(Source: Vladimir Rusak, Pir Satany, London, Canada: "Zarya", 1991, p. 33)

     *

     In May, 1927, after the OGPU had exiled Bishop Onuphrius of Elisavettgrad, and then his successor Bishop Macarius, Archimandrite Barsonuphius (Yurchenko) went to Elisavettgrad illegally and organized a meeting of the local clergy. At this meeting a protocol was drawn up handing the right of administering the diocese, in accordance with the wishes of Bishop Onuphrius, to Fr. Gregory Seletsky. The latter, a graduate of Zurich universtiy, had been exiled to Kharkov in 1926. He arrived in Elisavettgrad from Kharkov in September, 1927, shortly after the publication of Sergius' declaration, settled in the flat of the dean, Protopriest N.V. Vinogradsky, and conducted a meeting of the clergy. During this meeting Fr. Gregory strongly criticized the declaration, but only three out of the six priests present supported him.

     Protopriest Nicholas Vasilyevich Vinogradov was born in 1868 in Tiraspol, in the family of a priest. He finished his studies at a theological seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood and served in the church of SS. Peter and Paul in Elisavettgrad. In 1926 he was under investigation on a charge of anti-soviet agitation, but was released after two months. On January 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years exile in the northern regions.

     After finding little support in Elisavettgrad, Fr. Gregory went to Moscow. His attempt to influence Metropolitan Sergius in a personal meeting proved fruitless. He met M.A. Novoselov, who strongly criticized Sergius and spoke of the necessity of breaking with him. He also met Professor A.F. Losev, and Protopriests Mechev and Vorobiev.

     Meanwhile, in Elisavettgrad, after Metropolitan Michael of the Ukraine issued his sergianist declaration in December, 1927, the three sergianist parishes in the city de facto broke with Sergius. In this decision the influence of Fr. Gregory was evident. However, the situation changed in the spring of 1928. The authorities first closed the Znamenskaya "Bykovskaya" church. Thenthey handed over the Pokrov church on Kovalevka, whose superior had once been Fr. Gregory, to the renovationists. And then, in May, there took place a schism in the remaining church of SS. Peter and Paul - the priests M.I. Romanovsky, V.P. Sokolov and S.P. Kovalev accepted the declaration and joined Metropolitan Sergius. In January, 1929 they succeeded in organizing their own community and received the Skobyashchenskaya church in Nikolayevskaya slobodka from the authorities. However, these priests later joined the True Church.

     Protopriest Michael Ivanovich Romanovsky was born in 1870 in the village of Chashino, Kashin uyezd, Tver province, in the family of a reader. In 1894 he finished his studies at the Tver theological seminary. He was a reader in the Pokrov yedinovertsy church in Torzhok. In 1897 he was ordained to the priesthood. He served in the church of the cavalry school in the Caucasus, from 1904 - in Elisavettgrad, and from 1920 - in the cemetery church. In 1932 he was arrested and sentenced to six months' hard labour. On July 15, 1927 he was arrested and accused of antisoviet agitation, but was released after two months. He was raised to the rank of protopriest. He served in the Skorbyashchenskaya church. On January 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the northern regions.

     Fr. Basil Petrovich Sokolov was born in 1883 in the village of Drapino, Spassky uyezd, Tambov province, in the family of a priest. He finished his studies at the Tambov theological seminary and the Kiev Theological Academy. Until 1914 he was a teacher in Kiev, from 1914 to 1917 - in St. Petersburg, and from 1918 - in Oster, Chernigov province. In 1920 he was ordained to the priesthood and served in the church in the village of Krivokolenovo, Uman uyezd, and from 1923 - in the SS. Peter and Paul church in Elisavettgrad. He rejected the declaration of Metropolitan Sergius, but refused to joined Archbishop Demetrius. In 1927 he was under investigation on a charge of antisoviet agitation. The charge was dropped. On February 15, 1930 the interview of Metropolitan Sergius denying the persecution of religion in the Soviet Union was published. Fr. Basil was upset and decided to separate from Sergius. On May 22, 1930 he met Bishop Paul (Kratirov) in Kharkov and presented his view on the sergianist hierarchs as being subject to ecclesiastical trial, but not deprived of grace (that was the opinion of the Elisavettgrad Josephites). Vladyka supported Fr. Basil and received him into communion. Fr. Basil left the Skorbyshchenskaya church, but was not accepted by the clergy of the SS. Peter and Paul church, who demanded public repentance from him. Fr. Basil did not agree with this condition, and until his arrest lived in Elisavettgrad, serving in flats. Besides Bishop Paul, he maintained links with the Kievans - the priests Fr. Anatolius Zhurakovsky, and the professors Ekzemplyrsky and Kudryavtsev. On January 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the camps.

