Presbyter
He was born on January 30, 1873, in the village of Dubrovo, Vitebsk province, to a Belarusian peasant family of Yakov Malakhov. He graduated from the Vitebsk Spiritual School and entered the Vitebsk Spiritual Seminary, which he completed in 1894. After that, he continued his studies at the Moscow Spiritual Academy, graduating in 1898. He served as a teacher at the Volhynian Spiritual Seminary, where he was respected for his knowledge and faith.
In 1919, the seminary was closed, and he was invited to teach at the Zhytomyr Pastoral School, which also soon closed. He actively opposed the Renovationism, speaking at diocesan assemblies. In 1924, he was ordained a priest and soon elevated to the rank of protodeacon.
In 1926, after the local priest in the village of Tiosto refused to serve, he was appointed the rector of the local church. He led an active pastoral ministry despite persecution from the authorities. In 1927, he was arrested based on a denunciation accusing him of counter-revolutionary agitation. During interrogations, he asserted his innocence, explaining that his words were directed against godlessness, not against the authorities.
After several months of investigation, on May 18, 1928, he was sentenced to three years of exile in Siberia. After serving his sentence, he lived in the village of Abramovo in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where he continued his pastoral work despite restrictions. He was respected by the local residents and conducted services in secret.
On February 8, 1936, he was arrested again and imprisoned in Butyrka prison. During interrogations, he responded to accusations, emphasizing his loyalty to the Church and the absence of hostile intentions towards the authorities. He maintained hope for truth and justice until the end of his life.
