When I was in Moscow last year just about every parish book stall had a xeroxed notice
about a young soldier named Evgeny, who had been captured by the Chechens along with five
of his buddies. The Chechens promised to spare the young Russians their lives if they
converted to Islam. The others agreed, but Evgeny refused, insisting that he was an
Orthodox Christian. The Chechens sent his severed head to his mother as a sort of memento.
He was martyred on his 18th (17th?) birthday. This young lad was everywhere (Moscow &
environs, Sergiev Posad, Murom, Diveevo, Arzamas) recognized as a martyr in a spontaneous,
popular movement of piety. His picture was everywhere, usually with the caption
"martyred soldier Evgeny".
(The following is from a dear friend and former parishioner, who is now living back in
Moscow)
Dear Fr. Seraphim,
I asked my friends from Russia to send me a book about Evgeniy. I will receive it soon
and will send you more information and few pics. Unfortunately, it's in Russian, if you
know somebody who could help me to translate it to English, it would be great.
He was martyred on his 18th birthday, 6 months after he started his service. He was
beheaded by Chechen field commander Ruslan Haihoroev, after Evgeniy denied to give up his
cross (which by the way was part of the medal for bravery) for 3 months. Many months his
mother searched for his body, and finally after paying $500, was shown the forest where he
was. She found 4 more boys along with him. For weeks after bringing back the bodies, she
tried to get his head back. Now, people put a giant wood cross on his grave. The cross
that he did not give up, his mother, Lubov Radionova, gave to St Nicholas Church in
Ordinka, Moskow.
He was canonized on August 20th. The church is to build in Hankala, near Grozniy. It
will be the only Russian Orthodox church in Chechnia. Fr. Nazariy is to serve there.