Holy Martyr Priest Viktor Morigerovsky and Martyr Irina Smirnova

The persecution of Soviet power to the Russian Church was such that it was not to say about their faith, but even silently follow it as a feat. The new martyrs and confessors, glorified in the face of the saints did not come: believed, prayed and meekly went to their Calvarys.

“Polit.ru” recalls those who gave their lives for faith and by whose prayers the Russian Church is alive - even if almost nothing came to us besides the name.

Publications were prepared by Kirill Kharatyan (included by the Russian authorities in the register of foreign agents).

Holy Martyr Priest Viktor Morigerovsky and Martyr Irina Smirnova

In 1901, the 29-year-old Victor Morigerovsky was ordained a priest to the Nikolsk Church in the village of Cherlenkovo, Volokolamsk district of the Moscow province.

In 1931, Father Victor was arrested on charges of refusing to fulfill national duties and sentenced to two years in a duty-labor camp, filed a cassation appeal to the court and was justified. In 1933, the authorities again arrested the priest on charges of counter -revolutionary agitation. The three OGPU sentenced him to three years in Kazakhstan. In June 1934, Father Victor returned home and again began to serve in the St. Nicholas Church.

On February 11, 1938, a certificate of the arrest of a priest was drawn up, where, among other permits, it was: “In May 1937, Morigerovsky, near the church, said to believers:“ Orthodox, Soviet power now demands tax payment from the Church, and the funds that are assigned to us, I don’t have a big request: I will have to organize a fee for the Church and the clergy, only so we are only so we are. And we will save our Orthodox faith, we will not let her die from the servants of the Antichrist - the Bolsheviks. ” On January 21, 1938, in the premises of the Cherlenkovsky village council in a conversation with citizen Chukhrov, Morigerovsky said: “Although you are forcing me to abandon the service, I am to help the Church and to preserve the Orthodox faith, I mobilize all the forces of the believers of my arrival and will serve the Orthodox faith until the last days of my life”.

February 16, 1938 Father Victor was arrested.

- January 21, 1938, in the premises of the village council in Cherlenkovo, expressed anger at the Soviet government that the clergy were overlaid with excessive taxes?
- I really was in the Chelkovsky village council, where I was called by the inspector of the district committee on income accounting, but I did not say anything there.
- In May 1937, you conducted counter -revolutionary agitation against the Soviet regime among believers, expressed dissatisfaction with the existing system?
- On this issue I also did not say anything. I consider the testimony against me false.
- Do you find yourself guilty of the charge brought to you?
- I do not admit guilty of myself in the charge brought to me.

Together with Father Viktor Morigerovsky, the headman of the Nikolsky church Irina Smirnova was arrested.

In the certificate drawn up for her arrest, an employee of the NKVD wrote: “He maintains a close connection with the priest Viktor Ivanovich Morigerovsky. They concentrate believers around them, organize fees to help the church and the clergy.

In January 1938, Smirnova said: “According to the Constitution, the Soviet authorities separated the church from the state, and they themselves find fault and are fighting with religion. Now the two priests have been arrested; the poor have been sorry for the poor, but we will not yield, we have taken it, we’ll be called others.”

In November 1937, in a conversation near the church barn, on the topic of life under the Soviet regime, Smirnova said: “There was never and would never have a good life during the Soviet regime, because all the leaders of the Soviet government and the Communists are crooks. Everywhere and everywhere, everything is pulled out everywhere. Here, for example, they were wound all over the church, crushed unfortunate taxes and now stolen, and who? And who? Drag everything to you, and still you have nothing and there is nothing ”.”

Until 1912, Irina Smirnova lived with her parents who had a house with outbuildings at that time, two barn, Riga, a thresher, a crown, horse -drawn linen, had lands for three souls, in addition, rented land from four to five acres from the landowner. For harvesting, they hired labor. They kept a shop with manufactory and groceries. In 1912, Irina married the village of Sutoki for Nikolai Smirnov. The farm had a house with outbuildings, two sheds, barn, riga, thresher, two horses, two cows. In 1913, the husband built a bench in which he opened a grocery trade. Four months later, he was arrested for the murder of a child merchant and sentenced to fifteen years in hard labor. Irina remained to live with her father -in -law, in the inheritance from her husband she got a grocery shop.

Irina had two children at dependent, she could not trade, and her sister traded. Gradually, Irina built a house, Riga and Sarai, started a horse, a cow, three or four sheep. From 1931 to 1936, it was on the collective farm, from where it came out of illness. The economy of the parents was subjected to dispossession under the Soviet regime, they were deprived of electoral rights, and then the father was sent for three years for failure to fulfill the firm assignment. After serving the term, he began to live with her. He lived for three years and died in September 1937.

- The investigation has data that you have a friendly connection with Morigerovsky, organized the masses of believers for fees to help the church and the clergy, often visited the Morigerovsky house, conducted counter -revolutionary campaigning against the events, discredited the leaders of the Soviet regime.
- I and the priest of Morigerovsky maintained friendly communication in the service, the relationship between us was religious. I did not organize fees to help the clergy. I visited his house on officials on Sundays. I did not deal with counter -revolutionary agitation against the Soviet regime.
- You are charged with counter -revolutionary agitation against the events of Soviet power in the village. You admit yourself guilty?
- I do not admit myself to the prosecution of guilty.

On February 27, the Troika of the NKVD sentenced Father Victor and Irina Smirnov to be shot. The priest Viktor Morigerovsky and the headman of the temple Irina Smirnov were shot on March 7, 1938 and buried in an unknown common grave at the Butovo training ground.