Orthodoxy new martyrs and confessors of the Russian land. The crime of Soviet power and the treasure of the Russian Orthodox Church - New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia
The nearest Sunday after February 7th Church remembers all those who endured torture and death for the faith of Christ in 1917-1918. The Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to set aside a special day for their commemoration. Only on the day of the celebration of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia is the memory of saints whose date of death is unknown.
This commemoration is carried out according to the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on January 30, 1991, based on the decision of the Local Council of 1917-1918.
The cruel and bloody 20th century became especially tragic for Russia, which lost millions of its sons and daughters not only at the hands of external enemies, but also from its own persecutors and atheists. Among those villainously killed and tortured during the years of persecution were an innumerable number of Orthodox Christians: laymen, monks, priests, bishops, whose only guilt was their firm faith in God.
Among those who suffered for the faith in the twentieth century are St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', whose election took place in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (1925); Holy Royal Passion-Bearers; Hieromartyr Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsky (1937); Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia (1918); Hieromartyr Veniamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov; Hieromartyr Metropolitan Seraphim Chichagov (1937); sacristan of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, hieromartyr Protopresbyter Alexander (1937); Venerable Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Nun Varvara (1918); and a whole host of saints, revealed and unmanifested.
The persecution began shortly after the October Revolution of 1917.
Archpriest John Kochurov of Tsarskoye Selo became the first martyr of the Russian clergy. On November 8, 1917, Father John prayed with parishioners for the pacification of Russia. In the evening, revolutionary sailors came to his apartment. After the beatings the half-dead priest was dragged along the railway sleepers for a long time until he died…
Hieromartyr Archpriest John Kochurov
January 29, 1918 sailors shot in Kyiv, Metropolitan Vladimir - this was the first martyr from among the bishops. Following the holy martyrs John and Vladimir, others followed. The cruelty with which the Bolsheviks put them to death could be envied by the executioners of Nero and Domitian.
Metropolitan Vladimir of Kyiv
In 1919 in Voronezh, in the monastery of St. Mitrofan, seven nuns were boiled alive in cauldrons of boiling tar.
A year earlier, 3 priests were in Kherson crucified on crosses.
In 1918, Bishop Feofan (Ilyinsky) of Solikamsk, in front of the people, was taken out onto the frozen Kama River, stripped naked, braided his hair, tied it together, then, having threaded a stick through it, he lifted it into the air and began to slowly lower it into the ice hole and lift until he, still alive, is covered with a crust of ice two fingers thick.
Bishop Isidore Mikhailovsky (Kolokolov) was put to death in a no less brutal way. In 1918 in Samara he impaled.
Bishop Isidore (Kolokolov)
The death of other bishops was terrible: Bishop Andronik of Perm buried alive in the ground; Archbishop of Astrakhan Mitrofan (Krasnopolsky) thrown off the wall; Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod Joachim (Levitsky) hanged upside down in the Sevastopol Cathedral; Bishop of Serapul Ambrose (Gudko) tied to the horse's tail and let it gallop…
Bishop of Perm Archbishop of Astrakhan Andronik Mitrofan (Krasnopolsky)
Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod Bishop of Serapul
Joachim (Levitsky) Ambrose (Gudko)
The death of ordinary priests was no less terrible. Priest Father Koturov watered him in the cold until he turned into an ice statue... The 72-year-old priest Pavel Kalinovsky was beaten with whips... The supernumerary priest Father Zolotovsky, who was already in his ninth decade, was dressed in a woman’s dress and taken to the square. The Red Army soldiers demanded that he dance in front of the people; when he refused, he was hanged... Priest Joakim Frolov burned alive behind the village on a haystack...
How in ancient Rome, executions were often massive. From December 1918 to June 1919, 70 priests were killed in Kharkov. In Perm, after the city was occupied by the White Army, the bodies of 42 clergy were discovered. In the spring, when the snow melted, they were found buried in the seminary garden, many with signs of torture. In Voronezh in 1919, 160 priests were simultaneously killed, led by Archbishop Tikhon (Nikanorov), whom hanged on the Royal Doors in the church of the monastery of St. Mitrofan of Voronezh...
Archbishop Tikhon (Nikanorov)
Mass killings occurred everywhere: information about executions in Kharkov, Perm and Voronezh has reached us only because these cities were occupied by the white army for a short time. Both old people and very young people were killed for their mere membership in the clergy. In 1918 there were 150 thousand clergy in Russia. By 1941, of these 130 thousand were shot.
