Presbyter
Saint John was born on January 25, 1879, in the village of Lopasnya, Serpukhov district, Moscow province. After graduating from the Moscow Theological Seminary in 1899, he was ordained as a deacon in 1901 and served in Moscow. In 1911, he was ordained as a priest. From 1914 to 1918, he held the chair of Slavic studies at the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1918, he received the degree of Master of Theology. From 1923 to 1932, he served in the Holy Spirit Church, and in 1932, he was transferred to the Tikhvin Church. On December 30, 1935, he was appointed to serve in the Znamenskaya Church. On November 22, 1937, he was arrested. During the interrogation, he denied any connections with counter-revolutionary activities. On December 7, 1937, the NKVD troika sentenced him to execution by shooting. On December 10, 1937, on the day of the patronal feast, he was shot at the Butovo firing range and buried in an unknown common grave.
