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Holy New Martyrs of China
St Metrophanes, Martyr of the Boxer Rebellion

by the hands of sisters of
Holy Nativity Convent

The Holy New Martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Mission in China were massacred during the Boxer Rebellion (Yìhétuán Uprising) in 1900.

A year later, the Russian Holy Synod was presented with the name list of 222 Orthodox Christians, martyred in China in 1900, which was compiled by the head of the Russian Mission from the testimony of the relatives of the massacred Christians, neighbors and witnesses.

After subsequent discussion, the Holy Synod per decree № 2874 of 1902, have designated a two day commemoration for local veneration in China on the 10-11 (23-24) of June. In particular, a solemn liturgy was designated for the second day of the commemoration at "Ground Zero" at the Church of All Holy Martyrs in Beijing, with procession to the sites where the majority of the Holy Martyrs perished.

The Moscow Patriarchate in assuming pastoral responsibility of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church, resolved in its Bishop's Council of April 17, 1997, to reactivate decree № 2874 of 1902, designating June 11/24 as the commemoration date.

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) along with the Bulgarian Old Calendar Orthodox Church likewise promoted the church-wide veneration of the Chinese Martyrs among their sister jurisdictions, by con-celebrating the Glorification service in Sydney, Australia on June 23, 1997 with procession around the Pokrov Church of the Mother of God in Cabramatta on the following day on June 24, 1997.

The Moscow Patriarchate in its Bishops' Council of February 2-3, 2016, after reviewing the decision related to the glorification of the saints by ROCOR, have blessed the church-wide veneration of the Holy New Martyrs of China designating June 10/23 as the commemoration date.

Liturgical Texts

Holy Icons

The building of a dining room for
Chinese Christians at the Russian
Spiritual Mission in Beijing,
burned by boxers during the siege
of embassies
photo from "Moscow List" Illustrated appendix.
January 21, 1901, № 7, Pg. 7

from The Feast of the Chinese Martyrs,
OCMC Magazine, Vol. 15 No. 2, 1999

Unknown Artist.
New Martyrs of the Boxer Rebellion.
Russian. contemporary
(September 2, 2011)

By the hand of the nun Irina (Moroz).
Blessing the Holy Chinese Martyrs Icon
for Khabarovsk Seminary Chapel
(May 24, 2013)

Icon of Sts. Chinese Martyrs
by the hand of OI Chernyak,
commissioned by Archpriest
Peter Perekrestov, rector of
the Cathedral of the icon
Mother of God "Joy of All
Who Sorrow" (ROCOR)
San Francisco, USA

On July 19, 2019, on Friday, Archbishop Lucian
of Blagoveshchensk and Tynda consecrated
the icons of the Chinese new martyrs:
St Mitrophan of Beijing and SS Iya and John.
They were painted by nuns,
master artists of Blagoveshchensk diocese.

Chinese Martyrs icon
by the hand of Alexandra Atavina
(March 18, 2020)