From the book by Dmitry Orekhov “Russian Saints of the 20th Century”
Like the Christians of the first centuries, the new martyrs accepted torture without hesitation, and died, rejoicing that they were suffering for Christ. Before execution, they often prayed for their executioners. Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev blessed the killers with a cross and said: “ May the Lord forgive you" Before he had time to lower his hands, he was struck down by three shots. Before the execution, Bishop Nikodim of Belgorod, after praying, blessed the Chinese soldiers, and they refused to shoot. Then they were replaced with new ones, and the holy martyr was brought out to them dressed in a soldier’s overcoat. Before the execution, Bishop Lavrenty (Knyazev) of Balakhna called the soldiers to repentance and, standing under the guns pointed at him, preached a sermon about the future salvation of Russia. The soldiers refused to shoot, and the holy martyr was shot by the Chinese. Petrograd priest Philosopher Ornatsky was taken to execution along with his two sons. " Who should be shot first - you or your sons?- they asked him. " Sons", answered the priest. While they were being shot, he knelt and read the prayers of departure. The soldiers refused to shoot at the old man, and then the commissar shot him at point-blank range with a revolver. Archimandrite Sergius, shot in Petrograd, died with the words: “ Forgive them, God, for they do not know what they are doing».
Often the executors themselves understood that they were executing saints. In 1918, Bishop Makariy (Gnevushev) was shot in Vyazma. One of the Red Army soldiers later said that when he saw that this frail, gray-haired “criminal” was clearly a spiritual person, his heart “sank.” And then Macarius, passing by the lined-up soldiers, stopped opposite him and blessed him with the words: “ My son, don’t be embarrassed your heart- do the will of the one who sent you" Subsequently, this Red Army soldier was transferred to the reserve due to illness. Shortly before his death, he told his doctor: “ As I understand it, we killed a holy man. Otherwise, how could he know that my heart sank when he passed? But he found out and blessed out of pity…».
When you read the lives of the new martyrs, you involuntarily doubt: can a person endure this? A person, probably not, but a Christian, yes. Silouan of Athos wrote: “ When there is great grace, the soul desires suffering. Thus, the martyrs had great grace, and their body rejoiced along with their soul when they were tortured for their beloved Lord. Anyone who has experienced this grace knows about it…».
The canonization of the host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia at the anniversary Council of Bishops in 2000, at the turn of the millennium, drew a line under the terrible era of militant atheism. This glorification showed the world the greatness of their feat, illuminated the ways of God's Providence in the destinies of our Fatherland, and became evidence of a deep awareness of the tragic mistakes and painful misconceptions of the people. It has never happened in world history that so many new, heavenly intercessors have been glorified by the Church (more than a thousand new martyrs have been canonized).
In the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian 20th century, as of January 1, 2011, 1,774 people were canonized by name. Among those who suffered for the faith in the twentieth century: St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', whose election took place in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (1925); Holy Royal Passion-Bearers; Hieromartyr Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsky (1937); Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia (1918); Hieromartyr Veniamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov; Hieromartyr Metropolitan Seraphim Chichagov (1937); sacristan of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, hieromartyr Protopresbyter Alexander (1937); Venerable Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Nun Varvara (1918); and a whole host of saints, revealed and unmanifested.
The number of people who had the spiritual courage to give their lives for the sake of faith in Christ the Savior is extremely large, numbering in hundreds of thousands of names. Today, only a small part of those who are worthy of glorification as saints are known. Only on the day of the celebration of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia is the memory of saints whose date of death is unknown.
On this day, the Holy Church commemorates all the departed who suffered during the time of persecution for the faith of Christ. The celebration of the memory of the holy new martyrs and confessors of Russia reminds us of the bitter lesson of history and the fate of our Church. As we remember them today, we confess that truly the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church of Christ, and we pray to the holy new martyrs that in the hour of testing we will be given the same courage that they showed.
Brother will betray brother to death, and father his son; and children will rise up against their parents and kill them; and you will be hated by everyone because of My name; he who endures to the end will be saved(Holy Gospel of Matthew, 10:21,22)
From the very beginning of its existence, the Soviet government took an uncompromising and irreconcilable position towards the Church. All religious denominations of the country, and the Orthodox Church in the first place, were perceived by the new leaders not just as a relic of the “old regime,” but also the most important obstacle to building a “bright future.” An organized and regulated society, based exclusively on ideological and material principles, where the only value was recognized as the “common good” in “this age” and iron discipline was introduced, could in no way be combined with faith in God and the desire for Eternal Life after the General Resurrection. The Bolsheviks unleashed the full might of their propaganda on the Church.
Not limiting themselves to the propaganda war, the Bolsheviks immediately began numerous arrests and executions of the clergy and active laity, which were carried out en masse in several waves from the October Revolution until the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
Another disaster was the constant control by state security agencies, which actively contributed to the emergence and fanning of numerous disagreements and schisms in the church environment, the most famous of which was the so-called. "renovationism".
The materialistic worldview of the leaders of Bolshevism could not accommodate the words of Christ: “ I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it"(Matthew 16:18). Driving the Church into more and more difficult conditions, destroying more and more people, and intimidating and alienating even more, they were never able to bring this matter to an end.
After all the waves of persecution, persecution and repression, at least a small remnant of people faithful to Christ remained, it was possible to defend individual churches, to find mutual language with local authorities.
In the face of all these troubles, in an atmosphere of rejection and discrimination, not everyone decided to openly profess their faith, to follow Christ to the end, having endured martyrdom or a long life full of sorrows and difficulties, not forgetting the other words of Christ: “ And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but fear Him more who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna"(Matthew 10:28). Orthodox people Those who managed not to betray Christ during persecution in Soviet times, and who proved this by their death or life, we call New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
The first new martyrs
The very first new martyr was Archpriest John Kochurov, who served in Tsarskoe Selo near Petrograd and was killed a few days after the revolution by irritated Red Guards for calling on the people not to support the Bolsheviks.
