Archimandrite
Saint Martyr Ardalion, in the world Alexander Ippolitovich Ponomarev, was born into the family of a rural priest in the 1870s. He graduated from the Perm Theological Seminary, was ordained a priest, and served in various parishes, fulfilling many responsible duties, including overseeing church-parish schools and missionary work.
After the revolution, he continued to fulfill his pastoral duty, defending churches from closure and strengthening the spirit of the faithful. In the difficult years of famine and persecution, he wrote in the Gospel: “I will endure all for the sake of Jesus Christ”.
Father Alexander did not send his son Grigory to a Soviet school, but taught him himself, based on the study of the Holy Scriptures. At the age of 56, after the death of his wife, he took monastic vows and fully dedicated himself to the service of Christ.
In 1937, he was arrested and, despite the pressure of the investigation, did not confess to any wrongdoing. He was sentenced to five years in a labor camp. After his arrest, his family did not know about his fate for a long time. In 1938, he died of exhaustion in the camp, and he was buried in a civilian cemetery with a plaque indicating his name and date of death.
In 2008, he was glorified as a saint martyr. The life of Father Ardalion was full of love for God and neighbors, prayer, and zeal for worship, and his martyrdom became the crown of his holy life.
