Hieromartyr Nikolai was born on September 8, 1863, in the village of Krasnaya Slobodka, Trubchevsky County, Orel Province, into the family of a psalmist, Dmitry Mezentsev. Nikolai lost his parents at an early age—his mother died when he was five years old, and his father when he was twelve. As a total orphan born into a clerical family, he received a spiritual education at the state’s expense and was later appointed a teacher at the Tavrida Theological Seminary. Bishop Martinian (Muratovsky) of Tavrida and Simferopol ordained Nikolai Dmitrievich as a priest and appointed him the seminary’s confessor.
In 1903, Father Nikolai was transferred to the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at the Taranov-Belozerov Hospital in Simferopol and was also appointed a teacher of the Law of God at the local girls’ gymnasium. He was later elevated to the rank of archpriest.
In Simferopol, Father Nikolai witnessed the revolution, the takeover by the godless Bolsheviks, the rule of General Wrangel, the last battles between the White Army and the Red Army, and the withdrawal of the Volunteer Army from Crimea. One of his sons was an officer in Wrangel’s army, but after the evacuation of the troops, he remained in Simferopol with a group of officers. Father Nikolai helped them hide at the home of a spiritual daughter, who concealed them in the attic.
After the White Army left, mass arrests of remaining officers in Crimea began, followed by summary executions. It became unsafe for White officers to stay in Simferopol, not only for themselves but also for those who sheltered them. They decided to make their way to Sevastopol, hoping to escape by sea. Father Nikolai blessed them, and they parted ways forever. Soon after their arrival in Sevastopol, all of them were arrested and executed.
In March 1922, the Soviet authorities began the confiscation of church valuables throughout Russia. In many cases, this led to clashes between government committees and churchgoers. The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos was no exception. During the confiscation, a woman rang the alarm bell, and the church quickly filled with people, but this did not stop the committee from completing the seizure. The priest, the psalmist, and the woman who rang the bell were arrested.
From November 5 to December 1, 1922, an open trial was held in Simferopol, where Archbishop Nikodim (Krotkov) of Tavrida and Simferopol, along with almost all the clergy of the diocese, were put on trial. Father Nikolai Mezentsev was among those charged. When interrogated, he did not plead guilty.
Archpriest Nikolai was sentenced to three years in prison and sent to Nizhny Novgorod. However, after nine months, all those convicted in this case were granted early release. Upon returning to Simferopol, Father Nikolai began serving at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral.
Soon afterwards, the Renovationists1 took control of the cathedral, and he transferred to the Holy Trinity Greek Church in Simferopol.
In 1933, Father Nikolai was arrested again, accused of hiding valuables belonging to the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. He spent several months in prison under investigation and was eventually sentenced to a fine.
During this time, the Holy Trinity Church was closed. Parishioners began petitioning for its reopening, and since many of them were Greek nationals, they appealed to the Greek mission in Moscow. Father Nikolai actively helped by drafting petitions to government authorities and advising the parishioners on how to proceed. This time, the authorities relented and granted permission to reopen the church. In 1934, the Holy Trinity Church was reopened.
An elderly Greek priest, aged eighty-five, was appointed as the rector. Although he could still perform the Liturgy, he was too frail to leave the churchyard. Archpriest Nikolai was appointed as his assistant, performing services, officiating sacraments, and reading and singing in the choir.
Arrest and Execution
On December 15, 1937, Archpriest Nikolai was arrested again on charges of:
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Concealing church valuables
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Having a son who was a White Army officer and helping him hide
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Actively assisting the Greek Orthodox community in reopening the church, thus “inciting the population against Soviet power”
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Being aware of a counterrevolutionary Greek nationalist organization and failing to report it.
Father Nikolai did not plead guilty to counterrevolutionary activities.
Two false witnesses testified against him—one was a cellmate, and the other was a member of the church council. They signed statements that provided the necessary “evidence” for his conviction.
On February 14, 1938, the NKVD Troika sentenced Archpriest Nikolai to death, and he was executed.
From Igumen Damaskin (Orlovsky), Lives of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia of the 20th Century. February.(Tver, 2005), pp. 4–7.
