John Kulika

Holy Martyr John Kulika, who died in the year 1564, was a pious and zealous Christian. One day he had a heated dispute with Muslims about faith. Out of envy for his wisdom and eloquence, they beat him, then took him to the judge, accusing him of having blasphemed their faith. The judge proposed to him, in atonement for the insult, either to renounce Christ and accept Islam, for freedom, or to die in torments. The saint answered boldly: "It shall not be that I ever renounce my Lord Jesus Christ, even if you gave me over to a thousand deaths." By order of the angry judge, John was burned on a chengeli, an iron grate like a harrow, with its sharp teeth turned upward. His martyric end took place on 8 April 1564.

His commemoration is kept on 8 and on 18 April, according to the Greek calendar; the Azbyka page gives it on 1 May, in the new style. A note on the page says that he is not included in the present calendar of the Russian Church.