Piotr Andreyevitch Streltzof (1893-1973), better known as Father Arseny, was a spiritual father in Russia during the period of communist rule under Stalin. Father Arseny performed many miracles during harsh times in the cold Siberian prisons, where there was little hope for those who were encamped.Because Father Arseny was a priest in a parish, he was convicted for anti-communist propaganda and became Prisoner No. 18376. In Russia, the holy fathers were considered Anti-communists, because many of them had different political views than Stalin had.Life in the barracks was brutal. Many of the prisoners were often ordered to work outside in the below-freezing weather, while others had specific duties inside, such as keeping facilities heated. If any of the tasks were not performed properly, prisoners were beaten severely (sometimes to the point of death) by those in charge of them.Under Stalin, many innocent lives were imprisoned due to Stalin’s quota on the amount of people that needed to be arrested for anti-communist activities. Those who met Father Arseny and lived to tell their stories, praised him as a man of God who touched many lives in the camp through prayer and faith.While in prison, Father Arseny encountered a former hardcore criminal by the name of Alexei. Alexei was an atheistic individual who mocked God and all of those who followed him. When Alexei personally met Father Arseny, he began to see life in a different light.An event that impermeably persuaded Alexei to believe in God was when both Father Arseny and Alexei were sent outside to be punished for petty doings. The Lieutenant in charge ordered Father Arseny and Alexei to stay in the outside metal shack for 48 hours without food and drink. The temperature was -30 Celsius. Because the shack was metal, the freezing weather felt a lot worse.While in the shack, Father Arseny and Alexei recited the prayers of God and figuratively appeared in a warm place. Father Arseny and Alexei survived the 48 hours of punishment. Prior to their punishment, nobody was able to do live after going to the metal shack for 48 hours. How they survived the cold weather without food and drink is still a mystery today. However, his spiritual children believe it was the work of God.Indeed, Father Arseny's spiritual strength consistently uplifted those who would otherwise have been consigned to a sure and hopeless death, and it continues to shine as a profound testimony to the transformative power of one simple priest's breathtaking humility before God.
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