Vasily Afanasyevich Aleksandrin was born on February 8, 1872, in the village of Verteleim, Insarsky district of Penza province. Before the revolution, he had a large, prosperous farm and was respected by his fellow villagers. In 1918, he was elected a psalmist in the church of his native village. In 1929, he was dispossessed and exiled, but he returned in 1932, restored to his rights.
In 1934, the authorities decided to convert the church building into a workshop for the MTS, but Vasily Afanasyevich became a staunch defender of the church's preservation. After being arrested and temporarily detained, he continued to fulfill his duties in the church and was invited to participate in services in a neighboring village.
On October 17, 1937, Vasily Afanasyevich was arrested again and accused of 'counter-revolutionary activities.' During a search, religious books and a cross were found. He did not hide his beliefs and in December 1937 was sentenced to 10 years in camps.
From February 1938, he served his sentence in the Unzhensky corrective labor camp, where he died on August 26, 1942, due to the harsh conditions of confinement. Martyr Vasily was glorified by the Archdiocesan Jubilee Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.
