Hieromonk
Saint Ilarion (in the world Rodion Fedorovich Tsurikov) was born on April 8, 1856, in the village of Krivopolyany, Ostrzhsky district of Voronezh province, into a peasant family. The family was deeply religious, and both sisters became nuns. He went to Mount Athos to the Holy Panteleimon Monastery, where he took monastic vows with the name Ilarion. In 1913, he was expelled from Athos due to the case of the name-worshippers and sentenced to death, but was released due to lack of evidence. After moving to Moscow, he became a member of the Pokrovsky Monastery brotherhood. In 1924, he moved to the Solenyy farm, where he was arrested along with Father Ioann (Laba) for opposing the Soviet government. He received a three-year exile to the Naryn region. After his release in 1928, he reunited with Father Ioann and settled in the mountains near Frunze.
On February 2, 1929, the monks were arrested again on the same charges and sentenced to three years of exile in the city of Kzyl-Orda. After the second exile, he settled in the city of Mirzoyan, where his nun sisters Magdalina and Gavriila later arrived. The hieromonks regularly performed divine services. In the 1930s, they helped many exiles, taking them into their home.
On June 23, 1937, the last arrest took place. Father Ilarion was accused of participating in a counter-revolutionary organization and leading a secret monastery. During the investigation, he did not admit his guilt. On August 23, 1937, a guilty verdict was issued, accusing him of counter-revolutionary activities and secretly ordaining monks. The sentence: the highest measure of punishment. On September 4, 1937, Father Ilarion (Tsurikov) was executed.
