What did the declassified documents reveal?

Cold Open: We're reading from a Soviet-era document, specifically a telegram sent on December 19, 1966. The document is titled "VE/VJONA 95" and is classified as a "PSALM-READER" message. It was issued by the Soviet Embassy in Moscow, addressed to the Soviet Embassy in London. Provenance: This document was released through The Black Vault, an online archive of declassified government records. The canonical PDF is available on the Internet Archive. The Document: VE/VJONA 95 Issued: 13.1.75 Copy No.: £2>/ PSALM-READER 3EING DiuAGED (196) Pros: MOSCOW To: LONDON No: 123 To OORShKOVli J 19 December 196 Reference No 92 [iij. A new peela-reederli.il J la being engaged. No 232 93 HEAD Or DIRECTORATE [W 19 J December Footnote.: [l J OORShKOV: Colonel Yakov Petrovich GORShKOV, in the UK • 3 June 195 - 11 Deceeber 19fi end 12 July 199 16 July 195- Soviet Military Attache from at leant 1 June 197. formerly Aaaletant/ Acting Military Attache. [ii J Not available. [ill J reader or deacon in the Ruseian Orthodox Church. DISTRIBUTION: Context: Unfortunately, no contextual statement is available from the issuing agency or a credible neutral source. However, The Black Vault provides an editorial summary stating that the document appears to be a routine message regarding the engagement of a new "psalm-reader" or a deacon in the Russian Orthodox Church. Outro: This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The story of a routine message from the Soviet Embassy in Moscow, now declassified and available to the public. For more declassified records, visit storyflo.com. The canonical PDF of this document is available at https://archive.org/download/19decpsalmreader/19decpsalmreaderdjvu.txt.

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

19dec Psalm Reader

◆ BLUF — The short version

Cold Open: We're reading from a Soviet-era document, specifically a telegram sent on December 19, 1966. The document is titled "VE/VJONA 95" and is classified as a "PSALM-READER" message. It was issued by the Soviet Embassy in Moscow, addressed to the Soviet Embassy in London.

Agency: National Security Agency (NSA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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Questions about this case

What was 19dec Psalm Reader about?: Cold Open: We're reading from a Soviet-era document, specifically a telegram sent on December 19, 1966. The document is titled "VE/VJONA 95" and is classified as a "PSALM-READER" message. It was issued by the Soviet Embassy in Moscow, addressed to the Soviet Embassy in London.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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19dec Psalm Reader

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