the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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Bolsheviks. Besides, almost all the members of the diocesan council were out
of the city at that moment. So Archimandrite Joasaph was forced to take on
the administration of the Kazan diocese alone.
On September 20, while he was celebrating the Liturgy in the Spassky
monastery, a red commander burst into the altar and declared that the
Kremlin was to be closed to the public and declared a military citadel. The
Kremlin churches were closed on September 22, and Archimandrite Joasaph
decided to remove the most venerated holy objects. The authorities allowed
this on condition that a list of those taking part in the removal should be
submitted to them, and that no chanting take place during the transfer.
Finally, with the help of the nuns of the Monastery of the Mother of God,
the relics of Saints Gurias and Barsanuphius, the icon of St. Barbara with part
of her relics, the icons of the All-Merciful Saviour and other holy objects were
transferred in a silent procession to the Kazan monastery.
The Bolsheviks then began looting the churches in the Kremlin and
shooting several priests in the Kazan region. News of these shootings reached
the diocesan council headed by Archimandrite Joasaph, and he inscribed the
martyrs' names into the martyrologies and diptychs. These acts were
confirmed by Bishop Anatolius, who returned to Kazan on September 26 and
took over the leadership of the diocese.
With the approach of Kolchak's armies, the Kremlin was again opened to
the public. Archimandrite Joasaph took a leading part in the restoration work
which then began. And it was he who served the first service in the cathedral
church on March 25, 1920 (old style).
In April, 1920, Patriarch Tikhon learned that Metropolitan James was not
intending to return to Kazan, so he appointed Metropolitan Cyril (Smirnov) to
take his place. Metropolitan Cyril was met with great joy by the citizens of the
city.
On July 12, Archimandrite Joasaph was consecrated bishop of Mamadysh,
a vicariate of the Kazan diocese, by Metropolitan Cyril and Bishop Peter
(Zverev) of Balakhinsk. He was appointed to live in the Kizichesky monastery
and remained superior of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery. In the same
month he was arrested and cast into Butyrki prison in Moscow, but was
released on August 23 after promising not to leave the city.
On August 6 Metropolitan Cyril was arrested in his chambers and taken to
Moscow. This greatly sorrowed the citizens of Kazan, but they were able to
form links with Moscow and supply the metropolitan with all that he needed.
The Orthodox in the region were now led by Bishops Anatolius and Joasaph,
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