Yevgeny Alexandrovich Rodionov

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Yevgeny Alexandrovich Rodionov
Born	May 23, 1977 (Tschibirlei)
Deceased	May 23, 1996 (Bamut)
canonization	August 20, 2002 by Patriarch Alexius II of Moscow
Holiday	23. May
Patron saint	soldiers

Yevgeny Alexandrowitsch Rodionow ( Russian Евгений Александрович Родионов ; born May 23, 1977 in Chibirlei near Kuznetsk , Penza Oblast ; † May 23, 1996 ) was a Russian soldier who was killed during the first Chechnya war and kidnapped by Islamic militants . He is considered a martyr and is venerated as a saint . His death caused a sensation within Russia , and his canonization was even demanded.

Rodionov planned to become a cook, but was drafted into the Russian armed forces in 1995 , where he was supposed to do his military service. After completing a training program, he was deployed in the crisis region of Chechnya . On February 13, 1996, he was captured by a group of Chechen separatists along with three other Russian soldiers. They remained in the hands of the terrorists for over three months and are also believed to have been tortured. Rodionov is also said to have made an attempt to escape.

On May 23, 1996, on his 19th birthday, he was beheaded by the Chechen rebel leader Ruslan Chaichorojew on the outskirts of the Chechen village of Bamut . According to his kidnappers, Rodionov was killed after refusing to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam . He is also said to have refused to put down a silver cross that he wore around his neck. His kidnappers also claimed they would have left Rodionov alive had he agreed to their terms.

After his disappearance, Rodionov was initially suspected of having deserted, although cries for help and signs of battle spoke against this claim. The alleged kidnappers of Yevgeny Rodionov later asked for money from his parents before they revealed where his body was. Rodionov's father died five days after his funeral.

Icon of Rodionov in a procession (2003)

After the circumstances of his death became known, Rodionov was posthumously awarded the Russian Order of Valor. Large parts of the Russian Orthodox Church also called for his canonization. The then Moscow Patriarch Alexius II initially rejected this, as he feared the canonization would lead to anti-Muslim riots at this point in time. Nevertheless, icons of Rodionov were soon awarded miraculous healings and the delivery of sacred substances. Alexander Shargunov - a well-known priest - noted that this and the love of people are proof of his holiness. Patriarch Alexius II of Moscow therefore blessed Rodionov's veneration.

A church named after Yevgeny Rodionov was built in the Chechen settlement of Khankala near Grozny . It is one of the few Orthodox churches in Chechnya. In 2002, the Orthodox priest Alexander Shargunov published a biography of Yevgeny Rodionov. Several documentaries were made about his life and some Russian musicians dedicated a song to him, including Alexander Chartschikow and Alexander Marschal . Even today, Yevgeny Rodionov is well known among Russian soldiers.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Edition Hagia Sophia: May 23rd, in memory of the new martyr, soldier Evgenji of Chechnya
2. ↑ english.pravda.ru
3. ↑ В Кузнецке почтили память убитого в Чечне российского солдата Евгения Родионова
4. ↑ http://www.pobeda.ru/content/view/3855/131/  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ Documentation about Yevgeny Rodionov on kinobanda.ru ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Russian)  

Web links

• New martyr Evgenji Rodionov