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Collection 310 Oral History Interview with Eugene Grosman

 Collection
Identifier: CN 310

Scope and Contents

Oral history interview with Eugene Grosman in which he discusses his early life in the Soviet Union, his conversion to Christianity, his emigration from the Soviet Union, his studies at Moody Bible Institute, and his work with Slavic Gospel Association. The time period covered by the interviews is 1945-1985.

Eugene Grosman was interviewed by Robert Shuster at the Billy Graham Center Archives on September 4 and 18. The collection as recorded consisted of three audio tapes. However, two of the tapes were badly distorted while being recorded and are inaudible; they have therefore been discarded.

Dates

  • Created: 1985

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical Information

Eugene Grosman was born on April 18, 1945, in Moscow. His father was killed during World War II before he was born and he was brought up by his mother and grandmother. Although officially designated a Soviet Jew because that was his mother's designation, he considered himself an atheist like his friends and relatives; this was the national policy. As a young teenager, he became interested in religion and read widely about atheism and various kinds of religions. Grosman attended the prestigious Moscow University where he received the equivalent of a B.A. in Russian language and literature.

In 1973, he met two Tulsa, Oklahoma, businessmen and their wives who were stranded in a Moscow subway, and as he helped them to find their hotel, he asked them if they believed in God, and it was from them that Grosman first learned of Christ's love. Later he was visited by other Tulsa Christians, one of whom brought him an English Bible sent by the Christians he had met earlier. He began attending the Moscow Baptist Church and became a Christian. Before his conversion, he had applied for permission to leave Russia, and this permission was granted in 1976 on the basis of his Jewish family background.

In March, 1977, Grosman came to the United States where he studied in the Advanced Studies Program at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois. After completion of his studies, he began serving as a missionary for the Slavic Gospel Association and in 1985 had a weekly thirty-minute radio program aimed at reaching atheists in the Soviet Union. In 1985, he received additional schooling in the Graduate School at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.

Extent

1 Audio Tape

45 Minutes

Language of Materials

English

Accruals and Additions

The material in this collection was given to the Billy Graham Center Archives on September 4, 1985.

Accession 85-117

July 21, 1989

Janyce H. Nasgowitz

L. Graham S. Feeck

Revised, March 2, 1990

Janyce H. Nasgowitz

Subject

Title
Collection 310 Oral History Interview with Eugene Grosman
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Roman Script

Repository Details

Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository

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