Leontius Karyagin

Holy Venerable Martyr Leontius Karyagin, a monk (1870-1918), was one of the venerable martyrs of the Dormition Zilant monastery in Kazan, killed in 1918. The Azbyka page tells their story together.

In 1917, in the Zilant monastery on the edge of Kazan, nine monks and novices lived under the guidance of Archimandrite Sergius (Zaitsev). When in 1918 Kazan was liberated by the White and Czech forces under Colonel Kappel, two guns were set on the hill before the monastery, firing on the Bolshevik positions. On 28 August (10 September new style) the Czechs withdrew, and the Bolsheviks burst into the monastery's settlement, lined the brethren against the courtyard wall and shot them in volleys. Then they left for the city.

Of all only the old hieromonk Joseph was left alive, who at the first volleys fell to the ground and was thought dead. Coming out of the heap of bodies, he went to the city and found shelter at the monastery of the Forerunner. Gone deaf, he died a year later, having told of the martyr's death of the brethren. Shot were Archimandrite Sergius (Zaitsev; 1863-1918), the hieromonks Laurence (Nikitin; 1872-1918) and Seraphim (Kuzmin; 1870-1918), the hierodeacon Theodosius (Alexandrov; 1864-1918), the monks Leontius (Karyagin; 1870-1918) and Stephen, the novices George (Timofeev; 1880-1918), Sergius (Galin), Hilarion (Pravdin) and John (Sretensky). The funeral service and burial were performed by Archimandrite, later bishop and holy hieromartyr, Joasaph (Udalov).

They were canonized as locally venerated saints of the Kazan diocese in 1998, and at the Jubilee Council of Bishops in August 2000 they were numbered among the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, for veneration throughout the Church. Saint Leontius is commemorated on 10 September, on 17 October, with the Synaxis of the Saints of Kazan, and on 7 February, with the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, in the new style.