Saint Tikhon was born on May 30, 1875, in the village of Bol'shoe Popovo, Voronezh Province, to the family of priest Ioann Arkhangelsky. Having lost his parents early, he was raised by his cousin Zinaida and her husband Peter. After graduating from the Theological Seminary, Tikhon married the pious maiden Khionia, who was born on April 8, 1883, in the village of Novy Kopyl. They had eighteen children, of whom nine survived. Tikhon was ordained a priest and served in the church of the village of Troekurovo, where his family engaged in agriculture.
Khionia took care of the upbringing of the children, teaching them to pray and fast. In 1928, the authorities closed the church and decided to dispossess the priest. Tikhon and Khionia, having received a warning, moved to the city of Lebedyan, where Tikhon continued to serve until the churches were closed one after another. In 1937, the priest was arrested and, despite his convictions, was sentenced to death on October 4, 1937. He did not renounce his faith and was executed on October 17, buried in an unmarked grave.
Khionia, not ceasing her attempts to learn about her husband, was also arrested on December 12, 1937, and sentenced to eight years in camps. She was released at the end of 1944 and lived with her daughter in Michurinsk, then moved to the graves of her relatives. She died in December 1945 and was buried on December 22 in the local cemetery.
