Synaxis of saints
Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church
XX век; празднование установлено в 1992 году
Also known as: Собор новомучеников и исповедников Церкви Русской, Собор новомучеников и исповедников Российских, Новомученики и исповедники Российские
The common commemoration of the saints of the Russian Church who suffered martyrdom or persecution for their faith after the 1917 revolution, kept on the Sunday nearest to 25 January (7 February).
The Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church commemorates clergy, monastics and lay people who were put to death for Christ (new martyrs) or endured imprisonment and persecution for the faith and survived (confessors) after the October Revolution of 1917. Until 2013 the feast was called the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
On 5 (18) April 1918 the Local Council of the Russian Church ordered an annual commemoration of those who had died in the persecution on 25 January (7 February), the day Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Kiev was killed, or on the following Sunday. Open commemoration soon became impossible. The Russian Church Abroad glorified the new martyrs in 1981; in the Moscow Patriarchate the commemoration was restored in 1991, the Council of Bishops of 1992 fixed the feast, and the Jubilee Council of Bishops of August 2000 glorified the new martyrs and confessors of the twentieth century, both named and unknown. New names are added by decisions of the Holy Synod.
Since 2013 the feast is kept on 25 January (7 February) when it falls on a Sunday, otherwise on the nearest Sunday (the preceding one if the date falls Monday–Wednesday, the following one if Thursday–Saturday). On the same day the Church prays for all who died in the years of persecution.