Alexander Levitsky

Saint Hieromartyr Alexander Levitsky (1876 to 1937) was an archpriest at the church of the Holy Trinity at Samoteka, in Moscow, and was shot on 9 October 1937, at Butovo. He is commemorated on 9 October, on 29 May with the new martyrs of Butovo, on 5 September with the saints of Moscow, and on 10 December with the new martyrs and confessors of Radonezh.

He was born in 1876 in Moscow, into the family of the priest Michael Ivanovich Levitsky. In 1900 he finished the Moscow Theological Academy and was appointed teacher of civil history and literature at the Mariinsky diocesan school, and of Russian language and literature at the Filaret girls' school. On 12 March 1904 he was assigned priest at the church of the Holy Trinity in the Trinity Settlement, later called the Holy Trinity at Samoteka, where in the time of the persecutions Patriarch Tikhon had his residence. He was head of the parish school and teacher of religion. From 1905 he taught religion at the fifth girls' gymnasium, and from 1906 at the boys' gymnasium founded by A. V. Adolf. In 1911 he was appointed a member of the parish council. In 1917 he received a pectoral cross, and in 1921 he was raised to the rank of archpriest.

The first arrest

In the spring of 1923 a new rector was appointed to the church, who recognized the Renovationists; the other priests there joined him, and Father Alexander was forced to leave the church. For the sake of his flock he nonetheless chose to stay for a time. Unwilling to recognize the "Living Church" people, he fell into a difficult position spiritually and a dangerous one in practice, because of the troubles the Renovationists could cause him. On 30 June 1923 he gave the rector a statement in which he wrote that he had nothing in common with the newly formed Renovationist community, and from 1 July he ceased serving in the church; on 6 July 1923 he was arrested and imprisoned in the Butyrka. He was accused of anti-⁠Soviet agitation, namely of being the initiator of a parish meeting at which the Renovationists wanted Krasnitsky as chairman, but the parishioners of the church were categorically against. At the interrogation he said that he had never made speeches of a political character, but in religious sermons explained Christian teaching and how little the life of present-⁠day Christians accorded with it; that he had recognized the decrees of the Supreme Church Administration, but belonged and still belonged to the old Orthodox Church led by Patriarch Tikhon; that his attitude to the measures of the government was positive, but he did not consider himself entitled to find its mistakes. On 18 September 1923 the investigator concluded that, for lack of sufficient evidence, his guilt could not be proved, and on 22 September the OGPU Collegium ordered his release.

In 1924 he was appointed to the church of the Joy of All Who Sorrow beside the Catherine hospital, where he served until 1926, then at the church of the Transfiguration at Spasskoe in Moscow, and then at the church of the Sign in the village of Khovrino, Moscow region, where he served until his arrest during the mass persecutions of the late thirties.

The arrest of 1937

On 22 March 1937 a member of the district soviet lodged a complaint with the NKVD: that the Levitskys, builders, carried on anti-⁠Soviet agitation, did not allow revolutionary songs to be sung, would not let electricity and radio be brought into their house, and did not recognize the authorities. On 10 September 1937 Father Alexander was arrested and imprisoned in the Butyrka. At the interrogation, asked what he talked about when acquaintances gathered at his house, he answered that these were ordinary household conversations; asked whether he admitted guilt of anti-⁠Soviet agitation, he answered: "No, I do not admit guilt." Two neighbours, called as witnesses, said that the Levitskys opposed political and cultural measures, were always shut up, that people of clerical rank came to them and this aroused suspicion, that they were very harsh toward the Pioneer children, did not let them play in the yard, and did not allow the radio and songs. On 8 October 1937 the NKVD troika sentenced him to death. Archpriest Alexander Levitsky was shot the next day, 9 October 1937, and buried in an unmarked common grave at the Butovo firing range near Moscow.