Presbyter
Saint Vladimir was born on January 11, 1874, in the city of Petrovsk, Kiev province, in the family of a clergyman, Gregory Khirasko. After graduating from the Theological Seminary, he worked as a teacher in church-parish schools. In 1899, he was ordained as a priest at the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in the village of Omelno, Igumen district, Minsk province, where he served for eight years. He was then transferred to the Georgievskaya Church in the village of Yurevichi. In 1911, he was appointed rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God 'Joy of All Who Sorrow' in Minsk, where he also taught the Law of God in gymnasiums and was a member of the Minsk diocesan charity for the poor of the spiritual rank. In 1919, he was arrested but was soon released. He was arrested again on December 29, 1925, on charges of connections with the Polish General Consulate. His parishioners supported him by sending letters to prison, expressing their love and support. In March 1926, he was sentenced to three years of exile in the city of Oryol. After returning to Minsk in the spring of 1929, he continued his ministry. On March 26, 1929, he was arrested again. In his testimony during the investigation, he spoke of his faith and ministry, not acknowledging the charges of counter-revolutionary activity. In 1929, he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. He was released in 1932, gravely ill, and soon passed away.