Local Council of the Russian Church 1917-1918. restored the patriarchate. The council in Moscow was still ongoing, and on January 25, 1918, in Kyiv after the Bolshevik pogrom in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, was killed Metropolitan Kyiv and Galitsky Vladimir (Epiphany). The day of his murder, or the Sunday closest to this day, was established as the date of commemoration of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, as if anticipating the fact that the Bolshevik persecutions would continue. It is clear that on the territory of our country this date could not be celebrated openly for many years, and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia established this day of remembrance in 1981. In Russia, such a celebration began to take place only after the Council of Bishops in 1992. And most of the New Martyrs were glorified by name at the Council of 2000 G.
Elected by the Local Council of 1917-1918. Patriarch Tikhon (Bellavin) and he himself subsequently joined the number of New Martyrs. Constant tension and severe opposition from the authorities quickly exhausted his strength, and he died (or possibly was poisoned) in 1925 on the Feast of the Annunciation. It was Patriarch Tikhon who became the first to be glorified (in 1989, abroad - in 1981).
New Martyrs from the Imperial House
Particularly noteworthy among the New Martyrs are the Royal Passion-Bearers - Tsar Nicholas and his family. Some people find their canonization puzzling, while others experience an unhealthy deification of them. The veneration of the murdered royal family is not and should not be associated with any conspiracy theories, unhealthy national chauvinism, monarchism or any other political speculation. At the same time, all the confusion regarding the canonization of the royal family is associated with a misunderstanding of its reasons. The ruler of a state, if he is glorified as a saint, does not necessarily have to be an outstanding brilliant and powerful politician, a talented organizer, a successful commander (all of this may or may not be, but in themselves they are not reasons for canonization). Emperor Nicholas and his family were glorified by the Church because of their humble renunciation of power, authority and wealth, refusal to fight and acceptance of an innocent death at the hands of atheists. The main argument in favor of the holiness of the Royal Passion-Bearers is their prayerful assistance to people who turn to them.
Grand Duchess Elisaveta Fedorovna, the wife of Emperor Nicholas's uncle, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, left court life after the death of her husband at the hands of terrorists in 1905. She founded the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy in Moscow, a special Orthodox institution that combined elements of a monastery and an almshouse. During the difficult years of war and revolutionary turmoil, the monastery operated, providing a variety of assistance to those in need. Having been arrested by the Bolsheviks, the Grand Duchess, together with her cell attendant, nun Varvara and other close people was sent to Alapaevsk. The day after the execution of the imperial family, they were thrown alive into an abandoned mine.
Butovo training ground
South of Moscow, near the populated area Butovo(which now gives names to two districts of our city) is located secret training ground, where priests and laity were shot on a particularly large scale. Nowadays, a memorial museum dedicated to them has been opened at the Butovo training ground. Another place of mass feat of the New Martyrs and Confessors was Solovetsky Monastery , converted by the Bolsheviks into a place of detention.
Days of Remembrance of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia:
January 25 (February 7) or the nearest Sunday– Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia
March 25 (April 7, the Feast of the Annunciation)- memory of St. Patr. Tikhon
4th Saturday after Easter– Cathedral of the New Martyrs of Butovo
The memory of other New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia is celebrated almostevery day.
Troparion of the New Martyrs (Tone 4)
Today the Russian Church joyfully rejoices, / glorifying its New Martyrs and Confessors: / saints and priests, / the Royal Passion-Bearers, / noble princes and princesses, / reverend men and wives, / and all Orthodox Christians, / in the days of the godless persecution, / their lives for the faith in who laid down Christ / and kept the truth with his blood. / By those intercessions, Long-suffering Lord, / preserve our country in Orthodoxy / / until the end of the age.
Today the Russian Church joyfully rejoices, glorifying its New Martyrs and Confessors: saints and priests, Royal Passion-Bearers, noble princes and princesses, reverend men and women and all Orthodox Christians, who in the days of the godless persecution laid down their lives for their faith in Christ and established the truth with their blood. Through their intercession, Long-suffering Lord, preserve our country in Orthodoxy until the end of time.
_________________
Celebration Council of Russian New Martyrs celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church on February 7 according to the new style.
Establishment of a holiday in honor of the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church
In the Orthodox Church there are holidays called Councils. On this day, the memory of not one, but many saints is often celebrated. The establishment of a holiday in honor of the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church dates back to 1918, when at the Local Council, Patriarch Tikhon began the commemoration of all who suffered from the new godless government for Christ. Over time, the persecution of the Church intensified, the number of martyrs increased, and therefore, over the years, the need arose to rethink the events of Russian history of the 20th century. Although believers in the Soviet period revered the new martyrs, the celebration of their Council could only be done secretly. Only in March 1991, by resolution of the Local Council, was it decided to restore the commemoration of those who suffered for their faith from the godless government.
