Ivan "Vanya" Moiseev was just eighteen when he entered the Soviet Red Army in 1970. The son of peasant farmers from Ukraine, he arrived at basic training with something forbidden in the atheist regime: faith in Jesus Christ.
Refusing to Deny Christ
From the beginning, Vanya spoke openly about his Savior. He refused to deny Christ even when his superiors demanded it. The punishments were severe. He was starved. He was awakened night after night for interrogations. He was beaten. For two weeks in the dead of winter, he was forced to stand outside in his thin summer uniform.
"God miraculously warmed me," he wrote to his family.
Miraculous Healing from Certain Death
Once, a military truck ran over him. Doctors said only amputation could save his life. Delirious with fever, Vanya prayed aloud through the night. By morning, he was completely healed.
Ready to Die for Jesus
Vanya documented everything in letters home and tape recordings made during his last leave. He knew what awaited him. "We know what we got into," he told fellow believers. "When we were Muslims, we were ready to die for Allah, who is a distant and cruel God. How much more we are ready to die for Jehovah who is an intimate and loving God."
Christian Martyrdom Soviet Union Victory
On July 16, 1972, at the age of twenty, Vanya was tortured and drowned by Soviet authorities near the Black Sea. He was beaten, burned, and stabbed six times in the heart.
But his death was not in vain. So many soldiers had come to faith through Vanya's testimony that his entire unit had to be broken up and dispersed throughout the army. Through two years of trial and torture, he never denied his Savior, and he never hesitated to share the gospel with anyone who would listen.
