Father Andrei Nikolayev died early Saturday along with his 3 children
when their wooden house in the central Tver region, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of
Moscow, caught fire.
A fifth body discovered in the house is supposed to be that of Mr Nikolayev's wife.
Pravoslaviye i Mir, an online
Orthodox news site, said that the priest's home was doused with gasoline and
set on fire. Local residents, most of them heavy drinkers, had repeatedly
robbed the local church and threatened the priest.
Mr Nikolayev said shortly before his burning he has been threatened by
local residents in the past.
"Few people can live in these sorts of conditions, few people can
live through this," Mr Nikolaev said, describing typical living conditions
in Russia.
Local resident regularly robbed his church, sold stolen goods and bought
vodka.
Bureau report
KC
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