Vladimir Grigorievich Preobrazhensky

Born in 1873 in the village of Troitskoye, Smolensk Governorate.

It is known that he was ordained before 1917.

In 1929, he served in one of the rural churches in the Smolensk region.

In 1929, he was arrested and sentenced by the OGPU USSR to three years in a labor camp. He served his term in the Solovki camp.

On August 22, 1936, he was arrested again, and on February 9, 1937, he was sentenced to five years of exile in Kazakhstan. He served his exile in the village of Orlovka, Chayanovsky district, South Kazakhstan region.

On December 24, 1937, he was arrested in exile by the Chayanovsky police along with Father Ioann Mironsky and Viktor Matveyev and was tried together with them.

From the interrogation protocol of Priest Vladimir Preobrazhensky on December 25, 1937:

"You are accused of belonging to a counter-revolutionary group of clerics, conducting systematic anti-Soviet activities. Provide your testimony on this matter.

I did not belong to any counter-revolutionary group of clerics and believe that such a group does not exist as far as I know.

Provide testimony about your past counter-revolutionary activities.

I consider myself guilty only of being a religious person. Politically, I fully support the Soviet government. I have never conducted any counter-revolutionary activities and have been arrested and exiled only because I believe in God.

Were religious rites conducted in the apartment where you lived or not?

No, nothing was conducted.

The investigation has information that with your arrival in the village of Orlovka, religious activity among the population increased, and this increase is connected with your activities. Provide truthful testimony.

I did not contribute to the increase in religious activity in the village of Orlovka. In the apartment of Vasily Matveyevich Teterin, after my arrival, old women gathered twice and sang spiritual songs. But I, having listened to their singing a little, left the apartment. I also left the second time. I heard that they gathered and sang even before my arrival in Orlovka.

During the search, poems of counter-revolutionary content belonging to you were seized. Who wrote them and for what purpose?

During the search, three poems were seized from me, two of them "The Dream of the Exiled Priest" and "The Thought of an Old Pastor in Exile" were written by me, "The Eagle" was copied - I don't know where. I personally do not find these poems to be of counter-revolutionary content. I wrote about my personal thoughts and experiences. I kept them as my own works, and "The Eagle" as a memory of my murdered son. I did not spread these poems to anyone, except that I sent "The Thought of the Pastor in Exile" to my elder brother. I have nothing more to say."

From the indictment:

"Based on the above, Preobrazhensky Vladimir Grigorievich is accused of being a member of a counter-revolutionary group of clerics, organizing an illegal prayer house, writing and distributing poems of counter-revolutionary content, and illegally conducting religious rites. He did not plead guilty, but his guilt is evidenced by witness testimonies."

On December 30, 1937, Priest Vladimir Preobrazhensky was sentenced to the highest measure of punishment.

Executed by shooting on December 31, 1937, at midnight, along with Viktor Matveyev and Priest Ioann Mironsky in South Kazakhstan (Chimkent) region.

Buried in an unknown common grave.

On May 21, 1989, he was rehabilitated by the Prosecutor's Office of the Chimkent region for the 1937 repressions.

Canonized among the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in August 2000 by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.