 |
| John Molchanov with his wife Natalie Stepanovna in Kharkov |
One year, Ivan had a big harvest of wheat which filled his grain silos, leaving further fields to be harvested. He advanced his brother some 6 sacks of the grain. Following this, one fine day a large cloud appeared sending hailstones which destroyed his unharvested fields. Arriving at the fields, he viewed the scene and exclaimed: “It’s only my grain that has been destroyed!”
Not pondering over why the Lord was punishing him, Ivan smugly thought that he still had a great stockpile of wheat. Buying some vodka and arriving at home, he sat down at the table to celebrate and said to his wife: “Go and get me some ham”. She then went to the storehouse and carelessly overturned a lit kerosene lamp. The storehouse was enveloped in flames and because he was unloved for his miserly character, not one villager came to help fight the fire. As a consequence, the building with all the stored grain was razed to the ground.
In the morning, Ivan decided to demand the return of the 6 bags of wheat from his brother. When he came to the house, he heard loud sobbing from his brother’s Pelagia. As it happened, his brother passed away in the morning. After the funeral, he began to demand the wheat from Pelagia. She replied: “Here, I have 6 children: take and rear them, and when they grow up, they will be able to work off the cost of the grain.” Upon hearing these words, Ivan realized that God had punished him for his stinginess. He went to church and repented before the whole congregation. In autumn, he passed away with repentance to God.
Shortly after, three of Pelagia’s children died, leaving a son Vassili and 2 daughters. Later, Vassili left the village and wanted his friend John (Molchanov) to go with him. But John refused, not knowing what lay ahead.
John Gerasimovich Molchanov was born in 1896, and his wife’s name was Natalie Stepanovna. Eleven children were born in this family, while 4 died in their infant stages. The family lived in great poverty, and John had to travel long distances in order to earn a living. In 1935, he left for Suhoom, where he labored for 2 years without any days off.
In July of 1937, he came home late at night and the following morning, was arrested with 15 other villagers for being loyal to the Tsar and for agitating against the Soviet authorities. Efforts to prove that he only just came home were proven fruitless.
The 16 villagers were sent to one of the labour camps in Siberia. There the interrogations of the innocent villagers continued.
One of the young militia-men, who was conveying them, took a liking to Ivan and said to him: “Uncle, I feel very sorry for you. Admit that you are guilty: you will spend 10 years in confinement and then return to your children to spend time with them. But if you claim innocence, you will be shot”.
John heeded his words and acknowledged his guilt. Soon after, the other 15 villagers were shot because they wouldn’t plead to being guilty, while John had to endure his cross of confession in a Siberian camp. His wife sent him parcels with tobacco in them. As he wasn’t a smoker, he traded them with other inmates for the rationed bread, which allowed him to survive.
During the war, the village church was re-opened and the services were conducted by Father Kirill of the ROC MP. Together with others, Natalie became a parishioner and shortly afterwards was appointed to be in charge of candle sales. But soon, the Molchanov family met the Catacomb priests: Fr. Vasilli from Sadov, Hieromonk Alexis Kozyaev and Hieromonk Pimen from Staraya Steblevka. This almost immediately had a great influence on Natalie, and thereafter she and her children went under the spiritual direction of the Catacomb pastors and ceased to commune with Father Kirill.
 |
| Hieromonk Alexis Kozyaev |
In the summer of 1947, John returned home at the age of 51, looking like a very old man. He then became a spiritual child of the Catacomb priests. Later, he secured a job as a watchman at the local mill, where he was highly respected.
 |
| Sitting: John Molchanov with his wife Natalia holding their grandson Vasily. In the rear are their daughters, from left to right: Olga, Paraskeva and Antonina. Photo from autumn 1947. |
Gradually, his children left home. His daughters Nina, Olga and Paraskeva settled in the township of Kharkov, and became zealous Catacombniks belonging to the community directed by Father Nicetas (Lekhan). Olga became the choir director having being taught by the old Pokrov church choirmaster Trofim Apollonov. Later, when Nina became a widow, she became a nun and died as the Nun Arsenia.
 |
| Fr. Nicetas Lekhan of Kharkov |
The daughters visited their parents and excitedly spoke about Father Nicetas, offering to resettle them in Kharkov. After some deliberation, John said: “Carry my bones to Father Nicetas!” The daughters then joyfully resettled their parents in Kharkov. When John was working as a watchman at the mill, his son had tried to persuade him to lodge a request for the re-examination of his case and the acknowledgement of his innocence. This was tied in with the issue of his pension. But John flatly refused, firmly declaring: “I sat for the Tsar!!!” Thereafter, his son never raised the question again.
As the year 1977 arrived, John’s health noticeably deteriorated. On the Feast-day of the Ascension, Father Nicetas gave him Holy Communion, and he completely ceased to speak. On Friday before Holy Trinity day, he began to speak again: asking everyone to forgive him, and with his daughters’ singing during the Vespers – which was conducted in his room - he peacefully committed his soul into God’s hands after partaking of Holy Communion. His God-loving wife Natalie reposed in 1984. Both are buried in Lizagubov near Kharkov.
Forty years after his death and on the eve of commemoration of the Royal Martyrs, John appeared to his daughter in a dream and said: “I suffered 10 years for the Tsar and it wiped off many sins. And you dearest daughter, honor Tsar Nicholas II, he will help you!”.
 |
| Saint Tsar Nicholas II (The text above has been kindly translated by Seraphim Larin) |