Alexander Hotovitzky was an Eastern Orthodox priest and hieromartyr born in 1872 in Kremenets. After completing his studies at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he spent eighteen years serving as a missionary and pastor in the United States. Upon returning to the Russian Empire, he held various positions in Helsinki and Moscow. Following the October Revolution, he faced repeated arrests and exile for his religious activities. He was eventually executed in Moscow in 1937 during the Great Purge.
Ecclesiastical service
During his lengthy tenure in North America, Hotovitzky was instrumental in founding numerous parishes and helped build the St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York. He also edited the American Orthodox Messenger and organized mutual aid societies. Later, while serving in Moscow, he worked closely with Patriarch Tikhon and helped organize efforts to protect church property and support the starving during the early Soviet period.
Martyrdom and veneration
Hotovitzky's refusal to surrender sacred items to the state led to his arrest and a high-profile trial in 1922. Although he was eventually released from prison and exile, he remained under government scrutiny. He is honored as a hieromartyr in the Orthodox tradition, with his glorification commemorated on November 21.