Papers consist of manuscripts and printed materials. Manuscripts include a typescript memoir by Gagarin about Simferopol in 1917-18, two brief essays by Gagarin on the rivers Neva and Volga, and a typed copy of a letter from a soldier in World War I to a nurse. Printed materials include scattered issues of and clippings from "Russkoe Slovo" one issue of "Sei︠a︡teĺ" two issues of "Chasovoĭ" three issues of "Russkiĭ Invalid" and twenty-one issues of "Osvedomitel ́Leĭb-Egereĭ" and a copy of "Epizody proshlogo. Rasskazy iz zhizni avtora i izbrannye stikhotvorenii︠a︡" (Buenos Aires, 1972), a collection of poems and brief memoiristic essays, manuscripts of some which are among Gagarin's papers.

The collection primarily consists of unpublished manuscripts by Shavelśkiĭ. There are also letters from Shavelśkiĭ to his daughter (Marii︠a︡ Novit︠s︡kai︠a︡), several photographs of Shavelśkiĭ, clippings and miscellaneous printed items. Shavelśkiĭ's manuscripts include his memoirs (1920) which describe church affairs in Russia, World War I, the Imperial family and the 1917 Revolution; "Nabroski s natury" (1947), a series of brief essays and stories; "Pokhod protiv Rasputina" (n.d.); "Russkai︠a︡ t︠s︡erkov ́pred revoli︠u︡t︠s︡ieĭ" (1937); and "V dobrovolćheskoĭ armii" (1943), which describes Shavelśkiĭ's service as an army chaplain. Other manuscripts include brief sketches of Shavelśkiĭ by Feodor Bokach and N.N. Glubokovskiĭ.