DECR’s oldest staff member, Zinaida Samsonkina, passed away in the Lord

It is with great sorrow that the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate announces the death of its staff member Zinaida Samsonkina, head of its Archive, who had devoted over 40 years of her life to our Synodal institution.

Zinaida Samsonkina was born into a family of workers in Moscow on 27^th October 1948.

In 1966, she took a job at the Department of Manuscripts of the V. I. Lenin All-Union State Library. From 1971 to 1975, she worked at the Museum of the Moscow Art Theatre to return in 1975 to the Lenin State Library as a junior research fellow.

Eager to learn, Ms Samsonkina went to the Moscow State Institute for History and Archives, which she graduated from in 1974, majoring in Historical Archival Studies, and in 1979 she completed a course of library studies at the Lenin State Library.

Her desire to serve the Church led Zinaida Samsonkina to the Department for External Church Relations. Here, she made full use of her academic knowledge and practical experience. With the blessing of the supreme authorities, on 18^th March 1983 she took up a post as the DECR archivist, and from 1^st December 1991 up to her last days, she headed the DECR Archive.

Over her decades-long work at the Department for External Church Relations, Ms Samsonkina showed herself to be a highly skilled professional, principled, responsible and conscientious about her duties. Punctual and diligent in her work, she was an inspiring example of faithful and zealous service for the good of the Holy Church, to which she devoted her professional expertise and the warmth of her Christian soul. That earned her recognition, gratitude, love and respect of her superiors and colleagues.

The supreme authorities of the Russian Orthodox Church commended Zinaida Samsonkina on repeated occasions for her zealous work by presenting her with church awards, letters of commendation and other rewards. In 2000, which marked the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, she was awarded the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation.

Many generations of the DECR staff members will remember Zinaida Samsonkina as a kind-hearted, attentive and highly cultured person of evangelic spirit who always had a warm smile on her face.

Memory eternal to the deceased servant of God Zinaida!

May the Lord grant rest to her soul in the dwellings of the righteous!

Print publication

DECR’s oldest staff member, Zinaida Samsonkina, passed away in the Lord

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons