Church of the Holy Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Liubov’ and their Mother Sophia in Kokoshkino
The temple dedicated to the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sofia got its name for a reason. The names of these saints symbolize the main Christian virtues that form the basis of faith. The Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love were born in Italy. Their mother, Sofia, was a devout Christian who raised her daughters in love for the Lord Jesus Christ. She gave them names reflecting Christian values, and instilled in them devotion to the faith from childhood. The girls openly professed Christianity, which attracted the attention of the authorities. When Emperor Hadrian found out about their faith, he ordered the family to be taken to Rome. Realizing that trials awaited them, the holy virgins and their mother prayed, asking God for strength to withstand the coming torments. At the trial before the emperor, they remained remarkably calm, as if they were preparing for a holiday rather than suffering. Adrian tried to convince them to renounce their faith and sacrifice to the pagan goddess Artemis, but the young maidens remained steadfast. Vera was 12 years old, Nadezhda was 10, and Lyubov was only 9. The Emperor ordered them to be brutally tortured. The girls were burned on an iron grate, thrown into a red-hot oven and into a cauldron of boiling pitch, but the Lord miraculously protected them. Lyubov, the youngest, was tied to a wheel and beaten with sticks until her body turned into a continuous wound. Despite the unbearable suffering, the holy virgins did not renounce their faith. Sofia was forced to watch her daughters suffer, which was the hardest ordeal for her. However, she showed incredible resilience, supporting her daughters and encouraging them to remain faithful to Christ until the end. All three girls suffered martyrdom by being beheaded. Sofia was allowed to take their bodies. She placed the remains in an ark and took them with honors outside the city, where she buried them in an elevated place. Sofia spent three days at her daughters’ grave, and then died, having given her soul to God. The faithful buried her next to her daughters. The relics of the holy martyrs have been buried since 777 in the north-east of France, in Alsace, in the Esho church.
Address: Kokoshkino village, Truda str., 8
