Bishop
In the world, Dolganyov Georgy Efremovich, born on April 25, 1858, in Novaya Odessa of the Kherson district. He was the son of a priest of the Old Believer Church and the brother of the holy martyr Ephraim Dolganyov. He studied at the Nikolaev Maritime School, then at the Odessa Theological School and the Novorossiysk University. In 1889, he was accepted into the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, where on December 1, 1890, he was tonsured into monasticism with the name Yermogen. On December 2, 1890, he was ordained as hierodeacon, and on March 15, 1892, as hieromonk. He graduated from the academy with the degree of Candidate of Theology.
From September 17, 1893, he served as inspector of the Tiflis Theological Seminary, and from July 11, 1898, as rector. He proved to be a strict but just mentor, supporting the Georgian students and initiating innovations in the seminary. Since 1898, he was the chairman of the Georgian Eparchial Educational Council and a member of the Synodal Office.
On January 12, 1901, he was consecrated as bishop of Volsk, vicar of the Saratov diocese. During his service in Saratov, he paid attention to the construction of churches and the establishment of new monasteries. In 1903, he became the bishop of Saratov and Tsaritsyn. Under his leadership, more than 50 churches were consecrated, and he actively developed spiritual education and socio-political activities.
In 1911, he was called to the Holy Synod, where he opposed the introduction of the order of deaconesses. A conflict with hieromonk Iliodor and Grigory Rasputin led to his being sent into retirement at the Zhirovitsy Monastery. In 1917, he became the bishop of Tobolsk and Siberia, where he actively supported the royal family and opposed the Bolsheviks.
On April 28, 1918, he was arrested and accused of counter-revolutionary activities. After his arrest, he served molebens in prison, but was soon executed on June 29, 1918. His body was found and buried in Tobolsk, where it was later solemnly transferred to the cathedral. On June 23, 1998, he was glorified among the locally revered saints, and in 2000, he was included in the Assembly of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
