Martyrdom under the Soviet persecution
Stephen Kreidich's death belongs to the wave of repression against the Russian Orthodox clergy in the 1930s. After serving his Bryansk parish for only a few years, he was arrested on charges typical of the period, including resistance to collectivization and the religious teaching of children, and was sent to a labor camp.
While imprisoned in the Karlag system in the Karaganda region, he was condemned anew and executed by shooting alongside Metropolitan Eugene (Zernov) and a small group of fellow clergy, sharing in their martyrdom.