Athanasius Sakharov
Athanasius Sakharov was a Russian Orthodox saint and hymnographer, canonized in 2000, his full title is, “'''Saint Athanasius Sakharov, Confessor-of-faith, Bishop of Kovrov”.'''
Early life
Saint Athanasius Sakharov, birth name: Sergei Sakharov, was born on 2 July 1887, he was born in the Tsarevka Village in the Tambov Governorship. Throughout his early life Saint Athanasius and his family lived in the Russian city of Vladimir. Athanasius’ father, Gregory Zakharov, was a civil-ranking Court Councillor, whilst Athanasius’ mother, Matrona, was from a peasant family.Unfortunately when Athanasius was years old, his father, Gregory Zakhorov died. After Athanasius’ father's death, Matrona's piety increased and she took on the monastic lifestyle, which greatly influenced Athanasius’ spiritual life. During this period, the boy was very keen on attending lengthy Church Services and Liturgies. Even though he was young Saint Athanasius considered himself a servant of the church and told all his friends and classmates his dreams to achieve priesthood. Impressively at a young age, Athanasius learned how to sew, which he used his skill to sew many Church vestments and he embroidered many icon coverings.
Education
Athanasius Sakharov found his education difficult, he didn't slacken his efforts, but unexpectedly at the end of the school year he graduated at the top of the class. Impressively, at the age of 12 he wrote his first troparion to the Shuisk-Smolensk icon of the Mother of God.After finishing his Primary Education, Athanasius entered a religious seminary in his hometown Vladimir. As a religious seminary student, Athanasius displayed a talent at ignoring temptations. A clandestine chapter of the seminary ended, when one of its leaders died due to mishandling explosives. In the summer of 1901, revolutionary seminary students held a secret meeting later resulting in a riot amongst the students in December, when they went on strike refusing to attend the seminary. During this period, Athanasius was not interested in boycotting the seminary due to his refusal in taking part in Politics. Eventually after graduating the Vladimir Seminary, he transferred to the Moscow Religious Academy. During his stay at the Moscow Academy, he took on a monastic tonsure taking the name Athanasius after the famous Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. In 1912, Athanasius graduated the Moscow Academy with a degree in theology.
Church Life
In 1918, Athanasius Sakharov was invited to attend the Local Russian Orthodox Council in the city of Vladimir, Russia and from 1918 to 1920 the Saint was invited to join the Diocesan Vladimir Association. On 20 January 1920 he was raised to the rank of the Archimandrite becoming the Abbot of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in his home town of Vladimir, Russia.In Pre-Revolutionary Russia the chance of being a Bishop brought many privileges but in the 1920s it was a chance for you to be tortured and persecuted for your beliefs. But despite this Athanasius Sakharov accepted the chance of being Bishop of Vladimir-Suzdal. On the eve of his Ordination, he was bought to the Secret police headquarters where he was threatened and reprimanded for his choice to become a bishop, but he still took on his role. He was determined to “lead his flock” so he was arrested only several months after his ordination.