Leonid Nikolsky

Holy Hieromartyr Leonid Nikolsky, a priest (1876-1937), served in various villages of the Vyatka province. He was born in 1876 in the village of Danilovo, Sarapul district, Vyatka province (now in the Kiyasovo district of Udmurtia), in a priest's family. He graduated from the theological seminary in Vyatka and in 1901 was ordained priest. He served in villages of the Vyatka province: Bolshaya Purga (Votkinsk district), Chumaya (Zurinsky district), Neumonino (Votkinsk district), Yakshur (Bardgensky district) and Nechkino (Sarapul district).

In 1931 he was arrested and sentenced to five years in a concentration camp because "using the church pulpit, he carried on anti-⁠Soviet agitation". He served his term in the Vishera camps in the Perm region and in 1934 was released early. He served in the village of Shvarikha in the Nolinsk district, Kirov region. In 1935 he was arrested again and sentenced to five years in a labour camp for "anti-⁠Soviet agitation over a number of years" and sent to Karlag. In 1937 he was arrested in the camp because he "belonged to a group of former priests, celebrated services; while at Tartaul [a section of Karlag], they laid out on the river bank in stone the image of an altar, icons and crosses and in this church held services and talks on anti-⁠Soviet themes. In talks about the need to work in production in the camps, Nikolsky said: 'We do not have to work for Soviet power and we will not; let the fools work, work loves fools'". He was shot on 2 November 1937.

He was canonized on 20 August 2000 by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. He is commemorated on 2 November, the day of his death, on 7 February, with the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, on 11 July, with the Synaxis of the Saints of Udmurtia (the date moves), and on 21 October, with the Synaxis of the Saints of Vyatka, in the new style.