the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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In 1918 the Bolsheviks destroyed the monastery and expelled the abbess,
robbing her of everything. The peasants of the surrounding villages received
her and gave her all the necessities of life. After the thieves had left, the
inhabitants returned to the monastery and called the abbess. Christian life
again began to be set in order. But the nuns did not have long to rejoice in the
gifts of grace-filled labour and prayer. The atheists destroyed the monastery
to the foundations, and the abbess settled in a wood not far from Vasilsursk.
She lived in poverty, praying a great deal, especially at night. All those
seeking spiritual consolation went to her. She belonged to the Catacomb
Church.
In the winter of 1953 she fell ill, lay in bed for nine weeks, and died on the
third day after the Meeting of the Lord - February 5/18. Abbess Agnia was
buried in the cemetery in Vasilsursk. Her grave is greatly venerated,
especially by the Mari.
*
One of the spiritual children of Fr. Vyacheslav Leontiev was Blessed
Varenka, or Barbara Pavlovna Shulayeva. She was born in 1914 in the village
of Maidany, Pilninsky uyezd, Nizhni-Novgorod province, into a peasant
family. The family worked on weekdays and went to church on Sundays.
Varenka, who was no different from other peasant children, also went to
church with her parents.
But once, when she was thirteen years old, she saw in her sleep a church
and a Woman in monastic vesture, and many people around her. The eyes of
all were directed upon her; they went up to her reverently and received her
blessing. And Varenka very much wanted to receive her blessing. She got up
after the others - there were nuns there, as well as priests - and went closer
and closer to her. Finally she came up to her and asked:
"Give the blessing."
"No, I only bless the weekdayers, who go to church on weekdays."
And such sorrow gripped the heart of the girl, she so wanted to receive her
blessing, that from that day she began to go to church every day. And so that
people should not laugh at her for going to church every day like a nun,
Varenka wrapped her face in a scarf and went to the church through the
kitchen gardens.
Some time later, she for the first time fell asleep in a special way and slept
for several days. In her sleep she saw the habitations of Paradise and hell and
what awaits a man after his death.
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