letter nearly a year ago I had no more news from you and do not know whether | |
| mentions Thomas Merton |
| | 1964/10/21 | HLS | to Merton | I have no letters from you since last December, although I wrote myself to you three times. My last | |
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| | 1964/10/28 | TAL[c] | from Merton | Thank you for your recent letter, as usuall [sic] full of interesting news of your amazing | Yes |
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| | 1964/12/13 | TL[c] | from Merton | As Christmas approaches once again, I want to send you my best wishes and a token of our friendship | Yes |
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| | 1964/12/20 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your letter and the cheque, for which I thank very much you and the community. I | |
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| | 1965/05/08 | HLS | to Merton | Since I left England in January I didn't write you. My present journey was most interesting on many | |
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| | 1965/06/09 | TL[c] | from Merton | It is always so good to receive your extremely informative and lively letters, but I especially | Yes |
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| | 1965/08/19 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your two letters of June 9th and August 10th, which were forwarded me here from | |
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| | 1965/10/02 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your moving letter of Sept 15th, which I received here on my arrival to Oxford after | |
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| | 1965/10/16 | HLS | to Merton | Since I wrote to you on October 2nd I received your two articles, which I am reading. Three more | |
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| | 1965/12/08 | TL[c] | from Merton | First of all I am taking this occasion to send you a Christmas present from our community. I hope | Yes |
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| | 1965/12/13 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your letter and for your cheque, which I much appreciate. It helps me a good deal | |
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| | 1966/08/no | TL[x] | to Sobesedniks (circular letter) | Since I wrote the last letter I travelled [sic] again about and presided the first international | |
| ["Letter to Sobesedniks", a circular letter to "people bonded together by prayer and consultation with one another on spiritual life" (<a onClick="return popup(this, 'link')" href="http://bellarmine.on.worldcat.org/search?databaseList=638&queryString=ti%3AHidden+Ground+of+Love+the+letters+of+Thomas+Merton"><i>The Hidden Ground of Love</i></a>, p. 106)] |
| | 1966/10/24 | TL[c] | from Merton | I am very much afraid that if I am called to be like Theophane the Recluse a letter writer, I am | |
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| | 1966/12/no | TL[x] | to Sobesedniks (circular letter) | Since I wrote my last letter in the end of July there were many developments for the Sobesedniks. | |
| ["Letter to Sobesedniks" - see 1966/08/00 and 1967/04/00 letters] |
| | 1967/03/12 | HLS | to Merton | I enclose my Eastertide "Letter", which is, possibly, more interesting than the previous ones. | |
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| | 1967/04/21 | HLS | to Merton | Since I sent you on March 12th my letter from Florence with the latest "Letter to Sobesedniks" | |
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| | 1967/04/no | TL[x] | to Sobesedniks (circular letter) | I write this letter from Florence in the end of my three-months-long stay in Italy, first at Monte | |
| ["Letter to Sobesedniks" - see 1966/08/00 and 1966/12/00 letters] |
| | 1967/06/09 | HLS | to Merton | I enclose the "Letter to Sobesedniks" for June, when we observe our feast of June 24th. The next | |
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| | 1968/04/26 | TL[c] | from Merton | I am afraid I owe you a deep apology: I have not been able to get your Easter letter to the | Yes |
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| | 1968/07/11 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your cheque, which you sent to Mont-des-Cats Abbey, as I am informed. I expect to | |
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| | 1994/no/no | other | | BIBLIOGRAPHY OF DR SERGE NIKOLAEVITCH BOLSHAKOFF [-] PRIVATE PUBLICATION [-] 1994 [-] HOLLAND | |
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| | undated/no/no (#01) | other | to Merton | The list of people to send the LETTER TO SOBESEDNIKS | |
| [annotated mailing list for "Letter to Sobesedniks" circular letters - see 1966/08/00, 1966/12/00 and 1967/04/00 letters] |
| | undated/no/no (#02) | other | | A Russian Forerunner of Psychosomatic Medicine [-] STARETZ SEMEN KLIMICH (1777-1837) | |
| article/paper by Bolshakoff dedicated to Dr. Christopher Roy Woodard - the "Bibliography of Dr Serge Nikolaevitch Bolshakoff" mentions that it can probably be dated after 1965 (and if Merton had it, 1968 or before) |
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