The collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts by Messner and others, memoirs by Messner, photographs and printed materials. Manuscripts by Messner include a typescript (275 p.) entitled "Nekotorye prichiny porazhenii︠a︡ Germanii v voĭnu 1939-1945 g.g." Messner's memoirs (3293 p. and 350 p.) cover the years 1914-1973. Included among them are clippings, photographs, mimeographed materials and pamphlets. The majority of his memoirs concern World War I and the Civil War. Photographs are mostly copies. Printed materials consist mostly of clippings of articles by Messner in South American monarchist periodicals.

The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs, and printed materials. Most of the correspondence dates from the 1950s and early 1960s, when Boi︠a︡rint︠s︡ev was head of the Ob'edinenie chinov Kornilovskago udarnago polka, an emigre veterans' organization, and relates to the affairs of this and similar groups. The manuscripts include campaign memoirs and a memoir called, "Epokha 1937-1965 gg." dealingwith events in the world of the White veteran's groups written by Boi︠a︡rint︠s︡ev; and a memoir of the First World War by a Captain I︠A︡. G. Shinin. Official documents relating to the military service of both Boi︠a︡rint︠s︡ev and Shinin are found in the collection, as well as some regimental and army orders of the Revolution-Civil War period. There is a photograph of Genral L.G. Kornilov; a large number of photographs of the White Army encampment at Gallipoli, of the Imperial family, White officers' reunions, funerals, dedication ceremonies etc. Printed materials include: a folder of printed engravings of varied content (portraits of the Imperial family, White officers, members of the White Russian community in Shanghai; and illustrations of various incidents in the Civil War; a complete set through 1965 of the emigre newsletter "Kornilovt︠s︡y" (Nos. 1-6; 1952_65); 7 issues of the "Vestnik pervopokhodnika" (Nos. 82-91; Aug. '68-May '70); and books, pamphlets, and jubilee volumes concerning Tsar Nicholas II, the White movement, General Kornilov, and the Mladorossy.

Related materials can be found in the following Bakhmeteff Archive collections: Arkhangel'skii, Kutepov, Lampe, ROVS-North America, and Shatilov.