Martyrs
The Holy Martyr and Philosopher Nikolaevich Ornatsky was born on May 21, 1860, in the village of Novaya Yerga in the Novgorod region. He was born into the family of a priest and grew up within a rural peasant community. He studied at the Kirillov Theological School and the Novgorod Theological Seminary. In 1885 graduated from the Theological Academy of Saint Petersburg. In the same year, he married Elena Zaozerskaya and was ordained a priest.
For many years, he served as chairman of the “Society for the Dissemination of Religious and Moral Enlightenment in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church.” In 1893, he was elected a member of the Saint Petersburg State Duma, where he participated in the establishment of shelters and charitable institutions, as well as in the construction of twelve churches. He lived humbly. He had ten children and worked tirelessly, giving private lessons in order to support his family.
Among other, he served as editor and censor of religious journals. He preached actively and called upon the Russian people to unite within one common Church. During the First World War, he offered his apartment to be converted into a hospital, while he and his family moved into a government building. His sons, Nikolai and Boris, served in the army.
In January 1918, following the execution of the Holy Martyr Peter Skipetrov, the saint organized the protection of the sacred sites of the Lavra of Alexander Nevsky. On August 9, 1918, he was arrested together with his sons. His parishioners gathered and demanded his release. However, the authorities quickly transferred him to the prison of Kronstadt. Around October 30, 1918, he, together with his sons and other prisoners were executed, steadfastly proclaiming the truth of the faith until the end.
Philosopher Nikolaevich Ornatsky was canonized by the Holy Episcopal Council of the Russian Orthodox Church among the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in August 2000.
