Andrew Bednov

Holy Hieromartyr Andrew Bednov, a priest, was born on 5 August 1885 in the village of Skolkovo, in the Kozlovo volost of the Moscow district, in the family of the peasant George Bednov. He was shot on 17 February 1938 at Butovo, near Moscow. The Russian Church honours him among the New Martyrs of Moscow.

As an adolescent he helped at the church. Because of his family's poverty he received no schooling and taught himself all he knew. In the First World War he was a private. Returned home, he worked for hire. In 1923, when wave after wave of persecution swept over the faithful, Andrew Georgievich resolved to serve God and the Church, was ordained priest and served at the church of Saint George in the village of Ganusovo, in the Bronnitsy district.

On 26 January 1938 Father Andrew was arrested and imprisoned at Taganka in Moscow. The investigator asked whether he admitted guilt of anti-⁠Soviet agitation, of agitation against the collective farms and of agitation against the government; to each question he answered that he had done no such thing and did not admit guilt. The investigator called the duty witnesses, the priests Basil Krestov and Basil Obraztsov, who signed the testimony demanded against Father Andrew. On 11 February 1938 the NKVD troika sentenced him to death. Priest Andrew Bednov was shot on 17 February 1938 and buried in an unknown common grave at the Butovo firing range. He is commemorated on 17 February, in the Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Butovo and the Synaxis of the Moscow Saints.