Alexander Orlov

Saint Hieromartyr Alexander Orlov (1875 to 1937) was a priest in the Tambov diocese, condemned to the Karlag camp, and was shot on 2 November 1937. He is commemorated on 2 November, on 7 February with the synaxis of the new martyrs, and on 23 September with the saints of Lipetsk. He was numbered among the saints by the Jubilee Bishops' Council of August 2000.

He was born on 27 July 1875 (by other sources, in 1874) in the village of Talitsky Chamlyk, in the Tambov province (today in the Dobrinka district, Lipetsk region), into the family of the priest Leonid Orlov, who instilled in him love of the Church and firm faith. He entered the Tambov seminary, which he finished in 1897. He married Capitolina Alexandrovna, daughter of the priest of Nikolskoe-⁠Chamlyk. He was ordained deacon, and in 1903 priest, and served at the church of Saint Nicholas in Nikolskoe-⁠Chamlyk; for pastoral zeal he received a pectoral cross. In 1929 he was arrested "for non-⁠payment of the state tax" and spent two months in prison, and in 1930 for "concealment of church bread and anti-⁠Soviet agitation", but was not convicted. He had a large family, seven children; one of the sons, Michael, was arrested and exiled for five years to the White Sea Canal.

On 8 August 1935 Father Alexander was arrested again, together with the priest Basil Yemelin of Shmarovka, husband of his niece, and a group of believers. He was accused of having "ideologically led a group of church-⁠monarchist and kulak elements which in 1935 held illegal gatherings and anti-⁠Soviet agitation". At the interrogation he said that he had always remained an adherent of the old Church current and had never been of any other church orientation, and that if he were forced to leave the clergy he would never renounce the priestly rank but would die a priest. He bore himself with dignity and courage, spoke ill of no one and did not admit guilt. On 14 December 1935 he was sentenced to five years in the camp, which he served in the labour camp of Karaganda.

In 1936, while on assignment at the Tartaul section, the priest Alexander Orlov, the protodeacon Michael Isaev and other clergy laid out in stones, on the bank of the river Churbai-⁠Nura, the shape of a church, an altar, crosses and icons, and held services and prayer services there. For this reason they were arrested on 15 September 1937. At the interrogations he did not admit guilt and gave no testimony against others. By decision of the NKVD troika of the Karaganda region of 31 October 1937, the priest Alexander Orlov and the other clergy were sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out on 2 November 1937, at midnight.