Matthew Aloin

Holy Hieromartyr Matthew Aloin (1879-1937), a priest's son from Stenkino, near Ryazan, finished the Ryazan seminary, was a deacon from 1899, a priest from 1909 and an archpriest from 1929. He served in the Chernigov diocese, then in that of Ryazan, and in the last years in the Kolomna district: at Pogost Starki and, from 1936, in the village of Myachkovo.

The church of Myachkovo

In 1937 Soviet power wanted to close the Dormition church of Myachkovo and turn it into a grain store. At the meeting called for this, the faithful succeeded in defending it. A few months later the NKVD resolved to arrest the priest. Local witnesses declared that he had spoken against the closing of churches and against the atheist upbringing of the young and that he was kind to those counted as kulaks.

Arrest and martyrdom

On 31 October 1937 he was arrested and at the investigation denied anti-⁠Soviet activity, belonging to counter-⁠revolutionary groups and the witnesses' testimonies. Moved to Taganka, he was questioned again on 13 November and confirmed his statements. On 14 November the NKVD troika sentenced him to death, and on 25 November 1937 he was shot at Butovo and buried in the common grave.

He is commemorated on 25 November, the day of his death, in the new style, on the movable day around 29 May in the Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Butovo, on 23 June in the Synaxis of the Saints of Ryazan and on the movable day around 5 September in the Synaxis of the Saints of Moscow.