Testimonies

The testimony of Valentina Solovyova

2023-07-29T06:58:23Z

Klimenty Petrenko (1889 – 1975)

Participant of the First World War. He was called to the front in 1914. He was captured in Germany. He was in captivity for 7 years.

All the prisoners worked in a coal mine. The work was hard, the food was poor. Klimenty escaped from the captivity on the second attempt. The first time he ran with his friend, but they were caught on one of the guarded bridges, brought back, and severely beaten. For the second time, Clementy decided to act on his own.

He faked seizures of epilepsy in front of a non-commissioned officer, that is why he was released from hard work. Everyone who could not work at the mine collected sap in the forest. One day, during lunch, the prisoners of war lit a bonfire. The guard dozed off at this time. Clementy decided that the hour of escape had come.

Seeing that the guard was napping, he began to imitate that he really wanted to go to the toilet and began to retreat into the bushes. The prisoners of war remained silent. The second escape was successful.

Klimenty went around the cities. He walked only at night, tried to hide during the day. He asked people for food, matches. In total, the journey home took a whole month. In Bessarabka he met a fellow villager. It was more fun to go further. In Glinka they went to the vineyard to eat. They were detained by a German patrol. Due to the fact that Clementy knew the language, they were released.

His wife was waiting for him at home. But before they went to war, they were married for only 2 years. During their captivity, they were visited by evangelical stundists. It was there that Clementy first really learned about God.

When he came from captivity, he saw the Gospel from Anastasia Evdokimovna, his wife's own sister. Anastasia received this Gospel from the priest as a gift for her good studies. Clementy began to study the Holy Scriptures, to search for believers in the spirit. In Strumok, Spassky there were believers who came to visit. Clementy began to explain to people the essence of the Gospel.

The Romanians summoned Clementy, forbade spreading the Gospel, and beat him. One day the priest sent the headman to Anastasia Evdokimovna, asking her to take the Gospel from Clementy. But the seed was sown, people began to turn to God.

In 1933, the construction of the House of Prayer at 59, Gagarin St. began in Tashlyk. In 1934, its opening took place. In 1943, the authorities closed the House of Prayer. During the year, the building of the Prayer House was used as a warehouse, then as a club. In 1944, the House of Prayer was returned to the church.

PS: Anastasia Evdokimovna (1900-1957) is my grandmother. Klimenty's wife – Maria Petrenko (maiden Voloshchuk) (1891-1970). Anastasia and Maria are sisters.

The testimony of Roman Savochka about his father

2023-07-29T05:11:30Z

The testimony of Roman Savochka about his grandfather

2023-07-29T04:55:12Z

Today I would like to tell you an interesting story about my grandfather, which happened in 1941.

My grandfather Alexey was the first pastor in my city. In 1941, during the German occupation, something happened - someone killed a German soldier, so the Germans in retaliation gathered all the male population in one building and planned to shoot everyone by the evening. My grandfather and my father, Mikhail, who was about 19 years old at the time, were also in this crowd.

And when the German officer started checking everyone's documents, he noticed that my grandfather had a certificate that he was a pastor of a Protestant church. This certificate was in German, because my grandfather had completed courses in Germany before the war. The officer says, "Are there any of your people here?" The grandfather answers: "Yes, there are several dozen believers here." And the officer says to him: "You know what, take all these people, and you are free." My grandfather just couldn't believe his ears. It was a real miracle!

He slowly walked to the officer's right hand and began calling the names of the believers. But unbelieving people, seeing what was happening, began to ask: "Alexey, tell me my name as well?! I promise to serve God from this day on!". Some just fell on their knees and begged him, because everyone wanted to live!

My grandfather was confused, didn't know what to do, and suddenly God gave him a revelation. Grandfather gets up and says: "All who believe in Jesus Christ, come to me here." And all the people, as one, just defected to his side. A German officer says, "Nooo, you're not fooling me! I say, you take your own, and with these we will decide what to do next."

My grandfather switched sides and said the same thing again: "All who believe in Jesus Christ, come to me here." And all the people, as one, defected to his side.

You know, God performed a great miracle that night! The Germans have released all the people! As my father told me, that evening there was no place in the church, not to sit down, there was no place to stand...

Sergey Churilov's testimony

2023-07-29T04:46:18Z

I was born and grew up in the village of Spirovo, Tver region. Now I am 50 years old. I've spent most of my life behind bars. Now I regret it.

I grew up without a father, lived with my mother and grandmother. I studied very poorly and my behavior was very bad. In the 7th grade, I was registered in the children's room of the police for hooliganism, fights. Also in the 7th grade there was the first my conviction for an accident with my friend on a motorcycle. A friend died then and I was given 2 years probation.

They transferred me from school to the school of working youth and I immediately went to work. During my studies, my parents did not refuse me anything, everything was allowed to me. Then I got a job at a factory and started abusing alcohol, which led to prison for 3 years.

After releasing, I almost immediately went back to prison for almost 16 years of strict regime. During this long period, all my relatives died, and I was left all alone, not understanding how to live again. Continuing to abuse alcohol again, I got into a huge addiction and, due to supervision, was again in prison 3 times for six months.

A friend with whom we were constantly drinking together, more than once told me about the rehabilitation center that people were being helped there, since he had been there more than once and knew what he was saying.

During the New Year holidays (2021), this friend and I went to Leontievo, there was an Orthodox center there. I didn't like it there right away, because they also drink there and there is no control over the people who are there, and we almost immediately left there.

On January 15, dirty, drunk, unshaven and hungry, we went to Nikulino on foot to Igor Markov in the center. We walked for a long time and came late at night in a severe frost. We were received, warmed, soaped, fed. I was very surprised by this attitude.

I really liked the center, especially the fact that they lived as one family. We ate together, worked together, studied the Word of God, as if we were all relatives.

After some time, I began to be drawn back to Spirovo and had a lot of conversations with Igor Markov, sometimes even to arguments. He dissuaded me as a disobedient son from these thoughts of returning back. And I am very grateful to him for not letting me leave in moments of temptation.

During the rehabilitation program, I repeatedly went to the courts in Spirovo (there were many violations of supervision), there were many large and small fines — everything was paid for by the service of the center, they also helped to restore documents and make a residence permit.

In 2022, I repented and was baptized on February 5, 2023. I stayed to live here in Udomla. I rent an apartment. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful job. I visit my brothers at the center on weekends and, if possible, I always try to participate in the needs of the rehabilitation ministry. I don't want to go to Spirovo anymore.

I don't need anything at the moment, and if a difficult moment in my life happens, I know that brothers and sisters from the church will always help, prompt and come to the rescue. I am grateful to the Lord, also to Igor Markov's family and to everyone who helped me change my life.

Thank you.