The Orthodox Church has always placed the feat of martyrdom extremely highly, considering it the highest manifestation of a person’s faith. From the first centuries of Christianity, the holy martyrs were revered as the pillars of the Church, whose shed blood is the best proof of the truth Orthodox faith. It is no coincidence that for a long time in church art there was a tradition of depicting martyrs on columns supporting the dome of the temple building and bearing the entire architectural structure. Thus, the concept of “pillar of the Church” acquired a visible, tactile meaning.
A large number of martyrs arose in the Church in the first centuries of Christianity, when, at the behest of pagan emperors, a huge number of believers were executed and tortured. However, the persecution inflicted on the Russian Church by the godless authorities in the 20th century surpassed in its magnitude and cruelty even the persecution of pagan times. It is impossible to name the exact number of those who suffered martyrdom, but there were thousands of them, not only from among the clergy and monastics, but also from the laity.
Holiday icon
The icon of the feast of the Council of New Martyrs was painted in 2000. The creation of this iconographic image is a significant phenomenon in modern church art. Painted in the best traditions of 16th-century icon painting, this icon expresses the full depth and significance of the holiday for the Russian Church. The icon painters faced a rather difficult task, since the number of new martyrs and confessors who suffered for the faith and Christ during the years of persecution in the 20th century was enormous, and it was not possible to depict each of the saints. However, the task of any icon is not a detailed and historically accurate presentation of specific events, but a spiritual understanding of what is happening. The main idea of the image of the Russian New Martyrs is the triumph of the Church over the forces of evil, as well as the praise of the feat of those people who were not afraid to give their lives for Christ and faith.
The composition of the icon of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors is quite complex. The center of the image is a large church, reminiscent of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The choice of this cathedral for the background of the icon is not accidental, since this temple symbolizes the history of the Russian Church in the 20th century, which has gone from desecration to restoration and glorification. The semantic and compositional center of the icon is the cross, the throne and the open Gospel lying on it, on the pages of which are written the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, calling for fear of those who kill not the body, but the soul of a person. Among the depicted saints surrounding the throne, one can see the royal new martyrs, Patriarch Tikhon, bishops and metropolitans, as well as monks and laity.
The central icon is surrounded by various marks, which depict the most famous places of martyrdom: the Solovetsky camp, the Alapaevskaya mine, the execution of priests in Butovo.
Troparion, tone 4:
Today the Russian Church joyfully rejoices, glorifying the new martyrs and confessors: saints and priests, royal martyrs, noble princes and princesses, reverend men and women and all Orthodox Christians, who in the days of the godless persecution laid down their lives for faith in Christ and kept the Truth with their blood. By intercession, Long-suffering Lord, preserve our country in Orthodoxy until the end of the century.
Kontakion, tone 3:
Today the New Martyrs of Russia in white robes stand before the Lamb of God and with the Angels they sing a victorious song to God: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and praise and honor, and strength, and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Magnification:
We magnify you, / holy new martyrs and confessors of Russia, / and honor your honest sufferings / which you naturally endured for Christ.
Prayer:
Oh, holy new martyr and confessor of Russia: saints and shepherds of the Church of Christ, royal passion-bearers, noble princes and princesses, valiant warriors, monastics and worlds, pious men and wives, who suffered for Christ at all ages and classes, who testified to His fidelity even to death and those who have received the crown of life from Him!
During the days of the fierce persecution that befell our land from the godless, at the courts, in captivity and the abysses of the earth, in bitter works and all sorts of sorrowful situations, you courageously showed to nature the image of patience and unashamed hope. Now, enjoying sweetness in paradise, you stand before the Throne of God in glory and offer ever praise and intercession to the Triune God with the Angels and all the saints.
For this reason, we, unworthy, pray to you, our holy relatives: do not forget your earthly fatherland, aggravated by the sin of Cain’s fratricide, the desecration of shrines, atheism and our iniquities. Pray to the Lord Almighty that He may establish His Church unshakable in this rebellious and evil world; may the spirit of brotherly love and peace revive in our land; may we again be the royal priesthood, the race of God, chosen and holy, ever with you glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church. Kuchino 2019.
Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church(until 2013 Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia listen)) is a holiday in honor of the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church who suffered martyrdom for Christ or were persecuted after the October Revolution of 1917.
A separate holiday has also been established, Cathedral of New Martyrs, victims in Butovo, in memory of those new martyrs who died at the Butovo training ground (by 2007, 289 names were known, the list is headed by Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov)), which is celebrated on the 4th Saturday after Easter.
The first martyr of the Council from the white clergy was Tsarskoye Selo Archpriest John Kochurov: on October 31 (November 13) of the year he was “shot by a maddened crowd.”
Story
The next stage in the history of the veneration of the new martyrs is associated with the names of Professor Boris Turaev and Hieromonk Afanasy (Sakharov), who composed the “Service of all the saints who shone forth in the Russian land.” The compilers included in this service a number of chants dedicated to the martyrs who suffered from the Bolsheviks.
