Valentin Belov

Holy Hieromartyr Valentin Belov, a priest, was born in 1891 in the family of the deacon Michael Belov. He entered the theological school in Perm but from the third class moved to the two-⁠class school in Usovo, which he finished in 1907. In 1909 he was appointed psalm-⁠reader at the church of the Protection of the Mother of God in the village of Potashka, Krasnoufimsk district, Perm province, and at the same time was a religion teacher at the Cherkasovo primary school. Wishing to serve the Church in holy orders, he passed the examination for deacon and on 21 October 1914 was ordained deacon for the same church by Bishop Andronik (Nikolsky) of Perm. In 1915 the clergy of the district elected him head of the singing courses, and from 1910 to 1915 he was choir director of the church.

On 1 January 1917 he was transferred to the Transfiguration Cathedral in Perm and served as subdeacon at the hierarchical services. After the arrest and martyrdom of Archbishop Andronik on 7 (20) June 1918, Deacon Valentin was assigned on 9 December 1918 as priest to the Trinity church of the Ashap works, Osa district, was ordained, and on 17 December went there to serve. His priestly ministry was short: in December 1918 he was cut down with sabres and shot by the Bolsheviks.

He is commemorated on 20 June, on 7 February (a movable date) in the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, and on 14 February (a movable date) in the Synaxis of the Saints of the Perm Metropolia, all in the new style.