Michael Bogoslovsky

Holy Hieromartyr Michael Bogoslovsky, an archpriest, was born on 5 September 1883 in the village of Soshki, Lipetsk district, Tambov province, to the psalm-⁠reader Konstantin Bogoslovsky. In 1905 he graduated from the Tambov theological seminary, and in 1909 from the Theological Academy of Saint Petersburg, and was sent as teacher of moral and dogmatic theology to the Taurida seminary at Simferopol.

In 1921, when the Bolsheviks came to the Crimea, the seminary was closed. The priest Nicholas Mezentsev, with whom he had made friends at Simferopol, found him a post as teacher of logic and pedagogy at the Stanishevskaya girls' gymnasium, where he met his future wife. But a worldly career did not attract him, and in the same year Archbishop Nikodim (Krotkov) of Taurida ordained him, at his fervent wish, a priest for the Ascension cathedral in the town of Berdyansk.

In the 1920s the authorities often organized religious debates, in which the Orthodox too were allowed to speak. Father Michael took an active part in them and, being very learned, always defeated his godless opponents. This was noted, and in 1924 he was arrested, but the investigators could not prove his guilt and after a short time he was released. Soon he was raised to the rank of archpriest.

By the middle of the 1930s all the churches of Berdyansk were closed or seized by Renovationists, except that of the Protection, where Archpriest Viktor Kiranov was rector, and Father Michael became his faithful and active helper. When in 1936 it became known that the authorities had resolved to close this church as well, Father Michael helped the rector to organize a meeting of the parishioners, who on 8 January 1937 unanimously resolved not to give up the church. Nevertheless the church was soon closed, and the priests Michael Bogoslovsky, Viktor Kiranov and Alexander Ilyenkov were arrested and imprisoned at Berdyansk.

In prison the investigators tortured him cruelly. During interrogations the priest prayed with attention, from time to time crossing himself. The investigator, seeing the sign of the cross, flew into a rage and, waving his revolver in front of Father Michael's face, demanded that he stop crossing himself. The priest answered calmly, "You have your weapon, and I have mine." To all questions he answered that he did not admit guilt and had never carried out any anti-⁠Soviet work. On 29 October 1939 the NKVD troika sentenced him to five years in a labour camp, and he was sent to the Novosibirsk region.

In prison he had fallen gravely ill, so that every meal caused him pain hard to bear, and in the camp the illness grew worse. In addition a criminal chose the priest as his victim and, seizing a suitable moment, pulled out his eyebrows, eyelashes and hair one by one. The warder, horrified at the priest's disfigured face, demanded the name of the tormentor, but the priest refused. The meekness and humble magnanimity of the priest astonished the tormentor, who came to Father Michael, fell on his knees and begged forgiveness.

Archpriest Michael Bogoslovsky died in captivity on 28 March 1940 and was buried in an unknown grave. His fellow prisoner Archpriest Viktor Kiranov wrote to his family after the pastor's death that his life was such that, if our faith is not in vain, he surely stands before the Throne of the Most High in all the glory of his glorious life. He is commemorated on 28 March, the day of his death, in the new style, with the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church (a movable day), on 23 September with the Synaxis of the Saints of Lipetsk, on 2 December with the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Crimean Metropolis and on 28 December with the Synaxis of the Saints of the Crimea.