The Moscow Patriarchate, in its official statements for about 60 years (from the time of the “legalization” of the Provisional Patriarchal Holy Synod under Metropolitan Sergius until “perestroika”), was forced to deny the fact of persecution for faith in the USSR. In the editorial article of the book “The Truth about Religion in Russia”, published in 1942, such a “refutation” sounds like this:
In the years after the October Revolution in Russia there were repeated trials of churchmen. Why were these church leaders tried? Exclusively because, hiding behind a cassock and a church banner, they carried out anti-Soviet work. These were political processes that had nothing in common with purely church life religious organizations and the purely ecclesiastical work of individual clergy. The Orthodox Church itself loudly and decisively condemned such renegades who betrayed its open line of honest loyalty to the Soviet regime.
Nevertheless, among believers in the USSR there was veneration of ascetics who were persecuted by the authorities.
At the same time, work was underway abroad to collect data on the clergy who suffered from repression. In 1949, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) published the first volume of the book by Protopresbyter Mikhail Polsky “New Russian Martyrs”, and in 1957 the second volume was published. This was the first systematic collection of information about Russian martyrs and confessors of the faith.
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, after long preparation, glorified the Council of New Martyrs on November 1, 1981 at its Council under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Philaret. The last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, members of the august family, Patriarch Tikhon, were placed at the head of the Council. This canonization, dictated to a large extent by the political sentiments of the Russian emigration, was carried out without a thorough preliminary study of the circumstances of the life and death of the illustrious persons. The ROCOR did not glorify specific individuals at that time (a list of new martyrs and confessors was not compiled by name), but rather the phenomenon of martyrdom in a communist state. All new martyrs and confessors, including those whose names are unknown, were canonized. Protopresbyter Alexander Kiselev, publishing the icon of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, written in the ROCOR, named 105 precisely recorded names.
The canonization of the new martyrs and confessors took place on the eve of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Grand Duke Vladimir and Kievan Rus. The celebration of the cathedral was timed to coincide with January 25 (February 7) - the day of memory of Metropolitan Vladimir Epiphany. Previously, the priests who served requiem services did not know the names of all those killed and named only persons known to them, adding the words “and others like them.” Since in the calendar of the Orthodox Church the preparatory weeks before Lent sometimes begin as early as January, it was decided that the feast of the Council of the New Martyrs should not coincide with the Sundays of the preparatory period and could be celebrated earlier than January 25 (February 7).
Subsequently, the absence of canonization of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors by the Moscow Patriarchate was regarded by the ROCOR as one of the main obstacles to rapprochement with the Church in the Fatherland.
The prelude to the glorification of the new martyrs and new confessors of Russia, who suffered during the years of revolutionary unrest and Bolshevik terror, was the canonization of Patriarch Tikhon on October 9, 1989. In June 1990, at the Local Council, Archbishop Hermann of Berlin was the first of the hierarchs to openly declare: “we cannot renounce the countless martyrs for the faith, we must not forget them.”
“The long-term terror unleashed by the Bolshevik party-Soviet regime against clergy and believers of all faiths” was condemned by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 378 of March 14, 1996 “On measures for the rehabilitation of clergy and believers who have become victims of unjustified repression” (Article 1 of the Decree) .
In the 1990s, preparations were underway for the canonization of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, many saints were glorified as locally venerated.
On March 12, 2002, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church approved and recommended for liturgical use in the Russian Orthodox Church the service to the new martyrs and confessors of Russia.
The Council of New Martyrs is supplemented as information is discovered and studied; There are very different estimates of the number of clergy and active laity of the Orthodox Church executed and repressed in the USSR.
Despite the fact that the topic of persecution for religious beliefs was widely discussed in society, Abbot Damascene (Orlovsky) in September 2007 “regretted the lack of demand for the experience of the new martyrs among modern Russians”:
If we talk about how much modern people are aware of the life of the new martyrs, want to come into contact with church tradition, read their lives, delve into the experience of their predecessors in life in the Church, then we must admit: modern people do not put this heritage into spiritual circulation. This era has passed into eternity, “new” old temptations have come, and the experience of their predecessors remains unexplored.
On October 6, 2008, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to create a working group to consider the issue of venerating the Russian new martyrs and confessors of the 20th century, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad during the period of division.
On December 25, 2012, the Holy Synod formed a church-public council to perpetuate the memory of the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church.
On May 29, 2013, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the name “Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church” was adopted.
Butovo training ground and the temple near it
At the same time, Patriarch Alexy and Metropolitan Laurus jointly laid the foundation of a new, stone Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors south of Jubilee Street. Its construction from concrete has been completed. The church contains many personal belongings of people who suffered martyrdom in Butovo.
Composition and order of canonization of Russian new martyrs and confessors
The Council of Russian New Martyrs and Confessors began to take shape in 1989, when the first saint, Patriarch Tikhon, was canonized.
The canonization of ascetics of the 20th century was significantly complicated after the entry into force of Federal Law No. 152 of June 27, 2006 (Federal Law “On Personal Data”), which provided for the closure of researchers’ access to judicial investigative cases contained in Russian archives.
