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The collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts by Messner and others, memoirs by Messner, photographs and printed materials. Manuscripts by Messner include a typescript (275 p.) entitled "Nekotorye prichiny porazhenii︠a︡ Germanii v voĭnu 1939-1945 g.g." Messner's memoirs (3293 p. and 350 p.) cover the years 1914-1973. Included among them are clippings, photographs, mimeographed materials and pamphlets. The majority of his memoirs concern World War I and the Civil War. Photographs are mostly copies. Printed materials consist mostly of clippings of articles by Messner in South American monarchist periodicals.

The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts by Melńikov and others, documents, photographs, subject files and printed materials. There is a cataloged letter from George Kennan. Correspondence consists primarily of letters from various members of the Don Cossacks in exile, including General A.P. Bogaevskiĭ, Melńikov, and General V.V. Naumenko. Manuscripts include Melńikov's typescript memoirs "Pochemu 'belye' na i︠u︡ge ne pobedili krasnykh?"(230 p.). Reports, by members of the Don government in exile, are on the economy of Southeast Russia. Photographs and documents concern the Don Cossacks. Subject files primarily cover the Don Cossacks during the Civil War in exile. They include several signed letters and memos by General Denikin dated 1920. The financial records of the Don government in exile cover the years 1921-1926. The bulk of the printed materials consists of issues No. 51-272 (1930-1939) of the journal "Volńoe kazachestvo," published in Prague and later in Paris. Among the printed materials there is also a pamphlet dated 1919 and entitled "Vremennoe polozhenie o grazhdanskom upravlenii v mestnosti︠a︡kh, nakhodi︠a︡schikhsi︠a︡ pod verkhovnym upravleniem glavnokomandui︠u︡schego vooruzhennymi silami na i︠u︡ge Rossii." The majority of the material in the collection concerns the Don Cossacks in emigration.