May 10/23, 2021, marks the 25th anniversary of the martyrdom of the soldier Yevgeny Alexandrovich Rodionov (1977-1996), who was cruelly tortured and beheaded in Chechnya by terrorists after refusing to renounce his faith in Christ. He died on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord and his 19th birthday.

The Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, said the following about this tragic killing:

“I am convinced that the question of the canonization of the soldier Yevgeny Rodionov, who was executed by terrorists for confessing his faith in Christ, should be properly examined. He is no different from the martyrs of the first centuries of Christianity. Even if there may be some side issues, or someone or other’s personal agenda, or even the real risk that some may politicize his sacrifice, it would only be a small group of people doing so, and would have nothing to do with the great faith of this young man, who has come to be venerated by people across Russia. I have myself seen icons of him already in many churches.”

(Interview of the Head of the Russian Imperil House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria of Russia in the magazine Imena, published on 19 July 2007; see: http://imperialhouse.ru/rus/word/maria/1344.html.)

The memorial to Yevgeny Rodionov, shown above, was sculpted by Andrei Sergeevich Korobtsov.