Calendar-liturgical instructions and hymnography
The Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on August 13-16, 2000, decided: “The church-wide celebration of the memory of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia will be celebrated on January 25 (February 7), if this day coincides with Sunday, and if it does not coincide, then as soon as possible.” Sunday after January 25 (February 7)".
In 2002, a new service to the Cathedral was approved.
Troparion, tone 4Kontakion, tone 3Today the Russian Church has a joyful face, /
glorifying the new comers and their confessors: /
st҃iteli и҆ і҆ере́и, /
royal tolerants, /
blessed princes and books, /
dear men and wives, /
and all the rightful churches, /
in the days of the godless persecution /
his life for the faith in the Christian faith that he laid down, /
and with blood the truth was observed. /
By those intercessions, long-suffering where, /
our countries are preserved in Orthodoxy /
until the end of time.
GreatnessToday is the new age of the Russian Federation /
in white robes there will be a lamb, /
and with a҆́ggыly song of victory they sing about bg҃ꙋ: /
blessing, and glory, and excellence, /
and praise, and honor, /
both strength and fortress /
ourꙋ bg҃ꙋ /
forever and ever. Amen.
PrayerWe magnify you, / as a new generation and a disciple of Russia, / and we honor the suffering you have endured, / for the blessings you have endured Yes, yes.
Ѽ st҃і́и new chants and ҆ and црѣднѣдѣрѣсѣрѣѣїїїи:/ st҃і́́її and ҆ pastoral churches khrⷭ҇tóvy, / regalї і ґрⷭ҇tobearers, / ґgov Earn princes and books, / noble warriors, monastics and worlds, / pious men and wives, / in all ages and classes for the sake of the victims, / fidelity Even before the death of the witness, / and the crown of life is not yet accepted!
In the days of the persecution of the lutag, / our land suffered godless steps, / in the lands, in captivity, and in the abysses of the earth, / in bitter labors, and all the sorrowful things, / the image of patience and shamelessness of men and women. / Now in paradise we enjoy sweetness, / before we live in glory in the future, / and in the future we will praise and intercede with the gods and all the elements exalt in three ways.
Now, for our sake, we are unworthy / we pray to you, our fellows: / do not forget your earthly heritage, / for the sins of our brothers properties, / we spoil the world, we are godless, and our lawlessness is ѡ҃tѧgchennage. / Pray for your strength, / may your church be established unshakably in a world of this multifaceted and diverse: / may it be reborn in our land for the sake of size and blessings, / for the holiness and fear of life, / for the sake of brotherly love and peace: / let us return to the Church schenye, / born, and chosen, and born, / will dream with you the glorious one, and in the dream, and in the future, forever and ever. Amen.
Iconography
In honor of the new holy Russian martyrs and confessors, with the blessing of Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Chairman of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, a group of leading icon painters painted an icon of the Council of Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. The icon is painted in the style of monuments from the early 16th century. The exploits of the saints, primarily the exploits of the martyrs, are taught in the icon not as a visible, tangible reality, but only as a memory, outlined in the main features of the remembered event and necessary as evidence of the feat, the victory of the saints over the forces of evil, but, at the same time, presented in the context of images of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The icon consists of three parts: the middle, as the main part, where the council of saints is presented, standing in a glorified state; Deesis rank in the top row; side stamps with images of martyrdom.
Middleman
At the top of the middle is the name of the icon. The host of Saints stands against the backdrop of an Orthodox church, reminiscent of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, symbolizing the Orthodox Church, as well as its fate (ruin and then restoration) in the 20th century.
In front of him is a throne dressed in red Easter vestments, also symbolizing the resurrection of Orthodoxy in Russia. On the throne lies the Gospel with the words of the Savior: “Fear not those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul...” (Matthew 10:28).
In the lower part in front of the throne there is an image of the Saints Royal Martyrs, and on the left and right there are two groups of new martyrs.
The left (in relation to the viewer) group is headed by the holy Patriarch Tikhon (in relation to the spiritual center of the icon - the Cross - the group is right); on the right - Saint Peter (Polyansky), Metropolitan of Krutitsky, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. Directly next to them stand the holy metropolitans of Kazan
Who are the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church? Why did they become victims of the communist regime? What is the significance of the feat of the new saints?
The twentieth century in the history of Russia is marked by brutal repressions of the Soviet government against its own citizens. People were punished for the slightest disagreement with communist ideology and for religious beliefs. Many Orthodox Christians became victims of the Bolsheviks without abandoning their faith.
New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church - a host of saints of the Russian Orthodox Church who accepted martyrdom for Christ or were persecuted after the October Revolution of 1917.
The Council of New Martyrs and Confessors began to take shape in 1989, when the first saint, Patriarch Tikhon, was canonized. Then, as biographies and other archival documents were researched, several people were canonized from year to year.
Among the New Martyrs and Confessors there are clergy and laity, people of different professions, ranks and classes, united by love for God and people.
