Presbyter
Saint John was born on February 13, 1888, in the village of Novoe Rakitino, Lebedyan district, Voronezh province. After graduating from the Theological Seminary in 1909, he was ordained as a deacon, and in 1915 — as a priest, serving in Finland until 1918. Upon returning to his homeland, he was arrested in 1929 but was soon released. In the 1930s, he served in the Nikolsky Church in the village of Malyshevo.
On January 20 and 21, 1938, two priests, summoned by the NKVD, falsely testified against Father John, accusing him of anti-Soviet agitation. On January 26, Father John was arrested and imprisoned in Taganka prison.
During the interrogation, he denied all accusations, asserting that he had not engaged in agitation against the Soviet government. On February 11, 1938, the NKVD troika sentenced him to execution. Priest John Alekhovsky was shot on February 17, 1938, and buried in an unknown common grave at the Butovo firing range near Moscow.
