JFK Assassination System Date: 10/13/20 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: HSCA Released under the John ‘RECORD NUMBER: __180-10107-10484 Kennedy : . WKssassination Records _ SRECORD SERIES: NUMBERED FILES , oOllection Act of 1952 - , (44 U5 2107 Note). AGENCY FILENUMBER: 014935 ase#:NW 54653 Date: = = ho-23-2017 Document Information ORIGINATOR: HSCA FROM: _— FBI, FILES TO: TITLE: NOTES FROM FBI FILES ON MORRIS BLOCK AND MILLIE BLOCK DATE: | 03/16/1979 PAGES: 3 SUBJECTS: . - AMERICAN DEFECTORS BLOCK, MOLLIE RUSSIA FBI, FILES a BLOCK, MORRIS a DOCUMENT TYPE: OTHER TEXTUAL CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified ae RESTRICTIONS : Consulted . : CURRENT STATUS: Withhold DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 07/06/1993 OPENING CRITERIA : so COMMENTS: Typed notes from FBI files.’ Box 288. v9.1 Do HW 54653. DocId:32262415 Page 1 _
NOTES FROM FBI FILES ON MORRIS BLOCK AND MOLLIE BLOCK 614933 July 13, 1959 Arrived in Gydnia, Poland, where Polish authorities kept them in seclusion and constantly demanded they leave. August 8, 1959 Transferred by military truck to Brest, U.S.S.R. August 9, 1959 | Arrived in Moscow after being transferred to a train in Brest. Met by Vladimir Vasilev, "a Soviet representative" who took them to the Leningradskaya Hotel and provided ex- cellent accommodations. cd Vasilev stated he wanted to arrange a press conference but they waited for a month after agreeing to have one. September 10, 1959 Departed from Moscow to Odessa, U.S.S.R. by train (after being told by the Soviets that they could not continue to travel to China) Sent to Odessa so Morris could obtain work in the Soviet shipyards as a mechanic. He did so five days after their arrival in Odessa. Mollie Block obtained a teaching. position in the Polytechnic Institute. Joanna (daughter of Mollie and Morris Block) enrolled in a Ukrainian-English school. \ Morris Block had difficulty with the Russian language so "the U.S.S.R. assigned a young girl named Tanya from the Ukraine to teach Morris Block the Russian language". ‘February 28, 1960 Mollie Block departed to Moscow with her daughter as the result of an affair be- tween Morris Block and his Russian. teacher, Tanya. Vladimir Vasilev. met Mollie Block .in Moscow and obtained accommodations for her and her daughter at the Hotel Metropole. -< 54653 DocId:32262415
eos ’ FBI File notes on Morris and Mollie Block Page Two February 28, 1960 (continued ) June 1960 August 1960 October 1460 May 1961 March 1962 Early 1964 54653 DoclId: 32267415 Page 3 The Soviet Red Cross paid expenses. Joanna became ill with a nervous disorder and required hospitalization. Mollie Block requested employment and was assigned as a typist-translator for the Soviet Publishing Office in Moscow. Mollie Block was provided a one room apartment. Vladimir Vasilev wanted her to attend a school in preparation for employment as a Radio Moscow commentator to North Africa - salary 1500 rubles, but Mollie Block refused the assignment. Morris Block came to Moscow and stated that he wanted to remain with his family. The Soviets insisted he return to Odessa. Morris and Mollie Block returned to Odessa, both obtaining their previous jobs. Mollie stated that she definitely wanted to return to the United States. Joanna Block returned from Moscow to Odessa. After many visits to the Soviet authorities permission was granted to the Blocks to visit the American Embassy in Moscow. The United States authorities were willing to renew her passport for immediate and direct return to the U.S. and issue Morris Block a Certificate of Identity to.ac- complish the same; the Soviet authorities’ refused to grant the exit visas and forced them to return to Odessa. The Blocks were subsequently approached on three occasions to renounce their U. S. citizenship and become Soviet citizens. They refused to do so. Morris Block became annoyed at the Soviet loud speaker broadcasting propaganda. at
FBI file notes on Morris and Mollie Block Page Three . his place of employment and disconnected it. He was severely punished by several young Soviet workers and denounced as a hooligan. The Soviets would not grant exit visas or permission to visit Moscow during this period. February 28, 1964 A correspondent for THE NEW YORK ‘TIMES was visiting Odessa. Mollie Block approached this Henry Tanner and gave him an account of their difficulties. April 1964 An article about the Soviet treatment of the Blocks appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES. The Soviets began harassing the Blocks. June 10, 1964 The Blocks were expelled from the U.S.S.R. on the charge that Morris Block was guilty of acts of hooliganism and Mollie Block was guilty of handing out anti- Soviet propaganda to foreign students at the Polytechnic Institute. Mollie and Morris Block had been members of the Communist Party in the United States for a number of years before their defection. However, they had no contact with the Soviets prior to their defection. The Blocks had no knowing contact with the KGB. Mollie Block believed they would be of interest to the KGB, but was not aware ofeny such interest. Their only contact with © * Soviet officials was with Vladimir Vasilev and his replacement when occupied elsewhere. The name of the replacement is unknown but he is described as a blond man, 30 years of age, five feet six inches, 170-180 pounds, stocky build. Subsequently, he was sent to the Crimea resort area to recover from an illness. ‘Vladimir Vasilev's questions cannot be remembered with the ex- ception of how to obtain an illegal U. S. passport, or one in false identity (which Morris Block had done).