Presbyter
Saint Martyr Basil Petrovich Sokolski was born on January 30, 1878, in the village of Beloye Ozero, Simbirsk Province, in a priest's family. After graduating from the Kazan Theological Academy in 1902, he was ordained as a priest and got married. In 1905, he was awarded the degree of Master of Theology for his work 'The Gospel Ideal of the Christian Pastor.' He taught Sacred Scripture in theological seminaries. He served in the Church of the Annunciation on Vasilievsky Island, maintaining loyalty to the canonical Church during the period of the seizure by the Renovationists. In 1923, he was arrested and exiled for three years to the city of Berezov. After returning, he served in Leningrad and was elevated to the rank of protodeacon. In 1929, he was arrested again for his struggle against the Renovationists and exiled for three years to the Northern Region, where he nearly lost his sight. After his exile, he served in the churches of Leningrad. On March 7, 1935, he was arrested and did not confess to any wrongdoing during interrogations. On July 8, 1937, he was arrested again on charges of counter-revolutionary agitation and for not ceasing religious rites. He was shot on September 10, 1937. He was glorified by the Archdiocesan Jubilee Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.
