Presbyter
Saint Martyr Basil was born on March 25, 1871, in the village of Teshilovo, Klin district, Moscow province. He graduated from the Dmitrov Spiritual School in 1886 and from the Vifansk Spiritual Seminary in 1894. He served in the church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God of the Golovinsky Monastery until its closure. During the Russo-Japanese War, he was appointed as a regimental priest in the army. After the end of military actions, he returned to the monastery, where he continued to serve.
In 1928, during the persecution of the Church, the authorities attempted to close the monastery, but the faithful showed resilience. On Paschal night in 1929, the godless planned to conduct an anti-religious session, but it was thwarted. Father Basil was arrested on June 21, 1929, and exiled to Tula. After completing his exile, he returned to his native monastery, but it had been destroyed.
In 1937, during the intensification of persecutions, he was arrested again and sentenced to execution. Archpriest Basil Likharev was shot on November 27, 1937, and buried in an unmarked grave at the Butovo firing range near Moscow.
