Hieromonk
Saint Varfolomey (Ratnykh) was born in 1894 in the village of Matrenki, Kyiv province, into a peasant family. He graduated from the church-parish school and in 1913 entered as a novice in a monastery of the Kyiv diocese. After serving in the army on the Romanian front, he returned to the monastery, was tonsured, and ordained as a hieromonk.
From 1927 to 1934, he served in the church of the city of Pereyaslav. In 1936, he was arrested but soon released. He moved to Feodosia, where he lived in seclusion, corresponding only with his spiritual children.
In one of his letters, he wrote about wearing the cross, urging to place all hope in God and not to fear suffering.
On July 13, 1937, hieromonk Varfolomey was arrested by the NKVD. During the interrogation, he was accused of slandering the Soviet government, but he defended the truth of his words.
On December 10, 1937, the NKVD troika sentenced him to death by shooting. Hieromonk Varfolomey was executed on February 10, 1938, and buried in an unknown mass grave.