Icon of the Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church
Godless power
Christianity and communism are incompatible. Their moral standards contradict each other. God is love, not revolutionary terror. The Church taught not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, not to create idols, to forgive enemies, to honor parents. And the Bolsheviks killed innocents, crushed the traditions of their ancestors, stole other people’s property, raped, glorified fornication to the detriment of the family, and hung portraits of Lenin and Stalin in place of icons. From a Christian point of view, they were building Hell on earth.
Lenin's statements about religion are always atheistic, but in his articles he tries to formulate his ideas in a civilized manner, while in orders and letters addressed to friends and subordinates, he speaks directly and rudely. Even before the Revolution, in a letter to A. M. Gorky, Lenin wrote: “... every little god is a corpse. ... every religious idea, every idea about every little god, every flirtation even with a little god is an unspeakable abomination, especially tolerated by the democratic bourgeoisie - that is why it is the most dangerous abomination, the most vile “infection”.
It is easy to imagine how such a leader of the state showed himself in relation to the Church when he received power.
Orthodox Church bombing, 1918
On May 1, 1919, in a document addressed to Dzerzhinsky, Lenin demands: “It is necessary to put an end to priests and religion as quickly as possible. Popovs should be arrested as counter-revolutionaries and saboteurs, and shot mercilessly and everywhere. And as much as possible. Churches are subject to closure. The temple premises should be sealed and turned into warehouses.” Lenin recommended executions of the clergy more than once.
The activities of the state were aimed at destroying the Church and discrediting Orthodoxy: benefits and loans for sectarians, inspiring schisms, publishing anti-religious literature, creating anti-religious organizations - for example, the “Union of Militant Atheists”, into which young people were driven.
Stalin continued Lenin’s work: “The Party cannot be neutral regarding religion, and it conducts anti-religious propaganda against any and all religious prejudices, because it stands for science, and religion is something opposite to science... Have we suppressed the clergy? Yes, they suppressed it. The only trouble is that it has not yet been completely eliminated.”
The Decree, along with economic indicators, set a goal: by May 1, 1937, “the name of God must be forgotten in the country.”
Looting of the church, post-revolutionary years
Hegumen Damascene (Orlovsky) in his work he writes: “How the arrests and interrogations were made, and how quickly the troikas made decisions on executions, is evidenced by the data of the government commission for the rehabilitation of victims of political repression: in 1937, 136,900 Orthodox clergy were arrested, of which 85,300 were shot; in 1938, 28,300 were arrested, 21,500 were executed; in 1939, 1,500 were arrested and 900 were executed; in 1940, 5,100 were arrested, 1,100 were executed; in 1941, 4,000 were arrested, 1,900 were executed.”(“History of the Russian Orthodox Church in documents of the Presidential Archive Russian Federation"). Most believers were repressed in 1918 and 1937-38.
Only with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War did the repression of clergy reduce its scope. Because the Soviet government decided to use the Church for patriotic propaganda. Temples opened. Parishioners, led by priests, collected money for the front. During the period 1941-43, the Moscow diocese alone donated 12 million rubles for defense needs. But the war ended, and the ungrateful government no longer needed the Church. Since 1948, new arrests of the clergy begin, which continue throughout the period from 1948 to 1953, and churches are closed again.
Tried quickly, shot immediately
There were no lengthy trials against clergy and monks. Their guilt in the eyes of the Bolsheviks was undeniable - religiosity, and the best proof of the crime was the cross on their neck. Therefore, among the New Martyrs and Confessors there are many who were killed on the spot - where they prayed, where they called on God. And any reason could be found.
Archpriest John Kochurov
The very first to suffer for the faith was the new martyr Archpriest Ioann Kochurov, who served in Tsarskoye Selo. He was shot on October 31, 1917 for organizing Procession of the Cross, at which, as the Red Guards decided, he prayed for the victory of the White Cossacks, who defended Tsarskoe Selo, but were forced to retreat. In fact, Father John and other clergy wanted to calm the local residents, frightened by the artillery shelling, and offered prayers for peace.
Here is how an eyewitness talks about the death of the priest:
“Several rifles were raised at the unarmed shepherd. A shot, another - with a wave of his arms, the priest fell face down on the ground, blood staining his cassock. Death was not instantaneous - he was dragged by the hair, and someone suggested “finishing him off like a dog.” The next morning the priest's body was transferred to the former palace hospital. The chairman of the Duma, who visited the hospital, together with one of the vowels, saw the body of the priest, but the silver cross on the chest was no longer there.”
On January 25, 1918, in Kyiv, after the Bolshevik pogrom in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Vladimir (Epiphany) was killed. He was kidnapped and immediately shot by a group of soldiers.
On July 17, 1918, the Imperial family, personifying the Orthodox kingdom, was shot in Yekaterinburg: Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, the princesses and the little heir.
Photo of the family of Emperor Nicholas II
On July 18, 1918, in Alapaevsk, several representatives of the House of Romanov and people close to them were thrown into a mine and thrown with grenades. The Russian Orthodox Church abroad canonized all those killed near Alapaevsk (except for the manager F. Remez) as martyrs. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized only two of them - Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna and nun Varvara, who led a monastic life before their execution. After the death of her husband at the hands of terrorists, Elizaveta Fedorovna founded the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy, whose nuns were engaged in treating the needy and doing charity work. There she was arrested.
