Martyr Alexander Samoilov

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).

Alexander Samoilov in 1897, being fifteen years old, entered the Transfiguration Monastery of the Moscow province. Uncle and her aunt were also monks. In 1919, the monastery was transformed into a commune, and in this capacity it lasted until 1931, when godless authorities destroyed those monasteries that existed under the guise of labor artels and communes. The monk Alexander returned to her homeland, to the village of Gridnevo, Gzhatsky district of the Smolensk province. Nikita’s father was no longer alive, and she lived with her mother Evdokia - modestly, they were engaged in peasant farming, Alexander performed the monastic rule and sang on the clergy in the church.

On January 27, 1938, the nun Alexander was arrested. A false witness was the assistant to the secretary of the local party cell, who said as if the Martyr Alexander told the monastery women: “In December 1937, elections to the Supreme Council will be held and leaflets will be distributed, and you will vote for antichrist. You have not departed completely from the Lord God, come to your senses and refrain from Antichrist's temptation, hold on to others, for this, God will not leave you and will reward you with the kingdom of God. Your kingdom is not on earth, where is the Antichrist kingdom, your kingdom in heaven. ” Further, the secretary showed that Alexander came to the election to the Supreme Council on December 12, the election commission came to her home and asked why she was not going to vote. She replied: "I am sick and I can’t go to the polls." She was offered to take her on a horse, and then bring her back, but she replied: “Anyway, I won’t go to vote for antichrist, I’m better than a living in the grave and die.” And she seemed to put on a white dress, lay down in bed, crossed her hands on her chest and did not go to the vote.

The investigator asked Alexander:

- In November 1937, you were engaged in reading religious literature among women?
- I read religious literature myself, I have never read religious literature coming.
- December 12, 1937, on the day of elections to the Supreme Council, for what reason did you not come to the vote?
- On the day of elections to the Supreme Council, I did not come to the vote according to my religious beliefs.
- The investigation found that you expressed counter -revolutionary beliefs aimed at disrupting the elections to the Supreme Council.
- I did not express any counter -revolutionary beliefs.
- The investigation has the data that you told members of the election commission to the Supreme Council that you will not vote for antichrist.
- I did not tell anyone that I would not vote for antichrist; I did not take participation in the vote, but for what reason, I can’t say. I do not recognize myself guilty of the spread of counter -revolutionary beliefs.

On March 15, 1938, the Troika of the NKVD sentenced the tok Alexander to the shooting. The monk of Alexander (Samoilov) was shot on March 22, 1938 and buried in a common unknown grave at the Butovo training ground.