Bishop
Saint Theodore, in the world Vladimir Alexeevich Smirnov, was born on January 17, 1891, in the village of Kozlovka in the family of a psalmist. He graduated from the Saratov Theological Seminary and the Kazan Theological Academy. From 1916 to 1918, he taught in secondary educational institutions, and in 1919–1920 he served in the Red Army. In 1921, he was ordained a priest and worked as a clergyman in the village of Nikolskoye. In 1934, he was tonsured a monk with the name Theodore, and in 1935, he was consecrated as Bishop of Penza.
In 1936, he was arrested on charges of counter-revolutionary activity. During interrogations, he denied all accusations. On February 5, 1937, he was relieved of his duties in the diocese and retired.
On September 4, 1937, he was shot, along with five other clergymen.
On August 20, 2000, he was canonized for public veneration in the Sobor of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
