George M. Soldatow, a longtime parishioner at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Minneapolis, MN, who participated for many years in historical and archival work for the Orthodox Church in America, fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 89 on August 5, 2021 in St. Anthony, MN where he lived.
Born in Novosibirsk, Russia on July 8, 1932, during World War II, he became a refugee in Germany, where he completed his secondary education at a Russian Gymnasium. He arrived in the United States in 1956 and studied at universities in Vermont and Minnesota as well as Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY. To support his family, he worked as a Russian teacher and electrical design engineer, but his passion was church history. He began collecting historical documents, establishing the “Archives of Americans of Russian Descent in Minnesota” (AARDM). At his own expense, he published many volumes mostly in Russian but a few in English filled with historical accounts and documents concerning important events and personalities in the life of the Church. Eventually, he embraced the history and vision of the Church in America. George Soldatow was particularly devoted to Saint Alexis Toth. He translated and published six volumes of documents by and about Saint Alexis that are now available online:
- Letters, Articles, Papers, and Sermons - Volume One
- Letters, Articles, Papers, and Sermons - Volume Two
- Letters, Articles, Papers, and Sermons - Volume Three
- Letters, Articles, Papers, and Sermons - Volume Four
- Writings - Part One
- Writings - Part Two
- OCA and Other Writings - Part One
- OCA and Other Writings - Part Two
- Proposal to Glorify Saint Alexis
He was invited to become a member of the OCA Canonization Commission and his research was instrumental in the Commission’s work to prepare for the glorification of Saint Alexis in 1994.
George Soldatow was also a member of the OCA Department of History and Archives, providing valuable insights from his vast historical knowledge, mining the OCA Archives for historical treasures and writing articles for the massive Orthodox Encyclopedia that continues to be published in Russia.
Additionally, George Soldatow was active in youth ministry throughout his adult life, establishing a Russian scouting organization and a youth camp in Illinois.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy (Marsh) Soldatow and their children, Mike and Valerie. Donations in his memory may be made to the Valaam Society of America, P.O. Box 909, Anoka, MN.
George Soldatow’s funeral took place on Saturday, August 7, 2021 at Saint Mary’s Orthodox Cemetery Chapel in Minneapolis and he was buried at Oakland Cemetery.
George Soldatow is gratefully remembered for his significant efforts to preserve the history of the Orthodox Church in America.
May George’s memory be eternal!