     Protopriest Semyon Pantaleimonovich Kovalev was born in 1876 in Elisavettgrad, in the family of a priest. He finished his studies at a theological seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood. In 1921 he was arrested, but released within a month. He served in the Skorbyshchenskaya church in Elisavettgrad. In 1927 he was arrested on a charge of antisoviet agitation, but was released after two months. He was raised to the rank of protopriest. On March 10, 1931 he was arrested as the leader of the Elisavettgrad cell of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the north.

     The Josephite clergy in the SS. Peter and Paul church were: Protopriest Nicholas Vinogradov, the priests Plato Kupchevsky, Paul Dashkeyev, John Lyubansky and Victor Ognevtsev, and the deacons Michael Donne and Azbukin.

     Fr. Plato Fedotovich Kupchevsky was born in 1866 in the village of Orzhipol, Odessa province, in the family of a priest. In 1887 he finished his studies at the Odessa theological seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood and served in the Greek church in Odessa, and later in the SS. Peter and Paul church in Elisavettgrad. In 1923 he was under investigation on a charge of antisoviet agitation. In July, 1929 he was arrested, but was soon released. On January 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the northern regions.

     Fr. Paul Grigoryevich Dashkeyev was born in 1870 in Belgorod, Kursk province, in the family of a deacon. He finished his studies at a theological seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood and served in the SS. Peter and Paul church in Elisavettgrad. On January 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church and as a participant in the "military officers' counter-revolutionary organization". On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the northern regions.

     Fr. Ivan Nikolayevich Lyubavksy was born in 1863 in the village of Philippovo, Zaraisk uyezd, Ryazan province, in the family of a reader. He finished his studies at a theological seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood and served in the church of SS. Peter and Paul in Elisavettgrad. On April 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the northern regions.

     Fr. Victor Ivanovich Ognivtsev was born in 1867 in the village of Syrtsovo, Kursk province. He finished his studies at a theological seminary and served in a church in Elisavettgrad. In 1924 he was arrested and sentenced to one year's hard labour. On January 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the northern regions.

     Fr. Michael Dmitrievich Donne was born in 1883 in the village of Malo-Rovnoye, Elisavettgrad okrug. He was not well educated. He was ordained to the diaconate and served in the church of SS. Peter and Paul in Elisavettgrad. On January 16, 1931 he was arrested in connection with the affair of the Elisavettgrad group of the Odessa branch of the True Orthodox Church. On December 14, 1931 he was sentenced in accordance with article 58-10 to three years' exile in the camps.

     In the summer of 1928 (or according to other sources, in January, 1929) Frs. Gregory Seletsky and Nicholas Vinogradov took a written petition from the Elisavettgrad diocese to come under the omophorion of Bishop Demetrius (Lyubimov). Vladyka Demetrius agreed, gave them an official document and appointed Fr. Nicholas dean. He also gave the latter some Josephite appeals and ten books from the former library of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. However, he advised them in case of necessity to be served by Bishop Paul, since he was the nearest Josephite archpastor. It is interesting that Fr. Gregory brought from Protopriest Theodore Andreyev in Leningrad a letter from Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), first-hierarch of the Russian Church in exile.