Nikolay Kotelnikov

Biography

Father Nikolay Mikhailovich Kotelnikov (Russian: Николай Михайлович Котельников, 4 February 1955 – 23 June 2024) was a Russian Orthodox protoiereus who served as rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Derbent for more than 40 years. For a long time, he was the only Orthodox priest in the city and was considered the oldest abbot in Dagestan.

Suffering from terminal cancer, he continued to hold services until 23 June 2024, when Kotelnikov was murdered by Islamic terrorists that attacked and burned down his church, among other targets. It was later revealed that Kotelnikov was one of the attackers' primary targets.