Martyr Peter Ignatov

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).

Martyr Peter Ignatov

Peter Ignatov is a peasant son from the village of Andreevsky Paliki Zhizdrinsky district of the Bryansk province. He graduated from a rural school. He married a girl from the same village, a round orphan.

In 1926, 25-year-old Peter Ignatov was mobilized for military service in the Red Army and served 3 years as an ordinary. While he was serving, his wife moved to Kuntsevo near Moscow and got a job at the Tkachya factory. During this time, she completely stuck in her heart to God and the Church, led a monastic way of life and outwardly began to resemble a nun. After demobilization, Peter settled with his wife in Kuntsevo. Peter was very surprised by the piety of his wife, deeply thought about it, reached for her into the temple.

In 1933, the couple went to their homeland to the Bryansk region. In 1934 they returned to Kuntsevo and settled in a hostel. Peter Ignatov worked in a warehouse. They lived according to the commandments of the Lord, read spiritual books, had spiritual conversations about what they read. The life of the spouses became truly monastic, and they no longer thought about marital carnal life, but thought about how to escape, how to please God. Even outwardly, the appearance of Peter Ignatov changed, and he began to look more like a monk than a layman. The spouses often visited the church in Kuntsevo and in Moscow, found a spiritual mentor-old man in the person of one of the monks living in Sergiev Posad, who, after the closing of the laurel, settled near the monastery.

In October-NKVD, the NKVD investigator called a warehouse employee for interrogation, where Peter Ignatov worked and received evidence from him: “Ignatovs are deeply convinced by the believers of the Orthodox Confession, I knew this from a conversation with them, especially with Peter Ivanovich. In meetings with them, conversations were always held on religious topics. Pyotr Ivanovich said that life on Earth is only a temporary life, but that there is still an eternal life, and who is an unbeliever on Earth, the eternal torment awaits that. He also said that in the Holy Scripture it is said that you need to love your neighbors, forgive the insults to your enemies, etc. I liked such conversations with Ignatovs on religious topics and influenced me. In a conversation, sometimes Pyotr Ivanovich said that now the authorities oppresses believers, closes the church, but at the same time added that all power from God and that “we, sinful, the Lord sent such power for sins and have to endure.”

On November 3, 1937, the head of the warehouse was interrogated, where Peter Ivanovich worked. He showed: “From the political side, I can characterize the Ignatovs, as people, hostile against the existing system and events of the Soviet regime ... According to Ignatov, a very religious woman remained on their beliefs. Ignatov from religious beliefs never shaved. They both really observe religious rites, very often visit the church both in Kuntsev and in Moscow ... At the time when he served as a watchman, his duty sometimes coincided with religious holidays, and in such cases he hired other watchmen, and he always went to the temple. Once I invited him to join the trade union, but, despite the great explanatory work, he refused to join that he could not give any benefit to him and, according to his religious beliefs, he could be in the trade union. At the time of the implementation of the defense loan, he, despite the explanatory campaign for this loan and, despite the fact that he earned decently, categorically refused to subscribe to such, saying that "if necessary, he will hunt for the Orthodox faith with hunting."

- What do you know about the counter -revolutionary activities of the Ignatovs?
- Peter Ivanovich is proud that he is a believer. In an interview with the workers of the warehouse in my presence, he said that the Orthodox faith is the only right faith, if anyone does not observe this faith, he will forever burn in the fire in this world and suffer. At the same time, he said that the Soviet government, the Communists in vain oppressed believers, close the churches, forbid prayers in the open air, they commit a great sin before God, for which they will keep an answer in the next world.

On the same day, November 3, 1937, the Ignatov’s couple were arrested and imprisoned in different prisons of Moscow. Peter Ignatov was imprisoned in the Taganskaya prison. The spouses were accused of “they were recruited into the sect of“ gospel Christians ”and conducted active counter -revolutionary activities among the population of the city of Kuntsevo, and recruited youth to their sect”. The Ignatovs showed that “the members of the sect of evangelical Christians” were never consisted, they had no idea about this sect and did not engage in any sectarian c/r, belonged to the old Tikhonovsky Orthodox Church.

To the investigator’s question, what his faith is, Peter Ignatov replied:

- I belong to the old Tikhonovsky Orthodox Apostolic Church. My faith is that I often visit the church where I pray to God. From the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the Orthodox Church, I know that the earthly life is temporary, but there is eternal life in this light; The Holy Scripture also teaches you to forgive the offenses of the enemies.
- The testimony found the testimony that you and your wife, the consequences of the sect of “gospel Christians”, are recruiting youth to your sect, arrange in your apartment and in the dormitory of the gathering, where you conduct spiritual conversations.
- I categorically deny my belonging to the sect of “gospel Christians” and I have no idea about this sect, I never did the recruiting of believers, I did not suit my apartment and did not suit the hostel. Sometimes I had to say with believers in the church and near the fact that the Soviet government oppresses believers and closes the church ... I can’t add anything more.

On November 19, 1937, Peter Ignatov was sentenced to 8 years in a forced labor camp.

Pyotr Ignatov was sent to the Norilsk correctional labor camp, to the city of Norilsk.

On November 14, 1941, he died in conclusion.