Biography
John of Kazan
About John of Kazan
John was taken captive after a raid on Nizhni Novgorod and brought to Kazan. The Orthodox Church in America’s account says that he was enslaved in the household of a relative of the khan. It remembers his Christian prayer and his refusal to accept a forced change of religion.
According to the received martyr narrative, he was taken to a cemetery, wounded with swords, and left in the snow. He nevertheless reached the home of Christians, asked for a priest, and received communion before dying. The notice dates his martyrdom to January 24, 1529. It does not establish his birth date or provide a detailed account of his earlier life. His remembrance centers on the faith he maintained during captivity.
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