Martyr Dimitri was born on May 15, 1880, in Rossasna, Goretsky of Mogilev Governorate. He grew up in the family of the peasant Emelyan Vlasenkov. After finishing the church parish school, he engaged in agriculture. In 1901, he went to the army, where he served until 1905 in the Finnish Life Guards Regiment.
He married Darya, and together they raised a large family. He was always present in the church, serving his parish in many different ways. He used to sang in the choir and be a chanter in the divine liturgies. In 1931, during the persecutions, he was elected to the church council. After the church was closed in 1934, he, together with other people of the partish, tried to reopen it, but failed. In 1937, Dimitri was arrested.
As survival became increasingly difficult, he agreed with his wife to be separated and work in differect places. Darya was occupied in a collective farm, while he engaged in agriculture. At that time, the peasants often asked him to read the Psalter for the departed. He fulfilled their request, gathering about two hundred people at the cemetery to pray together.
The authorities decided to arrest Dimitri and on May 16, 1940, he was taken into custody by the NKVD. He was accused of anti-Soviet activities, even though he claimed that he had only conducted religious rites. During the investigation, he was interrogated, while witnesses gave false testimonies against him.
On July 17, 1940, a court session was held, during which Dimitri once again declared his innocence. The prosecutor filed a petition for further investigation, but the case was sent directly to the court. On November 19, 1940, he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment in a labor camp.
Dimitri was sent to Kazakhstan, where he fell seriously ill and died on May 5, 1942, while receiving treatment in the camp hospital. He was buried in an unknown grave at the cemetery of the Espin section of Karlag.
