Nicholas Podyakov

Holy Hieromartyr Nicholas Podyakov (Nikolai Nikolaevich Poddyakov) was an archpriest, born in 1867 into a priest's family in the village of Podosinovets, Nikolsk district, Vologda province, and killed on 10 September 1918. He is commemorated on 24 September (11 September by the old calendar), in the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, in the Synaxis of the Saints of Vyatka and in the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Vyatka. Our sources do not give the year or act of his glorification, but say that he is glorified by the Russian Church as a holy hieromartyr.

He finished the theological school at Nikolsk and the Vologda seminary in 1889 and was ordained priest for the Nativity of the Mother of God church at Podosinovets. In service in the field of Christ he carried many church and public obediences: he was teacher of religion at the two-⁠class ministerial school and the four-⁠class higher primary school of Podosinovets, deputy at school and diocesan congresses, dean of the fifth district of the Nikolsk district, founder and head of the Ananino and Saint George parish schools of Melminogorsk. Father Nicholas's work for the arrangement of the church and public life of his deanery was very highly valued, and the parishioners respected and honoured their active pastor.

In 1917 people came to power who hated the Church of Christ and its servants. Soon Podosinovets became a front-⁠line village. Having no other forces to halt the advance of the White army, the Reds unleashed terror, trying to intimidate the local population. On 10 September 1918, at eleven at night, agents of the secret police burst into Father Nicholas's house. They showed a warrant for the arrest of Father Nicholas, who was just coming up from the cellar into the house. So that the arrestee could not flee, one of the soldiers shot Father Nicholas in the leg. The soldiers laid the wounded man on cloth stretchers and carried him from the house; they had to take apart part of the window, because the stretchers would not pass through the door. Father Nicholas was brought to a pit dug beforehand and made to kneel. He was accused of counter-⁠revolutionary acts and of refusing to help the Red Army with provisions. In his reply the priest called all to Christian love and asked forgiveness from all the parishioners. The sentence was carried out. Together with Father Nicholas the priest Victor Usov was shot. The body of Father Nicholas was brought into the house, where it was vested in priestly vestments. The funeral service was served by the priest Zosimas Trubachev. He was buried beside the altar of the Nativity of the Mother of God church at Podosinovets. On the burial place a memorial cross now stands.