Nikolai (Klementiev)

In the world, Nikolai Fyodorovich Bardakov (Klementiev), was born on October 6, 1873, in the village of Losevo, Nerekhta County, Kostroma Province (now Ivanovo Region). He was the youngest and only son in the family of the priest Fyodor Nikolaevich Bardakov and Evpraksiya Petrovna, who had three daughters.

Nikolai spent his early childhood in the Makaryevsky District in the village of Kruttsy, where his father was transferred in December 1875. The village stood on the Shirmaksha River, on the trade route from Puchezh to the village of Kovernino, near the border with Semenovsky County, Nizhny Novgorod Province.

In 1884, he entered the Kostroma Theological School, from which he graduated in 1889 and then entered the Kostroma Theological Seminary, graduating in 1895.

When entering the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Nikolai Fyodorovich changed his family name to a new one—in Kostroma documents, this was first recorded in the clerical records of St. Nicholas Church (1897), where it is stated: "Son of the widowed priest’s wife Efrosinya Petrovna Bardakova—Nikolai Fyodorovich Klementiev, studying at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, with excellent-good behavior."

In 1899, he graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with a degree in theology and received a position as a teacher of logic and Latin at the Alexander Nevsky Theological School.

On May 7, 1904, he was ordained a priest to the cemetery St. George's Church in Bolshaya Okhta, St. Petersburg. He also served in the church of the Okhta Children's Shelter.

From December 7, 1908, he served in the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Bolshaya Okhta.

After 1914, he was widowed.

On April 7, 1919, he was elevated to the rank of archpriest and appointed rector of the Petrograd Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, as well as dean of the 10th Deanery.

In 1922, he was arrested in the case "on the confiscation of church valuables," sentenced to three years in prison, but released after 9 months.

Widowed, in 1924 he took monastic vows and on June 23 was consecrated bishop of Sestroretsk, vicar of the Petrograd Diocese. The consecration was led by Patriarch Tikhon (Bellavin).

He actively opposed the Renovationists. On May 11 and June 25, 1925, together with Bishops Benedict (Plotnikov) and Innocent (Tikhonov), he signed epistles warning the flock against trusting the Renovationists and recommending abstaining from participating in their 1925 council.

On December 15, 1925, he was arrested and sent to the Irkutsk region for three years. In 1929, he was released with residence restrictions.

Bishop Nikolai settled in Tver and only in 1931 was he able to return to Leningrad, where he lived with his daughters for a year and a half until universal registration was introduced. He was not allowed to register in Leningrad. He went to the city of Tikhvin, but was also denied registration there.

On March 22, 1933, he was appointed bishop of Nikolsk, managing the Veliky Ustyug Diocese. In May 1933, he arrived in Veliky Ustyug.

From July 6, 1924, to April 4, 1933, he temporarily managed the Okhta Vicariate of the Leningrad Diocese.

On July 9, 1934, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop and appointed ruling bishop of Veliky Ustyug and Ust-Vym.

On December 7, 1935, he was arrested along with nine of his clergy on charges of "participation in a counter-revolutionary group." The charge stated:

"Archbishop Klementiev in the city of Veliky Ustyug since the end of 1933 organized around himself the most reactionary and anti-Soviet-minded part of the clergy, with whom he arranged gatherings under the pretext of diocesan council meetings and various celebrations, discussing issues of opposition to Soviet power. In addition, he widely used the church pulpit for counter-revolutionary agitation."

On September 3, 1936, by a special meeting of the NKVD of the USSR, he was sentenced to 5 years of exile in Kazakhstan.

He served his exile in the village of Vannovka, Tyulkubas District, South Kazakhstan Region.

On December 23, 1937, he was arrested in exile on charges of "counter-revolutionary activities." On December 26, he wrote to the NKVD of Tyulkubas District:

"To the questions posed by you regarding my anti-Soviet activities during my administrative-exile residence both in Vannovka and outside the Tyulkubas District, I have the following to say.
Due to my age (65th year) and state of health, as well as my position as a clergyman, I cannot get a job and would have difficulty performing one if I did, due to frequent bouts of dizziness and severe leg pain.

I stayed home for weeks, only leaving when absolutely necessary:

to the prayer house, the post office, or to check in with the NKVD…

Upon arrival here, I wrote one letter to Archbishop Boris (Shipulin) of Tashkent, asking him, as the spiritual leader of the Vannovka parish, to bless me, if possible from the Soviet authorities, to serve in

the prayer house for communion, or, if impossible, to bless such communion at my apartment...

Archbishop Boris, originally from Veliky Ustyug and my academic peer, answered me in writing, blessing both temple and home communion...

I have nothing more to tell the NKVD about myself.

December 26, 1937, Nikolai Klementiev."