Hieromonk
Hieromonk Theodore was born in 1905 in Tehran to the family of a Russian consul. After his father's murder in 1911, his mother returned with the children to Saint Petersburg, and then the family lived in Saratov, experiencing hunger.
In 1923, Oleg, the future saint, entered the medical faculty of Moscow University, while simultaneously singing at services. Due to his mother's illness, he left his studies and went to work, and after her death, he served in the army, openly expressing his faith.
In 1930, Oleg took monastic vows with the name Theodore and became a deacon. In 1933, he was arrested and sentenced to three years in a concentration camp, where he worked as an assistant to the camp doctor.
After returning from exile in 1937, he became a priest. In 1941, Father Theodore was arrested again; he was tortured in an attempt to make him an informant, but he refused. He continued to serve secretly and cared for his spiritual children.
For the third time, Father Theodore was arrested in 1941. He accepted his arrest with joy, as a feat for God. The saint was tortured, but he did not reveal the names of his spiritual children and was sentenced to exile. He passed away on July 19, 1943, in prison, having been tormented by torture, and was buried in an unmarked grave.
