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"There was in the Church of St. Nicholas the Great Cross a young girl who was very modest and pretty. She sang in the choir. Her entire family was religious, and therefore they did not recognize the Sergian Church. We met, and Andryusha and I went more than once to their dacha [country house] near Moscow. Her name was Vera and she worked at the main post office in Moscow, she was friendly and pretty.
One day, some head from the GPU came to her department on business. He became interested in her and began to talk to her, to the horror of her and also her family. He even asked for their address. Then after having frightened everyone, of course, he arrived unexpectedly at their dacha. After all, the intentions of these terrible people could never be known.
After saying hello, he took out a box of cakes, which at that time was inaccessible to a mere mortal, and gave them to Verochka [Vera], and asked to be allowed in as a guest. He began to come often and take care of her. Probably everyone, under the dress, was slowly crossing themselves, asking to get rid of such a guest, but there was nothing to be done. Once he caught me and Andryusha with them. He looked to be in his 30s and of a rather interesting appearance. Upon this, we almost immediately went for a walk, well except for Verochka's father and mother. Andryusha and I hastened to retreat.
Verochka said that she might like him, but the mere thought that he was not only the head of a GPU department, but, as he himself said, the head of church affairs, repelled and horrified her.
He proposed. She refused. 'How can I be your wife when you are not only not a believer, but a persecutor of the Church? - and I can never agree to this regardless of anything.'
During conversations, he tried in every possible way to tear her away from faith in God, but she was unshakable, especially since she was one of the favorite spiritual daughters of the tortured Father Alexander. He, however, did not give up and threatened to shoot her and himself, moreover, once he even took out a revolver and pointed it at her.
And so, he continued to visit her. The family's condition was terrible. Neither sleep nor food came to mind. They had only one pressing conversation: how will it all end - with revenge or will he finally leave her alone? Verochka darted about like a captured bird, trying to escape from the hawk's claws.
Once, while working at the post office she was called and given a summons to appear immediately at the GPU Lubyanka station. It turned out to be a summons to his office. He told her to pick up the phone and she picked up the second one and listened. He was calling Metropolitan Sergius.
'Listen to the conversation,' he told her. The conversation was about the destruction of one of the churches in Moscow, and Sergius not only did not protest, but took part in this terrible deed, giving his consent.
[Fr. Seraphim Rose reveals that Princess Natalia "in her book offers a first-hand account of how Metropolitan Sergius personally, without pressure from the authorities, suggested which churches should be closed or blown up, and which clergy should be arrested." We pray that one day this entire book will finally be translated and published in the English language! - editor.]
'Did you hear?' said the chief. 'This is the kind of clergy you venerate.' She replied that this conversation could not shake her faith in God, but what about the metropolitan? She had not recognized Sergius previously, but now she was convinced that she was not mistaken about him.
The chief told her: 'My mother was a believer, and I prayed until the years of my maturity, but one incident, which I will not talk about, affected me so much that it led to godlessness.' Somewhere in the very depths of this man's heart, compassion remained, but, of course, not for all people, but for Verochka, whom he, apparently, really loved. He left her.
A year has passed and she was not arrested, I don’t know concerning her further fate with certainty. As they said, she married someone else."