The 20th century was remembered for its cruelty towards the Orthodox. Temples and monasteries were closed, priests and members of their families were shot, ordinary believers were ridiculed. And someone, like Olga Evdokimova, accepted death for their faith.
Biography
Let's go back to the end of the 19th century, when tsarist Russia still existed, people were God-fearing, often visited the temple and firmly followed the teachings of Christ. In those years, the future New Martyr Evdokimova Olga Vasilievna was born. She was born in the village of Novorozhdestveno, Ruza district, Moscow region. Today it has practically disappeared, according to 2008 data, only three people lived there.
Olga's father was a forester, her mother was a pious woman who raised her children in the Christian faith. Olga Evdokimova, together with her parents, visited the church in honor of John the Baptist, located in her native village.
Time passed, the girl grew up, turned into a beauty. She graduated from a rural school, married a peasant, Pyotr Mikhailovich Evdokimov. The husband was much older than Olga,serve in the army in 1905, work as a watchman, become a factory worker. He died in 1921, leaving a young widow with two small children in her arms.
Beginning of persecution
According to the biography, Olga Evdokimova was just over forty years old when the Moscow Regional Executive Committee decided to close the temple in the village of Novorozhdestveno. In anticipation of the commission, which should carry out the sentence, people gathered in the church, not wanting to give it into the hands of the atheists. Despite massive protests, the temple was closed. However, the keys remained in the hands of his parishioners.
The closure of the temple took place in October 1936, and a year later the priest and the whole parable were arrested. Evdokimova Olga Vasilievna was among the prisoners, the woman behaved boldly, directly answering the questions of the investigator.
Interrogation
What happened in the stuffy and cramped office, when the brave parishioner was interrogated, we will never know. It remains to be content with the data that happened to be found in the protocols, and distant evidence passed from mouth to mouth.
From Olga Evdokimova, they demanded only one thing: to testify against the priests, the church warden and the psalmist, confirming their involvement in anti-Soviet activities. But the woman categorically refused to do so, despite all the torment she had endured.
She was required to tell about her connection with church ministers, Olga answered that she considered the priests to be her spiritual mentors, they had a connection onbased on religious beliefs, in addition, the woman took the priests to the apartment and was an active parishioner of the church in honor of John the Baptist.
Apparently, the investigator was not satisfied with this answer, he continued to press on the brave woman, accusing her of counter-revolutionary activities. It meant some cries to the Soviet power and a call to fight against it.
In fact, Olga Evdokimova did not call anyone anywhere, she defended her church together with its other parishioners. The cries addressed to the authorities were the usual calls to choose a person from among the believers, to send him with a petition to Moscow so that the temple would not be closed. The woman embarked on the path when it is necessary to defend her faith, choosing between God and earthly power. Olga chose the Lord, for which she was arrested.
Death
There was no execution of an Orthodox Christian woman, although in the country of the Soviets they preferred to get rid of priests and believers in this way. She was simply arrested and sentenced to ten years. Olga was sent to a forced labor camp to serve her sentence. It happened at the end of October 1937, six months later, in February, a woman gave her soul to God.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day of Martyr Olga Evdokimova falls on February 10, when she died. In 2005, by the decision of His Holiness the Patriarch, the woman was ranked among the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia of the 20th century.
Conclusion
Behind the above lines - the whole life of an ordinary woman. It would seem that a simple peasant woman, buthow much was given to her. She was honored to become a martyr for Christ, was not afraid and did not depart from Him in the most terrible moments of her life.
How many of them are new martyrs that the world doesn't know about yet? God alone knows that Olga Evdokimova has been glorified as a saint.
Holy New Martyr Olga, pray to God for us!
