Priest Anatoly Chistousov suffered martyrdom in Chechen captivity

PRIEST ANATOLY CHISTOUSOV SUFFERED MARTYRDOM IN CHECHEN CAPTIVITY

Russia’s Federal Security Service conveyed to Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, on April 26 a set of documents attesting to the fate of the rector of the church of Archangel Michael in Grozny, Rev. Anatoly Chistousov, who was hijacked by Chechen militants on January 29, 1996.

The documents received by the DECR are part of the archives of the State Security Department of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, now at the disposal of the Russian competent authority.

According to the available evidence, after the hijacking Father Anatoly was kept in the camp of Ichkeria’s State Security Department near the Stary Achkhoi village. It was in this camp that the priest of the Russian Orthodox Church was executed by shooting, suffering martyrdom at the hands of his abductors.

This is borne out in particular by the report of February 14, 1996, made by the security service executives under Ichkeria’s president and attested by the republic’s military prosecutor.

Among the documents handed over to the DECR there is a photograph of Father Anatoly Chistoutov’s body, made by his executioners after the execution.

Throughout the time when the fate of Father Anatoly remained unknown, the Russian Orthodox Church authorities took resolute actions to have him and other clergy and faithful of the Church in the Chechen captivity released. In some cases captives were finally set free, while in other, to our profound regret, they were executed by the bandits and found their rest in the dwellings of the righteous.

The Russian Orthodox Church grieves for the untimely death of Father Anatoly Chistousov who managed to fulfil his pastoral duty in the most difficult situation and who retained his faithfulness to Christ even to death.