Martyr John, born in 1900 in the village of Salazgory, Tambov province, was a peasant and shoemaker. In 1920, he was drafted into the Red Army, and in 1921, his daughter Klavdiya was born. After the Civil War, he returned to his craft but was deprived of voting rights due to his background. His first arrest occurred in 1931, after which he was sentenced to 10 years but was released early due to illness.
In 1937, inspired by pilgrims, John became the initiator of the movement for the opening of the local church. For this, he was arrested and accused of participating in a religious counter-revolutionary organization. During the interrogation, he did not confess to his guilt. On August 5, 1937, the troika of the NKVD sentenced him to execution, which was carried out on August 10. In 2000, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
