Fr. Alexander Boldin was brutally murdered on May 16, 2019. His wife, Matushka Eugenia, was left to take care of six children by herself.
Father’s killer turned out to be a local man with a criminal record, who was drunk when he attacked him. Realizing what a terrible thing he had done, he tried to hide his crime. Two weeks later, Fr. Alexander’s body was found with several stab wounds, buried in a field outside the village. The murderer was caught and convicted, but the family was still left without a breadwinner or support.
The tragic death of this father and husband was a terrible blow. Everything happened so suddenly that Matushka still can’t believe he’s gone. The children require constant attention, especially now, after the death of their father. Matushka Eugenia has to raise the kids and provide for them all by herself. The family is in a difficult situation and in need of our help.
Matushka works at the post office, where she receives a meager salary that barely covers any of their costs. The eldest son recently returned from the army, and the other five children are still in school. The family lives in a village in the Republic of Mordovia where they maintain a garden and farm, working hard to put food on the table.
Matushka has to cover the huge expenses by herself. All the children urgently need winter clothing and shoes now, and to cover their educational expenses, and prices are constantly rising. Their old, dilapidated, panelboard home requires separate funds to keep it suitable for living. The sewage and water pipes need to be replaced, and the kitchen and hallway need to be renovated.
Alexander Evgenievich Boldin was born on December 23, 1975 in the city of Ruzaevka in the Republic of Mordovia to a simple working-class family. He spent his childhood years caring for his sick mother and working hard.
Eugenia’s marriage to the future Fr. Alexander was a very happy one.
Fr. Alexander Boldin’s priestly ministry began in 1999, in the almost completely destroyed Church of the Archangel Michael in the village of Shoksha. The church, which had been used as a warehouse in Soviet times, had neither floors, nor doors, nor windows. Father and Matuska had a difficult life with their children, lacking even basic amenities. They fetched water from a well and used an outdoor toilet. For many years, they didn’t have their own home, having to move around between other people’s houses.
They had few parishioners, but over time, more and more people started coming to church.
The first service was held on Pascha in 2000. Afterwards, Father changed into his work cassock, and together with a team of men, worked late into the night restoring the church. He paid no attention to his fatigue, wanting to build the church as quickly as possible. He carried bricks, cut boards, and mixed concrete. Through his efforts, the church was restored from ruins and regular services began.
His family also grew very quickly, and they needed the farm to feed the children. He had to work very hard, as always, but Fr. Alexander feared no difficulties. He had been accustomed to work and independence since childhood, when he took care of his sick mother by himself. God sent Father and Matushka six wonderful children. “Everything is up to God’s will. We’ll have as many children as God gives us,” Father said in one of his interviews.
They lived and labored like this for many years until Fr. Alexander’s life was cut short by an evil act of human will. Father is remembered as an active Church figure who settled in a remote Mordovian village to restore a ruined church. He was known as a good father whose children are the pride of the school.
We can help Matushka Eugenia raise her children, help them get an education, and prepare them to lead their own lives. They can’t do it without our support.
Священник: Fr. Alexander Boldin
Матушка: Eugenia Boldina
Место жительства: Republic of Mordovia, Tengushevo Village, Russia.
