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Archdeacon Hieromartyr St. Matthew Kazarin

Matthew Kazarin was from the family of a sacristan. The future archdeacon was born in 1886 in the village of Pokosy, Mordovskaya Oblast. Matthew Vasilyevich studied for four years in a theological school, and then studied at the Tambov Theological Seminary, but did not graduate. It is unknown precisely when and where Fr. Matthew originally served in the ministry as a deacon. 

In 1930, he was arrested in the region of Tambov, and sentenced by the court to two years' imprisonment. After his release from the prison camp, Deacon Matthew served in the Ilyinskaya Church of the city of Michurinsk, along with the Venerable Martyr Sebastian of Karaganda.

Matthew Vasilievich's next arrest occurred in 1937. This holy Deacon was brought into a case regarding a monarchist rebel church organization and accused of counter-revolutionary agitation. On December 6, 1937, the Troika under the NKVD for the Tambov region sentenced the Protodeacon to eight years of imprisonment. He was exiled to an NKVD prison camp, where he became ill from unbearable conditions, and died in 1942.

October 30 (new calendar) / November 12 (old calendar) is the feast day of the Holy Hieromartyr St. Matthew Kazarin - Protodeacon.