the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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appointed rector of the cathedral church in Nizhni-Novgorod. In 1912 he
became a member of the State Duma from the white clergy, but within a year
went into retirement. In 1918, together with Bishop Laurence, he headed a
clergy congress of the Nizhni-Novgorod diocese which called for protests
against the closure of churches and monasteries and the confiscation of
church property. He was accused of calling people to counter-revolutionary
activity.
On the day of his summons to the authorities (after Vladyka Laurence), Fr.
Alexis was in a particularly joyful mood, and he said goodbye to everyone in
the cell in the firm conviction that he was going to be released. However, after
they had been condemned, they were sentenced to be shot. But they were
offered clemency on condition that they renounced their priesthood. They
refused. Then the final sentence was read out.
Vladyka had the Holy Gifts with him. He communed himself and then
communed Fr. Alexis. Vladyka was calm and joyful, Fr. Alexis wept. Vladyka
said: “Why are you weeping, we must rejoice. I’m ready!” Fr. Alexis replied
that he was sorry for his family. Afterwards Fr. Alexis’ daughter told her
mother that she had never seen her father weep. She also said that her father
never served the Liturgy without reading the akathist to the Heavenly Queen,
“the Joy of all who Sorrow”. He died on that day, October 24 / November 6,
1918.
They were led into the garden and placed on the edge of a freshly dug
grave. Vladyka raised his arms and prayed a fiery prayer, while Fr. Alexis
stood with his head lowered, with his hands folded on his breast, repeating
the prayer of the publican: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” The Russian
soldiers refused to shoot because they said that they had heard the chanting
of the Cherubikon. So they summoned some Latvians (according to another
source, Chinese), who carried out the sentence.
At about eleven o’clock, the mother of the woman who gave this account
was standing not far off with some other people when they heard shots in the
garden. Then the lights went out in the house and the drunken Latvians came
out. But the investigator who had conducted the affair, came that night at the
request of Vladyka to the people who were close to him, bringing his things.
He told them everything, threw the things down and went off to his
homeland in Latvia, saying that there had been no substance to the crime.
Vladyka Laurence was tall with blonde hair and light blue eyes, and was a
little hunched. His voice was quiet, and his movements were measured. He
cared little for his outer appearance. He was forty-two years old when he
died. Of his relatives, only his widowed mother survived him.
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