Saint Benjamin of Petrograd (Whirledge) Icon - S678

Saint Benjamin was born in 1873 in the northwestern Russian Empire with the name of Vasily. At age 20, he graduated from seminary. Two years later, he was ordained a priest-monk with the name of Benjamin. A man of great intellect, he served as a professor and rector at four seminaries over the next 15 years. In 1910, he was consecrated as the vicar bishop of Gdov. In this role, he worked tirelessly among the poor, serving in churches and organizing charity for the people's care.

In 1917, Bishop Benjamin was elected as the Metropolitan of Petrograd. In the midst of the Russian Civil War, Saint Benjamin had no interest in politics, instead focusing on the spiritual revival of his archdiocese. He offered to enforce a non-political stance among his clergy if the Soviet government would end their persecution, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

By 1922, the communist government had begun to ransack churches for everything of value to feed the poor. In order to save his churches from destruction, Saint Benjamin established a program for parishes to voluntarily give up funds to feed the poor, which was accepted by the Soviet government for a time.

Later that year, the Soviet government established a state-controlled church called the "Living Church," and based on Saint Benjamin's political neutrality, the Soviets thought he would bring his archdiocese into it. Knowing his flock was faithful to Orthodoxy, he said he would put the matter to a vote. In a meeting with the clergy and faithful of Petrograd, the Soviet representative promoted the Living Church. In response, Saint Benjamin accused him of numerous heresies and placed Living Church clergy under anathema. For this, he was arrested.

For about a month, Saint Benjamin underwent a show trial, in which he defended the Orthodox Faith and took responsibility for his own actions, attempting to prevent further persecution of his flock. He and three others were sentenced to death by firing squad. Hearing the sentence, Saint Benjamin said, "Glory to Thee, O Lord, for all things." 

The sentence was carried out on August 13 (NS)/July 31 (OS), 1922. Saint Benjamin was shaved and dressed in rags so the firing squad would not know they were executing a member of the clergy.

Saint Benjamin was widely venerated both within the Soviet Union and abroad, and he was formally glorified in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, together with his companions.

In this icon, he holds a scroll with the words of 1 Peter 4:17: "Now the time of judgment has come."

This icon is offered by Legacy Icons with the permission of the iconographer, Brian Matthew Whirledge.