Olga Vasilievna Evdokimova

Olga Vasilievna Evdokimova (in Russian: Ольга Васильевна Евдокимова) (11 July 1896 in Novorozhdestvenska - 10 February 1938 in the Gulag) is a Russian Eastern Orthodox martyr and saint. After defending the church in her village of Novorozhdestvenka against closure by Soviet authorities, she was arrested by the NKVD, interrogated, and then deported to the Gulag, where she died four months after her arrival. She is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church with the title of martyr, and her memory is celebrated on January 28.

She should not be confused with the contemporary martyr, Olga Semyonovna Kosheleva.

Biography

Youth and marriage Olga Evdokimova was born on 11 July 1896, in the village of Novorozhdestvenska, in the Moscow oblast. Her father was a forest ranger on the estate of the wealthy landowner Ilyn, at the age of 8 or 9. Her marriage took place during the Russo-Japanese War.

USSR and death In 1921, her husband died, and she became a widow. She was specifically accused of hiding the church keys to prevent the authorities from seizing the building. She is not to be confused with the contemporary martyr, Olga Semyonovna Kosheleva.