New Martyrs and Confessors of Russian Church
Commemorated on the Sunday, after January 25th, Russian Orthodox Church - the Moscow Patriarchate
Today we commemorate the uncounted millions of faithful who
suffered and died at the hands of the Soviet atheists. These include the
Tsar-martyr Nicholas II and the rest of the Russian Royal Family (July 4);
Patriarch Tikhon (March 24); Grand Duchess Elizabeth (July 5); thousands of
martyrs, both clergy and laity, whose names are known; but also millions upon
millions of simple believers whose names have been lost to history. The number
of the New Martyrs of Russia far exceeds all those from the "Age of the
Martyrs," the first three centuries of Christianity. May their memory be
eternal.
The date of this commemoration was first set by the Russian Orthodox Church
Outside Russia in 1981, then adopted by the Moscow Patriarchate in 1992. About
1050 new martyrs were glorified by the Patriarchate in 2000, and many more are
expected to be recognized in coming years.
