Saint Martyr Antonina was born in 1886 in Moscow to the craftsman Ivan Stepanov. Her secular name was Anna. At the age of eleven, she entered the Uspensky Brusensky Convent in Kolomna and became a nun, taking the name Antonina. She remained at the convent until its closure in 1920, when its buildings were converted into dormitories.
In 1931, all the nuns and novices were arrested and held in Kolomna prison. During the interrogations, Antonina confirmed that their community was experiencing considerable hardship, but maintained that her statement was not intended as a criticism of the political authorities.
Nun Maria was born in 1869 in the village of Gorodets, in Kolomna County. She came from a peasant family. In 1886, she entered the Uspensky Brusensky Convent, where she remained until its closure. In 1932, she was expelled from the city. However, she later returned and settled with Antonina.
On November 27, 1937, they were arrested. During the interrogation, Maria admitted no guilt and denied any involvement in anti-Soviet propaganda.
On December 1st, 1937, the NKVD troika sentenced the two women to death. On December 15, 1937, the saints were executed and buried in an unmarked mass grave at the Butovo shooting range near Moscow.
