Feoktist Eliseevich Smelnytsky

Feoktist Eliseevich Smelnytsky was born in 1863 in Tomsk to a priest's family. He graduated from the medical faculty of Tomsk State University and the Kiev Theological Academy. Before the revolution, he was a professor at the Kiev Theological Academy, where he taught Roman ecclesiastical law and patristics.

In 1931, he was ordained a priest and later elevated to the rank of protopriest. For a period (from 1926 to 1930), he was involved in the Renovationist schism, serving as a priest in the Renovationist community in Kiev. He later repented and served in the Chernigov Diocese, being in canonical communion with Bishop Stefan (Protsenko) of Kozeletsk, a vicar of the Chernigov Diocese.

In 1936, he was arrested and imprisoned in Nizhyn. He was convicted under articles 69 and 71 of the Criminal Code and sentenced to two years of conditional imprisonment. However, on May 27, 1936, he was re-arrested and on July 17, 1936, was sentenced by a special board of the Chernigov Regional Court under article 54, paragraph 10 of the Ukrainian SSR Criminal Code to five years on the grounds that "...while in custody in prison, he conducted anti-Soviet agitation among prisoners, proving to them that the Soviet government is a bandit government, that the people will soon rise and overthrow the Soviet government. He made counter-revolutionary statements against the leaders and heads of the party and government." He did not plead guilty. Due to his advanced age and severe physical decline, he was deemed unfit for physical labor.

He arrived at Karlag from Kiev prison on September 10, 1936. Due to his disability, he did not work in the camp. While in Karlag, Protopriest Feoktist Smelnytsky was re-arrested on September 19, 1937.

The NKVD troika of the Karaganda region sentenced Protopriest Feoktist Smelnytsky to execution on September 28, 1937.

The sentence was carried out on October 3, 1937, at 11:30 PM.

On May 6, 1990, he was rehabilitated by the deputy prosecutor of the Karaganda region for the 1937 repressions.

He was canonized in August 2000 by the decision of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.