the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

403
horses. He was condemned and served a one year term of corrective
imprisonment for refusing to carry out state requisitions. On March 12, 1932
he expelled the representatives of the state requisitions from his house,
threatening them with a fork, and on May 14 was arrested for being “a
participant in a counter-revolutionary religio-monarchist organization, the
True Orthodox Church”. He died during the investigation.
Ivan Grigoryevich Ayutov was born in 1876 in the village of Akkireyevo,
where he lived. He took part in secret prayer services in houses. In December,
1931 he spoke out at a village meeting, calling on people to refuse to mobilize
their means, to hand over their reserves of bread or to start sowing. He took
part in the organization of a massive demonstration for the forcible removal
of the collective farm’s horses. He conducted systematic agitation calling on
people to refuse to take Soviet documents. On May 14, 1932 he was arrested
for being “a participant in a counter-revolutionary religio-monarchist
organization, the True Orthodox Church”, and on February 7, 1933 was
sentenced to three years in the camps. Nothing more is known about him.
Basil Vasilyevich Vasilyev was born in 1886 in the village of Ulyanovka,
Cheremshan uyezd, Pervomaisk region. An illiterate free peasant, he was
sentenced in 1928 to one year’s imprisonment for spiteful non-fulfilment of
state tasks and was fined 250 rubles. He was also dekulakized. He organized a
group of True Orthodox Christians in Ulyanovka, and conducted secret
prayer meetings, keeping in touch with Priest Modestus.
Basil Matveyevich Astafyev was born in 1880 in the village of Krym-Saraj,
Bugulma uyezd into a peasant family. He was a free peasnt. For systematic
non-fulfilment of state tasks, his property and animals were confiscated. On
May 2, 1932 he was arrested for being “a participant in a counterrevolutionary
religio-monarchist organization, the True Orthodox Church”.
He was accused of leading a branch of the TOC, maintaining contact with the
branch leader, frightening people into leaving the collective farm and calling
on them to refuse to sow. On February 7, 1933 was sentenced to three years in
the camps, and was sent to Siblag. Nothing more is known about him.
Theodore Stepanovich Stepanov lived in the village of Novoye Ilmovo,
Chemyshan uyezd. A kulak and an active parishioner, he helped equip an
underground church. On July 21, 1932 he was arrested for being “a
participant in a counter-revolutionary religio-monarchist organization, the
True Orthodox Church”, and on February 7, 1933 was sentenced to three
years’ exile in the north. Nothing more is known about him.
Nicholas Fyodorovich Fyodorov was born in 1889 in the village of Novoye
Ilmovo. A free peasant and the author of leaflets, he helped equip an
underground church. On July 21, 1932 he was arrested for being “a
participant in a counter-revolutionary religio-monarchist organization, the
403