It happened a few years ago in the village of Suvorovo (formerly: Strakhovo, Strakhovaya Puza, Puza, Puzo), which stands on the highway not far from Diveyevo—the Fourth portion of the Most Holy Theotokos—in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The relics of the amazing holy New Martyrs Eudoxia, Daria, another Daria and Maria, who are venerated in the Synaxis of the Saints of Diveyevo, rest here at the Holy Dormition Church. Every time I drive by, I can’t take my eyes off the Dormition Church on the hill, until it disappears from sight, because my soul is drawn to it.
Dunyushka and her disciples
Icon of the Puzo New Martyrs at the Dormition Church in Suvorovo By the early twentieth century, this village was huge. Until 1918, the parish of the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos had over 2,000 people—as many as two peasant communities.
On February 11, 1856, a girl was born in this village, who was named Eudoxia (Evdokia). Her parents’ names were Alexander and Alexandra. Dunya1 was orphaned as a child and grew up in the family of her uncle, a churchwarden. As a teenager, she visited Sarov Monastery, St. Seraphim’s Convent in Diveyevo, and the Convent of St. Seraphim in Ponetaevka.2 It is known that Blessed Pelagia of Diveyevo once interceded for her. Little Dunya went up to the fence, behind which the saint was feeding pigeons. The cell-attendants tried to turn her away, but Pelagia Ivanovna said:
“Why are you driving her away from me? Let her in and give her food.”
Dunya grew up as a weak and sickly child. When she was completely ill at the age of about twenty, her family made her a “cot” out of planks, spread foot bindings on them, put a zipun (a long-sleeved caftan, made of coarse, homespun cloth) under her head, and the future martyr Eudoxia lay this way for many years. Local young women, her disciples, took care of her, and thus a semblance of a monastic community was formed.
Dunyushka performed a difficult spiritual feat of feigned foolishness for Christ. And she humbled her disciples. When they wanted to eat more, the eldress would say, “Today is not a day of joy.” And then she would add, “Pray for a day of joy to come.” That’s how all of them lived—in strict fasting and prayer.
They spent most of their time in prayer and helped others. People went to Blessed Eudoxia seeking advice and healing from various illnesses. They were healed through her prayers. The clairvoyant eldress told many people what they should do in this or that situation. It is known that St. Eudoxia’s spiritual mentor was an elder from Sarov—Hieromonk Anatoly, in schema Vasily (1833–1920).
In 1919, a Cheka flying squad to combat desertion appeared in the Ardatov district the village. It arrived in Puzo on August 16. Searches began in the village, which the old-timers were even afraid to remember. Chekists came to St. Eudoxia as well.
Dunyushka sent one of her disciples, Polya,3 out of the house in advance, apparently foreseeing what would happen. It was from her memories that the Lives of the New Martyrs of Puzo were later compiled. Polya returned when the Chekists were already in the house. They did not let her in, but she looked through the window and saw a Cheka4 officer fling prosphora and holy oil at the face of the paralyzed old woman and scatter her icons in the holy corner. Then he threw St. Eudoxia off the couch and started beating her, with the others joining in, kicking and whipping her…
They were shot two days later. The Chekists were ready to spare Dunya’s disciples, but they would not leave their mentor. Daria, another Daria, and Maria came out of the hut and prayed in the direction of the Dormition Church. The soldiers threw the mutilated Dunya off the porch. One of the disciples picked her up.
While the martyrs were being taken to the cemetery, the soldiers lashed them. Suddenly, white angel wings appeared out of nowhere and began to shield them from the blows. Many people saw the wings, and afterwards they told their children and grandchildren about it.
Dunyushka and her companions were treated differently in the village. Some loved them, while others… After all, somebody prompted the Chekists to look for a deserter in her house. But when Sts. Eudoxia, Daria, another Daria, and Maria were being beaten, shot, and then finished off with bayonets, hardly anyone could remain indifferent. It is known that the peasant Ivan Anisimov, who had had the reputation not being a believer, said:
“Now I’d give my last cow to prevent them from being killed.”
A common grave was dug in the cemetery. Suddenly, the shooters refused to carry out the sentence: their hands faltered. But still, there were those who brought themselves to do it and volleys resounded. The locals were ordered to bury the martyrs.
Then they remembered how St. Eudoxia had once said, hearing the knell from the Dormition Church: “They’re happy people! When they die, the bells start ringing, but I’ll be dumped into a pit like an animal.”
Three Feasts
Atheists wanted to destroy the Dormition Church in the village of Puzo. But although its bell tower was converted into part of a water tower, and grain was stored in the church building, it survived and has now been restored. As for the grave of the New Martyrs of Puzo, it was well-tended even in the time of persecutions. And people always took earth from it (and took snow in winter), prayed to the martyrs, and were healed.
