This story began in the middle of the XVIII century. On the outskirts of St. Petersburg, in their own house, a young family lived in love and harmony: Aksinya Grigorievna and Andrei Fedorovich Petrov.

After the wedding, the Petrovs settled on a street called Eleventh. Probably, even before the death of Xenia or immediately after it, it began to be called Andrei Petrov Street or simply Petrovskaya, and it is marked on the plans of St. Petersburg. And then it was renamed Lakhtinskaya. Under this name, it has survived to this day. The Petrovs' estate was located approximately where houses 15 and 17 now stand. As for the church of the Evangelist Matthew, whose parishioners were spouses,2 its history is simply unique. It is incomprehensible, but the church stood here - the very first in St. Petersburg! When Peter founded the fortress of St. Petersburg, a wooden church was built in it in three days. It was later that he was transferred to the outskirts, where he was forever associated with the name of St. Xenia.

Her husband was a chorister at the court Capella and had the rank of colonel. His wife, young, beautiful, wealthy, doted on her husband. Apparently, he was a very kind and worthy person, since he deserved such ardent love. Happiness collapsed at once: Andrei Fedorovich died suddenly.

We do not know the circumstances of his death, but they are not the point. The main thing is that he died without repentance and communion. The Petrovs' house on today's Lakhtinskaya Street stood very close to the Church of the Evangelist Matthew.

And since they did not have time to commune Andrei Fyodorovich, it means that his death was really sudden.

Few people today understand what it means to die without repentance. For our thoroughly secular consciousness, death is such a horror, such an end to everything that we want only one thing: not to suffer for a long time and not to burden our neighbors. Instant death – what could be better, right?

Not so for a believer. At every church service, the Orthodox ask God to grant them a shameless, peaceful, sinless end. The one that will be the beginning of radiant eternal life. Sinless means with forgiveness of sins, that is, after confession. Peaceful means in peace with people and God, after communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It is impossible, unthinkable, not to invite a priest to the bedside of the dying man for a dignified farewell to the last journey, a journey of eternity.

But the Lord did not give such a death to Aksinya Grigorievna's husband. Her grief was immeasurable.

– My dear, why did the Lord not allow you to repent before death, to partake of Holy Communion? Have you angered Him so much? It means that your soul will burn forever in the flames of hell?..

It would seem, well, what can you do about it? As he died, so he died.

This is God's will for him, humble yourself, Xenia. I didn't put up with it.

"I'll pray for you." When we were married, we became one being. So, for now, I have remained on earth, and you are alive. The flesh of my flesh, the soul of my soul. From now on, the servant of God Andrew will begin to live in such a way that the Lord will forgive all his sins, giving him eternal life in his kingdom.

And Ksenia became Andrey. She responded only to the name "Andrei Fedorovich", and not to Ksenia Grigorievna. I put on his uniform. Do you think this is crazy? So it seemed to her family and friends. But it was not madness, madness, nonsense. Ksenia showed what real love is, to the end. What is a sequence?