David Balfour Papers
COLLECTION OVERVIEW
Collection Number: GR GL DB 050
Name(s) of Creator(s): David Balfour (1903-1989)
Title: David Balfour Papers
Date [bulk]: 1932-1947
Date [inclusive]:
Language(s): Russian, English
Summary: The collection consists of thirty-nine letters in Russian written during 1932-1936 and 1945-1947 by Father Sophrony to David Balfour, as well as copies of letters of David Balfour to Father Sophrony.
Quantity: 0.22 linear meters
Immediate Source of Acquisition: Gift of Louise Balfour, 1993; R. Arnold-Baker, 1990
Information about access: Restricted access. Please consult the Archivist.
Cite As: American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Archives, David Balfour Papers, (Αμερικανική Σχολή Κλασικών Σπουδών στην Αθήνα, Τμήμα Αρχείων, Αρχείο David Balfour)
For more information, please contact the Archives at:
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens
54 Souidias Street, Athens 106 76, Greece
phone: +30 213 000 2400 (ext. 425)
Contact via E-mail
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
David Balfour (1903-1989) was a priest-monk of the Russian Orthodox Church, a member of the British Intelligence Service, a diplomat, and a Byzantinist.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The collection consists of forty letters in Russian totalling 421 pages written during 1932-1936 and 1945-1947 by Fr. Sophrony (Sofroni) to David Balfour. These have been divided by R. Arnold-Baker into groups: Group A (1932) Nos. 1-10; Group B (1933-34) Nos. 11A-19; Group C (1934-36) Nos. 1-13; Group D (1945-47) Nos. 1-8.
This eccentric system of numbering has been adopted to follow as far as possible the numbers written on the letters by David Balfour himself. It should be noted that many of the letters are dated under the Old Calendar but in some cases have been recalculated by D. B. Moreover, many of the 1932-36 letters were written from the monastery of St. Panteleimon, Dafni, Mt. Athos while the Russian monk Silouan (St. Silouan), who died in 1938, was there.
The letters of David Balfour to Fr. Sophrony are stored in the Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Essex in England. As heirs to the late Fr Sophrony’s literary estate the Monastery of Saint John in Essex holds the copyright to all his published and unpublished works in all languages.
CONTENT - ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΑ
BOX 1: Original letters from Fr. Sophrony to David Balfour, divided into four groups. The numbers on the letters are (as far as possible) those written by David Balfour although some of them do not appear to have been arranged in chronological sequence.
Folder 1 Group A (1932) 10 letters
No. 1 (26-?), 27p.
No. 2 (31-?), 23p.
No. 3 (12-?), 3p.
No. 4 (3/16-?), 13p.
No. 5 (16/29-?), 20p.
No. 6 (28 Oct/10 Nov.), 35p.
No. 7 (15/28 Oct.) 16p.
No. 8 (5/18 Dec.) 26p.
No. 9 (29Oct/10 Nov.) 4p + No. 9A (28 Oct./10 Nov.) 12p.
No. 10 (13/16 Dec.), 28p.
Group B (1933-34) 9 letters
No. 11 (12/25 Dec. 1933), 20p.
No. 12 (14/27 Dec. 1933), 34p.
No. 13 (16/29 Jan.? 1933) 8p.
No. 14 (21 Jan/3 Febr. 1933) 3p.
No. 15 (18/31 March 1933), 16p.
No. 16 (? 1933) 3p.
No. 17 (18/31 May? 1933), 2p.
No. 18 (2/15 Jan. 1934), 6p.
No. 19 (? 1934), 4p.
Group C (1934-36) 13 letters
No. 1 (28/10 ?1934) 16p.
No. 2 (15/28 ? 1934) 3p.
No. 3 (25/7 ? 1934) 4p.
No. 4 (6 Feb. 1935) 2p.
No. 5 (23/9 ? 1935) 2p.
No. 6 (5/18 Apr. 1935) 6p.
No. 7 (17 May 1935) 2p.
No. 8 (2/15 Mar? 1935) 3p.
No. 9 (? 1935) 2p.
No. 10 (9 July/26 June 1935) 1p.
No. 11 (7/25 April 1936) 15p.
No. 12 (18/31 May? 1936) 8p.
No. 13 (10/23 ? 1936) 12p.
Group D (1945-47) 8 letters
No. 1 (25 April/6 May 1945) 3p.
No. 2 (9 July? 1945) 2p.
No. 3 (7/20 ? 1945) 4p. + No. 3A (8/21 ? 1945) 5p.
No. 4 (22 April/4 May 1945) 30p.
No. 5 (21 Nov/4 Dec 1945) 2p.
No. 6 (17/30 ? 1946) 4p.
No. 7 (19 Dec.1946/1 Jan.1947) 3p.
No. 8 (21 Jan/3 Febr. 1947) 2p.
Folder 2-5 Photocopies of Groups A-D
BOX 2: Copies of letters from David Balfour to Father Sophrony (originals kept at the Partiarchal Stavropegic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist).
Folder 1 Group A 1936
Folder 2 Group B 1937
Folder 3 Group C 1938-41
Folder 4 Group D 1945-47, 1951
Folder 5 Group E (undated letters, cards, miscellanea)