Unlike Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev, Metropolitan Benjamen of St. Petersburg was given a privilege of a "trial" ... He was accused of the opposition to the robbery of churches (confiscation of the Church treasures) and along with a number of other clergymen put to death on August 13 (July 31), 1922.

With regard to this and other similar cases, Bolshevist ring-leader Lenin expressed the following authoritative opinion:

"The more reactionary clergy we could kill under this pretext, the better."