In prison, Aksionov leamt to make boots and earned a little money, with which he bought the book “The lives of saints”. He read the book when there was sufficient light in prison. On Sundays, he read the lessons and sang in the choir. The prison authorities liked him for his meekness. Fellow prisoners, having realized that he was innocent, respected him and called him grandfather. He was made their spokesperson to petition their genuine grievances in the jail. When there were quarrels among the prisoners, they brought their cases to Aksionov for settlement. The jail authorities respected him for his exemplary manners.
