John the Russian was an Orthodox Christian slave born around 1690 in the Cossack Hetmanate. Captured during the Russo-Turkish War while serving in the army of Peter the Great, he was sold into slavery in the Ottoman Empire. Despite facing mockery and hardship for his refusal to convert to Islam, he gained the respect of his master through his humility and diligence. He lived as a groom in Ürgüp, where he was known for his steadfastness in faith and his kind-hearted nature toward others.