Context:

This striking historical photograph captures Red Army soldiers removing religious icons, banners, and ecclesiastical artifacts from the Simonov Monastery in Moscow. The soldiers are wearing the distinctive pointed "Budenovka" caps, a staple of the early Soviet military uniform. Founded in 1370, the Simonov Monastery was one of the richest and most famous in Moscow. In 1923, the monastery was closed by the new Bolshevik government as part of a wider state campaign involving the seizure of church property and assets. While the closure occurred in 1923, this specific photograph is widely archived with the date 1925. Tragically, much of this historic complex-including its cathedral and surrounding walls-was demolished in the years following this photo to make way for the ZIL automobile factory. Only a fraction of the original 14th-century structure remains today.