One of the most respected priests of Rostov at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century was John Alexeyevich Domovsky, who is now considered one of the main candidates for canonization.

John Alexeyevich was born on March 30, 1842, in the village of Pokrovskoye in the Yekaterinoslav district to a deacon's family. He graduated from the Yekaterinoslav Theological Seminary, after which he got married and was ordained as a priest. For many years, he served in the churches of Yekaterinoslav province, engaging in missionary work and the construction of dormitories and hospitals.

In 1896, he was transferred to Rostov-on-Don, where he initially served at the Sofia Church and then led the congregation of the Alexander Nevsky Church until the end of his life. In Rostov, he became a protodeacon and a prominent figure in the spiritual life of the city, engaging in missionary work and teaching the Law of God at the Nakhichevan Gymnasium.

In 1916, John Domovsky planned to retire to a monastery, but with the arrival of the Bolsheviks, persecution of the church began. Many churches were closed or destroyed, and some deviated into heresy. During this time, John remained a steadfast defender of Orthodoxy.

During the Soviet regime, he was interrogated multiple times, but he was not afraid of death and wanted to die as an Orthodox Christian. After the churches were closed, he began to serve at home, for which he was arrested. During the interrogation, he told the investigator: "I will not leave here, but you need to go home now." The investigator, smirking, still went home and found that his son had narrowly escaped a fire. Upon returning, he released John, saying that he would not be bothered again. This miracle saved John, and he continued to serve, with similar miracles occurring in his life frequently.

John Domovsky passed away on March 9, 1930, and was buried at the Sofia Cemetery in the crypt of the Alexander Nevsky Chapel. Later, he was reburied at the Armenian Cemetery in Rostov-on-Don. During the transportation, the coffin cracked, revealing incorrupt hands and feet, but it was not opened.

The question of canonizing John Domovsky has already been discussed, and the collection of facts about the miracles associated with his posthumous help is ongoing. A memorial museum for this holy man has been established in his native Alexandrian Church. The memory of John lives on, and his ministry remains an example for new generations of Orthodox Christians.