Presbyter
Saint John was born on March 25, 1881, in the village of Elshanka, Saratov district. After graduating from the Saratov Theological Seminary, he was ordained a priest at the church in the village of Vyaz'mino, where he served for nine years. In 1928, during the relentless struggle against the Church, he was arrested for not surrendering surplus grain and sentenced to imprisonment. Father John showed courage in defending his parishioners from robbery by the authorities.
On October 19, 1929, at a meeting of peasants, he refused to surrender surplus grain, which led to his arrest on November 9. In prison, he denied all accusations, but on January 24-25, 1930, he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment in a concentration camp. After serving his term, he was prohibited from residing in his native region.
Upon returning from the camp, he served in the village of Priimkovo, but in 1937 he was arrested again. On August 6, 1937, he was accused of participating in anti-Soviet activities, but he denied all accusations. On September 28, 1937, the NKVD troika sentenced him to ten years of imprisonment in a corrective labor camp. Priest John Mirotvorcev passed away on March 18, 1938, in Ukhtpechlag and was buried in an unmarked grave.
