Presbyter
Father Pavel Alexandrovich Kushnikov was born on December 16, 1880, in a priest's family in the Ustyuzhensky district of the Novgorod province. In 1905, he graduated from the Novgorod Theological Seminary and worked as a teacher in church-parish schools. In 1913, he was ordained as a deacon and priest, serving in the Belsk Church until his death.
During World War I and the revolution, he cared for the spiritual and material well-being of his flock, creating a parish public consumer shop for the distribution of food products.
In 1917, the priest became a victim of denunciation but was acquitted. On February 22, 1918, he was arrested and accused of hiding weapons for the 'White Guards'; however, nothing was found. On February 23 (according to the old style), he was shot by a swamp.
His feat was testified by Metropolitan Arseny of Novgorod and Staraya Russa at the meeting of the All-Russian Church Council on April 9, 1918. On September 20, 1918, at the last meeting of the Council, Father Pavel was mentioned among the martyrs who suffered for the faith and the Church.
