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The title of New Martyr or Neomartyr (Greek: νεο, neo, the prefix for "new"; and μάρτυς, martys, "witness") of the Eastern Orthodox Church was originally given to martyrs who died under heretical rulers (the original martyrs being under pagans). Later the Church added to the list those martyred under Islam and various modern regimes, especially Communist ones, which espoused state atheism. Officially, the era of the New Martyrs begins with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Among those commemorated are not only those who gave their lives in martyrdom, but also those who are accounted as confessors for the Orthodox Faith.
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In the Orthodox Church, the third Sunday after Pentecost is known as the "Commemoration of All New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke."
In the Russian Orthodox Church, the Sunday closest to January 25 (February 7 on the Gregorian Calendar) is the "Sunday of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia." The date of January 25 was chosen because that was the date in 1918 of the martyrdom of St. Vladimir (Bogoiavlensikii), Metropolitan of Kiev, who is referred to as the "Protomartyr of the communist yoke in Russia."
The feast of "All New Martyrs of Serbia" is celebrated on June 28 [O.S. June 15].
June 24 [O.S. June 11] is celebrated as the feast of the "New Martyrs of China Slain During the Boxer Rebellion"