Nestor Savchuk was born in the province of Crimea, southern Russia, in 1960. As a youth be excelled in boxing, wrestling, the martial arts, and painting.

In his twenties be began to work as an apprentice painting religious murals in Odessa. There the older artists told him the stories of the Russian saints. Inspired by the saints with a love for God, Nestor set out for the 13tb century monastery of Pochaev to become a monk. This love grew naturally and expressed itself through his devotion and prayer with the holy icons, which one day would be the source of his martyrdom.

After his ordination his spiritual father advised him to go to the isolated village of Zharky. There he found a church which bad many ancient icons and which filled him with a mystical feeling or invitation. There be also found many blocks and difficulties. The church caught fire once and became the target of an icon stealing ring connected to the Russian mafia.

Nestor would stay up at night to guard the church. He was touched with a desire to ask for the grace of martyrdom. He began to pray for long hours. A friend warned him of this prayer, and told him be should ask to suffer for a long time. Nestor replied, "Yes, I understand that, but maybe if I will pray for martyrdom -- perhaps I will be able to pray it out."

On December 31st 1993, Nestor was found murdered, outside his house in Zharky.