After the Revolution, a collective farm named after the great military commander Alexander Suvorov appeared in Puzo. The collective farm’s chairman must have respected Suvorov very much. At his suggestion, the village was renamed Suvorovo, and a monument to the generalissimo was set up beside the desecrated church… I wonder if that chairman knew what deep faith Suvorov had.
In those years, before the holy martyrs’ canonization and the uncovering of their relics, two dates were celebrated in the village every year: Dunyushka’s name day on March 14, and the anniversary of their martyrdom on August 18. Commemoration meals were organized on each street of the village. People also came from the surrounding villages, carrying food and cooking together. First they would conduct a lay service, and then they proceeded to the grave of the martyrs. But it often happened that in March by order of the local authorities, atheists poured a chemical over the snow so that nobody could take it. They even dispersed the faithful as they were praying at the grave.
The villagers have preserved the Gospel that belonged to the martyrs of Puzo and St. Eudoxia’s cross. They are now kept at the Dormition Church.
The holy New Martyrs Eudoxia Sheikova, Daria Timagina, Daria Ulybina and Maria (her last name is unknown) were canonized at the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. Their holy relics were uncovered on June 5, 2001.
On June 5 and August 18, a great many people flock to Suvorovo. The church is packed both at the Vigil in the evening and at the Liturgy in the morning. As a rule, several hierarchs concelebrate. In addition to Metropolitan George of Nizhny Novgorod, Metropolitan Mitrophan (Badanin) of Murmansk and Monchegorsk often serves on these feasts. St. Eudoxia and her disciples have played a special role in his life. Vladyka took part in the uncovering of their relics. Once he spoke from the ambo about how terrible the massacre was. The wounded Maria was dealt the final blow with a bayonet in the head! He saw this mark for himself…
“There is a prophecy that Dunya’s holy body will be uncovered, and four archpastors will carry her relics. But when her holy remains were exhumed, I did not see any bishops among those who carried them. But now I know one. I do not know what became of the other people who were there with us (there were monks from Mount Athos and an archimandrite from Bulgaria among others). But I believe the prophecy has come true,” Metropolitan Mitrophan said in another sermon.
Surprisingly, after St. Eudoxia and her disciples had entered Vladyka’s life, he suddenly acquired the gift of writing. Now Metropolitan Mitrophan is a member of the Union of Writers of Russia. And first of all, Vladyka wrote a short Life of the New Martyrs of Puzo.
In our days, people from all over Russia come to Suvorovo, as well as to Diveyevo—not only to venerate the shrines, but to stay forever. There are quite a few parishioners of the Dormition Church who moved here in order to be close to St. Seraphim of Sarov and the Martyrs of Puzo.
A Day of Joy
One day on the eve of August 18, we, the staff of the diocesan press service, were hurrying to attend the Vigil in Suvorovo. In fact, we were moving from one event to another across the Nizhny Novgorod region, and the distance was several dozen miles! We barely made it there. I went into the church and dashed to the relics only to see a queue in front of them. And it was time to meet Vladyka! I felt that I would not have time to venerate the relics of all the four martyrs before the service, as usual.
“Well, okay, I’ll just come to Dunyushka; she’s the main saint here and holier than the others. And I’ll venerate the others after the service or tomorrow,” I thought. And so I did—although my heart was heavy, since I had denegrated Daria, another Daria, and Maria… I don’t even remember now whether I venerated the relics that evening or put it off until the morning, but what happened the next day is etched on my memory forever.
We arrived early in the morning as we were to interview those who came to the Dormition Church. Surgut (in the Siberian north), the Moscow region, Mordovia, locals from different parts of the Nizhny Novgorod region… Everybody was dressed up and joyful! And the day was sunny and warm. I was talking to the guests in a festive mood.
A woman from the north (I think from Irkutsk) said that she came here every year because she had experienced the grace-filled help of the martyrs of Puzo. And suddenly she added:
“You know, the following once happened to me. One day we were delayed on the way and were late for the evening service. We arrived when it was already starting. I thought: ‘I won’t have time to venerate all the relics. I’ll just come to Dunyushka—she’s the major saint here. And I’ll venerate the others after the service or tomorrow.’ And so I did.”
I just froze.… She had done the same… Literally in my words! Dumbfounded, I listened to the rest of her story, which I did not remember at all. All that remained in my memory was that the woman had realized her mistake after being brought to reason somehow. Just like me.
Rainbow around the sun in Suvorovo With tears, I begged their forgiveness, venerating the relics of all four of them. They are all equal, all having the same martyric crowns! So close, how many times have they come to help me! Both before and after that incident.
Another amazing thing happened that day: A rainbow was shining around the sun! After the Liturgy, people stood and pointed to the sky. Suddenly, I heard other people saying near me that this was nothing special, that this was an explicable physical phenomenon that has a name. But why did it occur on the feast of the New Martyrs of Puzo? And over the church where their holy relics rest? A lot of people were standing and taking pictures. I took a picture too. It is impossible to convey all the beauty of the mixture of radiant colors, but the memory of that wonderful day remained. A day of joy.