Elizaveta Feodorovna and nun Varvara There are children among the new martyrs. The youth Sergius Konev, a pupil of Bishop Hermogenes, considered Vladyka a grandfather. After the arrest and execution of the bishop, the boy told his classmates that his grandfather suffered for his faith in God. Someone passed this on to the Red Army soldiers. They hacked the boy to pieces with swords.
Often during interrogations, security officers tried to get a person to admit to anti-Soviet statements. A formal reason was needed to condemn him as an enemy of the revolution. Therefore, the defendants were forced to slander each other, and cases of counter-revolutionary organizations were fabricated. Believers did not want to testify against their neighbors, and for this they were subjected to torture.
The Lives of the New Martyrs and Confessors are impeccable. They remembered the words of the Gospel:
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but fear Him more who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
(Matt. 10:28)
The informers and slanderers were subsequently not canonized.
The innocence of those affected by repression can be seen immediately.
Priest Alexander Sokolov suffered for organizing walks with prayer services in the surrounding villages. According to investigators, he deliberately distracted collective farmers from harvesting. For which he was shot on February 17, 1938 at the Butovo training ground.
Priest Vasily Nadezhdin read Vasily the Great and John the Evangelist to the youth, talked about his trip to the Diveyevo Monastery, for which he was exiled to the Solovetsky special purpose camp, where he fell ill with typhus and died on February 19, 1930.
Priest John Pokrovsky advised local schoolchildren to pray so that they would remember their lessons better. One of the teachers reported on him. Accused of religious propaganda, the priest was shot on February 21, 1938.
Someone regretted that they no longer celebrated Christmas, someone hosted monks and for this they rested in a mass grave or went on a convoy to the North...
Of course, there were representatives of the clergy and laity who not only declared their faith, but also exposed Soviet power. This criticism was born of Christian beliefs, which did not allow one to put up with the robbery, violence, and devastation that the Bolsheviks brought. It was then that the Church showed that it was with the people, that the priests, whom even in those days the socialists accused of money-grubbing, did not become servants of the new government, but exposed it.
The priests regretted the fate of the repressed Christians, carried them parcels, called on them to pray for the salvation of the country, united parishioners with a word of comfort, for which they were accused of counter-revolutionary activities.
Fresco in the temple with the New Martyrs and Confessors
It took a lot of efforts by the punitive authorities before the remnants of the clergy were driven under the heel of the state. But tens of thousands of New Martyrs and Confessors were already far from the earthly vale, where there is no illness, no sadness, no NKVD, but endless life.
Many repressed priests were fathers of many children; their small children waited for a long time, running out onto the road or sitting by the window for hours. This is mentioned in the Lives. The innocent children did not know that meeting their parents was now possible only in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In almost every Russian family, in every clan, someone was subjected to repression. The biographies of many are half-forgotten, the circumstances of the arrest are unknown, but, as a rule, they were good Christians. Perhaps there are your loved ones among the New Martyrs and Confessors. While not canonized, these people are holy to the all-seeing God.
Lesson of the New Saints
The feat of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church has a deep meaning.
Firstly, he teaches loyalty to Christ. Correct distribution of priorities, when eternal life is preferable to temporary life.
Secondly, calls on you not to deviate from your principles. In a degrading society, do not betray high moral convictions, do not be “like everyone else.”
Third, reminds us that we need to protect the country from shocks that lead to new repressions and new innocent victims.
Fourthly, testifies that if such times have nevertheless come, no force will overcome Orthodoxy and the unbending will of a true Christian.
Fifthly, The New Martyrs and Confessors set a good example for youth. Therefore, it is worth remembering them more often and turning to their Lives in literature and cinema.
They call us to Salvation and help us achieve it.
Holy New Martyrs and Confessors, pray to God for us!
Solovetsky ascetics
One of the largest prisons, where many New Martyrs and Confessors bore their crosses, was the Solovetsky Special Purpose Prison. Here, within the walls of the ancient monastery, from where the Soviet authorities expelled the inhabitants, prisoners lived and died. Over the 20 years of the camp’s existence, more than 50,000 prisoners went through hard labor. Among them are archbishops, archimandrites, hieromonks and pious laymen. From these prayerful walls their souls ascended to God.
Work in the Solovetsky camp
In winter the frost reached thirty degrees, causing people to freeze in unheated punishment cells. In the summer there were clouds of mosquitoes, for which guilty prisoners were left to live.
At each roll call, the guards killed one or three people to intimidate the rest. 7-8 thousand prisoners died every year from tuberculosis, scurvy, and exhaustion. In 1929, a company of prisoners was burned alive for failure to fulfill the labor plan.
Fresco about the suffering of the Confessors on Solovki
They say that on Solovki you can serve the Liturgy anywhere, because the entire Solovetsky land is soaked in the blood of martyrs. It is worth mentioning that the exiled priests, even in the conditions of the camp, performed divine services more than once. Bread and cranberry juice served as communion. The price of the Sacrament could be life.