Beasts in Cassocks: The Crimes of the Heads of the Russian Greek Catholic Orthodox Church in America/Chapter 19

by John Feoktist Dudikoff

CHAPTER XIX.

Platon Repays Me With "Interest"

On my return to Petrograd, I found out in the office of the Holy Synod that Platon Rozhdesvensky was appointed Archbishop in Kishinev. At the suggestion of a Synod official, I sent a petition to Archbishop Platon of Kishinev, in which I asked for money. No reply came. I wrote several times with the same result. I came to Russia on May 15, 1915, and after having petitioned Platon in vain about the refund of my money which he had taken for safekeeping in the American Mission Bank I returned to my native town, and sent Platon my home address. Soon after I came to my relatives in the town of Cherikov, in the Government of Moghilov. Four Gendarmes came to my house and made a most

Gregory Kuneshewsky, "Czar’s Spy"
for United States.

thorough search from within and without, but found nothing compromising. Yet, their colonel declared that I was to be placed under arrest. I replied that I had not come to Russia to be arrested, and added that I had declared my intention to become a American citizen and, taking out my first papers, I showed them to the infuriated Colonel. He glanced at the papers and in his rage tore it to pieces, shouting: "I don't give a damn for your American citizenship, while you are a Russian subject we have the right to treat you in accordance with our Russian law." Seeing an infuriated crowd of Gendarmes about me who in their rage were wielding their swords and revolvers, shouting that I was a spy sent to destroy the Monarchy, I told them that I had come on account of very important personal matters, which pertained to the Holy Synod. To this the colonel of the Gendarmes replied: "We know why you came back." and he enjoined me not to divulge any of their inhuman behaviour. Thus, although I was wholly innocent, I was arrested and incarcerated in the Fortress of Peter and Paul, in the underground cell No. 16, where I stayed from June 29 to August 16. During this period I was frequently called for examination. I was shown photographs of Russians who had been in America. The photographs were inscribed with comments about the individual concerned. If one had returned to Russia, his photograph was marked "returned"; if he was under arrest, his photo was marked "returned—taken," exactly as mine, which I was shown at the examination. I also noticed confidential reports by Gregory Kunashexsky who runs a steamship office in New York, and also by Victor Hartz. Information against me as well as against others who had been in America was signed by these two men, who apparently were informers, employed by the Russian General Consulate in New York.

 

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