Archimandrite John Krestiankin was born on this day in 1910. The future Fr. John was born in the city of Oryol in the Russian Empire on March 29/April 11, 1910. He lost his father at the age of 2 and was raised by his mother. As a child, he served in the church as an assistant to the future new martyr Archbishop Seraphim Ostroumov, who was famed for his asceticism. Archbishop Seraphim served as a spiritual mentor to the young Ivan. After graduating from high school, he trained as an accountant and practiced this profession for some time after moving to Moscow. He was ordained a deacon on January 14, 1945, and priest on October 25 of the same year. He also undertook distance education from Moscow Theological Academy, which he was unable to complete because of his arrest in 1950. On January 29, 1950, he was detained and sentenced to 7 years in the prison camps due to his preaching and religious activity. He was released early on February 15, 1955, being assigned first to Pskov and then to the Ryazan Diocese, where he served for 11 years in total. He was tonsured a monk on June 10, 1966, in the city of Sukhumi. All the while, he received instruction from venerable monastic fathers and hierarchs, including, notably, the Glinsk Elders. Fr. John Krestiankin is one of the most beloved elders in the modern history of the Russian Church. His deep wisdom and reputed clairvoyance led to his advice being sought out by numerous spiritual children and pilgrims from across Russia. His letters and spiritual writings remain widely read to this day and provide solace and reassurance to many. He is popularly venerated as a saint by Orthodox Christians in countries around the world. | 
