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the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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after <strong>the</strong> arrest <strong>of</strong> her husband, she lived next to <strong>the</strong> church in <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong><br />

Khlebnikov, Mari-Tureksky region. On February 3, 1931 she was arrested for<br />

being “a participant in a counter-revolutionary organization <strong>of</strong> churchmen,<br />

‘<strong>the</strong> True <strong>Orthodox</strong> Church’”, and on December 14 was sentenced to ten<br />

months and eleven days incarceration. On her release she went round <strong>the</strong><br />

villages taking part in secret services. On August 7, 1937 she was arrested “for<br />

counter-revolutionary agitation among <strong>the</strong> population”. On August 19 she<br />

was sentenced to death, and on September 6 was shot.<br />

Priest Andrew Anisimovich Otmakhov was born in 1857 in <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong><br />

Yelembayevo, Novotoryalsk uyezd, Nizhegorod province into a peasant<br />

family, and received an elementary education. He was <strong>the</strong> priest <strong>of</strong> his native<br />

village. On December 14, 1929 he was arrested for being “a participant in <strong>the</strong><br />

counter-revolutionary monarchist organization, <strong>the</strong> ‘Victorites’”, and on<br />

February 19, 1930 was sentenced to five years in <strong>the</strong> camps and sent to a<br />

camp. Nothing more is known about him.<br />

Priest Alexander Borisovich Kuznetsov was born in 1886 in <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong><br />

Laspa, Don province. Before <strong>the</strong> revolution he was a police superintendent,<br />

<strong>the</strong>n assistant chief <strong>of</strong> police. In 1914 he was ordained to <strong>the</strong> priesthood and<br />

served in church. In <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1920s he was exiled to Mari province. In<br />

October, 1929 he was arrested for being “a participant in a counterrevolutionary<br />

group <strong>of</strong> clergy and believers, <strong>the</strong> followers <strong>of</strong> Bishop Victor<br />

(Ostrovidov)”, and on January 13, 1930 was sentenced to three years in <strong>the</strong><br />

camps and sent to a camp. Nothing more is known about him.<br />

Priest Lucian Georgievich Vasenev was born in 1900 in <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong><br />

Staraya Pizhanka, Orshansk region, in <strong>the</strong> Mari republic into a peasant<br />

family. His parents were believing people, and he had an elder bro<strong>the</strong>r,<br />

Arcadius, and a younger, Peter. He went to a two-class church-parish school.<br />

According to one source, he worked in his fa<strong>the</strong>r’s fields before joining <strong>the</strong><br />

Holy Trinity – St. Sergius Lavra, where he was tonsured with <strong>the</strong> name<br />

Lucian. In 1915 he went to <strong>the</strong> front, in 1916 fell into captivity, and in 1919<br />

returned to Russia, where he worked as a peasant in <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong><br />

Dneprokamenka. According to ano<strong>the</strong>r source, however, in about 1920 he<br />

married Alexandra Petrovna Kirtayeva from <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong> Negodyayevo,<br />

Mari republic. They had one daughter, but she died young. According to one<br />

source, from 1923 he was serving as a reader in <strong>the</strong> church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong><br />

Ernur, in 1924 was ordained to <strong>the</strong> diaconate, serving in Orshansk, and in<br />

1925 was made hieromonk, serving in <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong> Makmanur. According to<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r source, however, Fr. Lucian became a priest in about 1923, and<br />

served in <strong>the</strong> nearest church, probably that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong> Azanovo. His<br />

wife was <strong>the</strong> main chanter. As he said later, he married her because she had<br />

<strong>the</strong> voice <strong>of</strong> a nightingale. According to one source, on October 25, 1927 he<br />

was arrested and sentenced to three years’ exile. At <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> 1928 he<br />

was sent to <strong>the</strong> north. Under <strong>the</strong> influence <strong>of</strong> Protopriest John Fokin, he<br />

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