Ignatius Markov

Saint Ignatius Markov, martyr, was a peasant of the Vladimir governorate, born in 1876 and shot in 1931 for his faith. He is one of the new martyrs of Russia, canonized on 27 December 2005. His commemoration is on 28 May by the old calendar, the day of his martyric death, and in the Synaxis of the new martyrs and confessors of Russia.

He was born in the family of the peasant Artemy Markov, in the Makhra district of the Alexandrov county of the Vladimir governorate, on the farmstead of Marino (or Morino). He earned his living by farming, was married and had seven children. A deeply believing man, he went to the church nearest the farmstead, in the village of Makhry.

He was arrested on 6 April 1931 at Zagorsk, today Sergiev Posad. At the inquiry he said that he had been assessed a heavy tax of 2,200 rubles, which he could not pay. For non-⁠payment the court confiscated his property and sentenced him to a year of forced labor, and afterward he went on pilgrimage to the Trinity-⁠Saint Sergius Lavra, being, as he said, "greatly grieved".

He declared that he was against joining the collective farm only because in a collective farm one cannot pray to God. On 6 June 1931 he was sentenced to death by the Collegium of the OGPU, on the charge of anti-⁠Soviet agitation and membership in a counter-⁠revolutionary church organization. The sentence was carried out on 10 June 1931. He was buried in a common grave at the Vagankovo cemetery in Moscow, the exact place not being known.

He was canonized by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of 27 December 2005, on the proposal of the Moscow diocese.