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the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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297<br />

Towards <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 1961 he began to feel weaker. Forty days before his<br />

repose, on March 25, 1963, he blessed <strong>the</strong> sewing for him <strong>of</strong> some hierarchical<br />

vestments. Then, on April 17, he summoned his spiritual daughters and said:<br />

"It's time to go home, home, I hear a voice... I don't want to. I'm held back<br />

by my affairs. There is much I have to complete... There will be no better time<br />

to do it... It is terrible to die, one must prepare oneself for it..."<br />

In <strong>the</strong> forty days before his death he <strong>of</strong>ten repeated to his cell-attendant:<br />

"I ask you only one thing: do not place your hope on men, hope only in<br />

God."<br />

On April 17 he summoned his spiritual children for a parting discourse.<br />

From April 28, Vladyka could no longer lie down, but only sat in a chair. A<br />

doctor examined him and said that he had an infarction or sclerosis. On April<br />

30, he stopped eating and drinking. On May 3, Vladyka continued sitting in<br />

his chair with closed eyes. From May 4, he no longer spoke. Vladyka<br />

continued sitting in this chair with his head bent until his death.<br />

Just before his death, on May 6, <strong>the</strong> feast <strong>of</strong> St. George, two tears rolled<br />

down his cheeks. Then he quietly reposed. After his repose, his face lost its<br />

shadow <strong>of</strong> sadness and looked younger and lighter.<br />

At <strong>the</strong> request <strong>of</strong> Zina Petrunevich, Fr. Alexis Glagolev vested him in his<br />

hierarchical vestments and celebrated his funeral service. He was buried in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Baykov cemetery by <strong>the</strong> western wall <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Protecting Veil<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> God.<br />

Hieromonk Cyprian, in <strong>the</strong> world Constantine Alexeyevich Nyelidov, was<br />

born on January 14, 1902 in Kazan (or Nizhni-Novgorod) in <strong>the</strong> family <strong>of</strong> an<br />

oculist. His mo<strong>the</strong>r was from a family <strong>of</strong> Georgian princes; she left her<br />

husband, and his fa<strong>the</strong>r married again and moved to Nizhni-Novgorod.<br />

Constantine was brought up by his grandfa<strong>the</strong>r and grandmo<strong>the</strong>r on his<br />

stepmo<strong>the</strong>r's side, and studied at <strong>the</strong> Nizhegorod nobleman's institute. He<br />

was a subdeacon, first with Bishop Barnabas, and <strong>the</strong>n with Metropolitan<br />

Sergius. In 1925 he was tonsured into <strong>the</strong> mantia and ordained to <strong>the</strong><br />

priesthood by Metropolitan Sergius. In 1928 Metropolitan Sergius sent him<br />

from Nizhni to be with Bishop Barnabas in Kzyl-Orde. After a time Fr.<br />

Cyprian was transferred to <strong>the</strong> little town <strong>of</strong> Aralskoye More. From <strong>the</strong>re, in<br />

1931, Metropolitan Sergius invited him back to Moscow. Arriving in August,<br />

1932, he moved in with <strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Valentina Dolganova, Vitaly Ivanovich<br />

in Ostankino. After a time <strong>the</strong> retired Bishop Barnabas and his spiritual<br />

children arrived <strong>the</strong>re. Fr. Cyprian spent most <strong>of</strong> his time in <strong>the</strong> chancellery <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> Synod and in <strong>the</strong> church <strong>of</strong> St. John <strong>the</strong> Apostle on Tver boulevard, <strong>of</strong><br />

which he was <strong>the</strong> rector. In 1933 he moved to Pushkino. On March 15, 1933 he<br />

297

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