the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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34. HIEROMARTYRS AND MARTYRS OF PENZA, TAMBOV,
LIPETSK AND MORDOVIA PROVINCES
Sergius Dlugokansky came from a well-known family of landowners in
Kozlov, Tambov province. On their estate they often had evening meetings at
which secular and spiritual literature was read and they discussed religiophilosophical
questions. The Dlugokansky house was open not only for
nobility, but for all. One member of the family, Julia Ivanovna, went to Optina
and was a spiritual daughter of Elder Nectarius. Sergius Dlugokansky was a
student at one of the Moscow institutes of higher education. He was a
member of the Russian Christian Student Movement. In the summer of 1917
he came home with a Moscow friend of his to spend the holidays in Kozlov.
He decided to visit the village. His mother tried to dissuade him – since the
February revolution estates had been burned and people had been killed
without trial or investigation. “What are you frightened of?” replied Sergius,
“the peasants have always loved us so much.” He and his friend set off for the
estate. In the village they were captured by a savage band of “peasant
revolutionaries”. Sergius understood everything and only asked for one thing
– for time for him and his friend to pray a little before death. A few minutes
later the youths were stabbed with pitchforks and killed.
*
Protopriest Lvov was serving in the city of Elatma, Tambov province. On
March 3, 1918 he was shot with eight laymen of the city when it was seized by
the Red Army in order to frighten the local population.
*
Priest Vladimir Ivanovich Daroshevsky was born in the village of
Znamenskoye, Ardatov region, Mordovia, where he also served. On
September 1, 1918 he was sentenced to death, and was shot.
*
Priest Demetrius Petropavlovsky was serving in Tambov province. In
November, 1918 he was shot by a punitive detachment of Red Army soldiers.
*
Priests Alexander Dmitrievsky and Alexis Dobrokhotov were serving in
the village of Bondari, Tambov province. They were shot at 4 a.m. on
November 3, 1918 by a punitive unit together with all the lower clergy,
including Michael and John (surnames unknown), 24 martyrs in all, and
were buried in the village cemetery in a common grave.
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