Monk-martyr Varlaam (Efimov)

Venerable Varlaam (in the world Vasily Sevastianovich Efimov) was born on April 12, 1903, into a family of pious Muscovites. He worked as a courier in the militia. In 1935, he secretly accepted monastic tonsure with the name Varlaam. On September 29, 1937, he was arrested and accused of anti-Soviet agitation, as well as of providing his apartment for clandestine worship services. During the interrogation, he explained that the priestly vestments were left by Hieroschemamonk Aristocles, who performed molebens in his apartment. Varlaam did not plead guilty. On October 17, 1937, the NKVD troika sentenced him to ten years of imprisonment, after which he was sent to Lokchimlag in the Komi region, where he soon passed away.