 |
| Thecla Vasilyevna Makusheva |
Thecla Vasilyevna Makusheva was born in 1900 in the village of Polukhtino, Belkovsky uyezd, Ryazan province into a peasant family. A free peasant, she was married with two children. In the 1930s she was condemned for “anti-Soviet activity”. She was the closest helper of Elder Gennadius [Molostov] and accompanied him on trips around his hiding-places. She was a messenger for him and carried out various tasks.
On June 22, 1949 she was arrested in connection with the group case of “the anti-Soviet underground of churchmen”, and was sent for further investigation to the inner prison. She was accused that: “after release from prison she renewed her anti-Soviet activity and established links with Molostov, joining the anti-Soviet underground of churchmen and becoming one of those most trusted by him. She
was an active participant in the anti-Soviet underground and took measures to protect Molostov from arrest by the organs of Soviet power, carrying out his commands on links with the other leaders and participants in the underground. On February 13, 1950 she was sentenced to eight years in the camps and sent to Osoblag no. 4 (Dzhezkasgan camp). Nothing more is known about her.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |
| Hieromonk Gennadius (Molostov) |
Hieromonk Gennadius, in the world George Matveyevich Molostov, was born on April 27, 1902 in the village of Dmitrievo, Kasimov uyezd, Ryazan province into a peasant family. At the beginning of spring, 1922, while returning home from his elder sister’s, he fell into a river, suffered hypothermia and lost both legs. At first he lived with his mother, then, from 1927, in the family of his brother Peter.
He was the spiritual son of Hieromonk Dionysius of the Paraclete skete. He became known among believers as “a sick and God-pleasing person”, was thought to be clairvoyant and had many admirers.
In 1935 he was arrested for “counter-revolutionary activity”, and on August 2 was sent for forcible treatment. In 1938, after hearing of the arrests of several priests known to him, he went over to an illegal position. Until 1945 he hid in the house of Praskovya Sokolova in the village of Novlyandy
(Novodurovo), Ryazan province, then in other houses and villages of Vladimir and Ryazan provinces. He was secretly tonsured.
(Novodurovo), Ryazan province, then in other houses and villages of Vladimir and Ryazan provinces. He was secretly tonsured.
In the night of June 18-19, 1949 he was arrested without documents in his specially equipped underground hiding-place in the village of Syntul, Belkovsky region, Ryazan province. He was sent for further investigation to the inner prison. He was accused that: “being hostile to Soviet power, for a series of years he grouped around himself reactionary churchmen, out of whom he created an anti-Soviet underground. He directed the practical activity of the underground, and prepared the most active among them for tonsure and passing over to an illegal position.” On February 13, 1950 he was sentenced to ten years in the camps. He was sent to Verkhne-Uralsk prison. On June 24, 1954 he was released. Nothing more is known about him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |
| Schema-Archimandrite Paisius (Rozhnov) |
Schema-Archimandrite Paisius, in the world Peter Petrovich Rozhnov was born in 1880 in the village of Kadom, Kadom uyezd, Ryazan province into a merchant’s family. He went to three classes of a city school. In 1897 he became a novice in the Holy Transfiguration monastery at Kurovskaya station, Orekhovo- Zuyevo region, Moscow province. In 1909 he was tonsured with the name Paisius. In 1916 he was ordained to the priesthood and served in a church of the monastery. In 1929, after the closure of the monastery, he returned to his native village, and in 1931 was sent by Bishop Juvenal of Ryazan to serve as rector of the church in the village of Lyubovnikovo, Sasov region, Ryazan province.
In 1933 Bishop Juvenal secretly made him archimandrite, and later he took the schema. He was sent to work as abbot of a secret monastery, for which he was constantly carrying out secret tonsures.
In 1938, after the closure of the village church, he set up a secret house church in his flat, where on feasts he served secret services. Before his arrest he had tonsured more than 100 people there.
In 1938, after the closure of the village church, he set up a secret house church in his flat, where on feasts he served secret services. Before his arrest he had tonsured more than 100 people there.
On the night of August 23-24, 1949 he was arrested in Lyubovnikovo in a group case of churchmen. During the search two declarations from a bishop to him were found, as well as a large correspondence, and also a burial shroud and monastic vestments. He was sent for further investigation to the inner prison. On October 10 he was accused that: “being a convinced monarchist, he is the ideological leader of the anti-Soviet underground of churchmen, directing its activity to the undermining of enterprises undertaken by the Soviet government and to the spreading of monarchist ideas among the population”. On February 13, 1950 he was sentenced to ten years in the camps and sent to Verkhne-Uralsk prison.
On March 23 he died in Gorky prison hospital.