Archimandrite
Saint Martyr Archimandrite Sergius (in the world Vasily Pavlovich Shein) was born on December 30, 1870, in the village of Kolpna, Tula Province. He was baptized in the name of Saint Basil the Great. He was the tenth child in the family of Collegiate Secretary Pavel Vasilyevich Shein and his wife Natalia Akimovna. The upbringing of the young man was imbued with a spirit of piety.
In 1893, Vasily Pavlovich graduated from the Law School and held responsible positions, including membership in the State Duma of the IV convocation. Being a convinced monarchist, he joined the nationalist faction and worked in the Commission on Church Affairs.
In 1917-1918, he was a member of the Secretariat of the Holy Council of the Orthodox Russian Church. On August 30, 1920, he took monastic vows with the name Sergius. Soon he became the rector of the Patriarchal Trinity Podvorie in Petrograd.
On June 10, 1922, in Petrograd, the "prosecutorial trial regarding the resistance to the confiscation of church valuables" began. Father Sergius was accused of being a member of the Society of Orthodox Parishes. His guilt was aggravated by his noble origin and higher education.
During the trial, he demonstrated inner dignity and sincerity, not hiding his nationalist convictions. His last words before the execution were: "I fear no one — only myself." On July 5, the verdict was announced, sentencing him to execution by shooting.
In the night of July 31, 1922, he was shot on the outskirts of Petrograd. He was glorified as a new martyr in 1992 at the Archpastoral Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
