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the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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125<br />

On August 30, 1930 (according to ano<strong>the</strong>r source, in April) Vladyka<br />

Nectarius, Fr. Arcadius, and Eugenia and Olga Antipina and o<strong>the</strong>rs were<br />

arrested in Tataria in connection with <strong>the</strong> affair <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> counter-revolutionary<br />

organization, "The True <strong>Orthodox</strong> Church", which supposedly existed in<br />

Tataria and <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn parts <strong>of</strong> Kirov region. Vladyka was arrested for<br />

being “<strong>the</strong> leader <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> anti-Soviet church-monarchist pogrom branch <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

‘True <strong>Orthodox</strong> Church’ in Kazan”. Later came <strong>the</strong> arrests <strong>of</strong> Fr. Nicholas<br />

Galakhov, his fa<strong>the</strong>r, Fr. James Galakhov, and Fr. Eulampius. Bishop<br />

Nectarius, Fr. Nicholas Troitsky and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Nicholas Petrov (who were<br />

arrested <strong>the</strong> next day), toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> retired Bishop Ioasaph (Udalov),<br />

were imprisoned in <strong>the</strong> OGPU's isolator in <strong>the</strong> Tatar republic, while <strong>the</strong> rest<br />

were placed in <strong>the</strong> Kazan prisoner transit house.<br />

Vladyka did not conceal his contacts with <strong>the</strong> Josephites, but he was<br />

careful to mention <strong>the</strong> names only <strong>of</strong> people who had already been shot or<br />

were in prison or exile. On September 1, 1930 he said during interrogation: "I<br />

do not know why I have been arrested, but I think that I have been arrested as<br />

a counter-revolutionary. Prayer takes place in my flat-cell on Sundays and <strong>the</strong><br />

twelve major feasts; among <strong>the</strong> worshippers with me are people from <strong>the</strong><br />

Yaransk diocese, parishes which do not recognise Metropolitan Sergius and<br />

his Synod. I am a true supporter <strong>of</strong> Patriarch Tikhon and strive to be such,<br />

and am ready to die for that... Among <strong>the</strong> regular worshippers <strong>the</strong>re are also<br />

inhabitants <strong>of</strong> Kazan, but I cannot say who <strong>the</strong>y are or give <strong>the</strong>ir names, since<br />

I consider that to be betrayal..."<br />

Fur<strong>the</strong>r interrogations took place on June 5, June 12 and July 20, 1931. At<br />

one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se, when asked about his helpers, he said: “I cannot give an<br />

enlightening reply on <strong>the</strong> essence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> matter because <strong>of</strong> my loss <strong>of</strong> memory,<br />

and also because <strong>of</strong> my extreme weakness <strong>of</strong> mind since birth.” Never<strong>the</strong>less,<br />

at ano<strong>the</strong>r interrogation he did give <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> his Helper – albeit in <strong>the</strong><br />

fashion <strong>of</strong> a fool for Christ: “I was regularly visited by Maria Yakimovna<br />

Davydova, but she does go to people like you, while you have no access to<br />

her. She lives in <strong>the</strong> Kingdom <strong>of</strong> Heaven.” He meant <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> God…<br />

On January 26, 1932 Vladyka Nectarius was sentenced to ten years on<br />

Solovki (or <strong>the</strong> Prorvinsky camp). He was <strong>the</strong> only one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 33 o<strong>the</strong>r clergy<br />

to receive ten years; <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs were sentenced to three years in correctivelabour<br />

camps. On Solovki he continued to participate in services <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Josephite Catacomb Church. In 1935 he was transferred to <strong>the</strong> Prorvinsky<br />

corrective-labour camp in Western Kazakhstan. (From 1935 to 1937, however,<br />

according to one source, he was serving secretly in Kazan.)<br />

Once <strong>the</strong> Catacomb Christian Elisha Ilyich visited Vladyka on Solovki. The<br />

policeman replied that that it was impossible that day – but <strong>the</strong> next day he<br />

could see him. And he asked: “Who is he to you?” “A distant relative.” “And<br />

125

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