The Svyatogorsk Lavra held a farewell service for the late monk Varsonofy

On August 25, 2026, a farewell service and funeral for Monk Varsonofius (of Turya) was held at the Svyatogorsk Lavra; he had tragically died as a result of an armed attack. According to , the monastery’s press service reported that the tragedy occurred on August 23 near the monastery’s St. Nicholas Church.

According to the forensic medical examination report, the monk died from a through-and-through gunshot wound to the head and neck sustained during an attack involving a handgun. The monastic community found the monk severely wounded; his last words were a glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. Law enforcement agencies have opened a criminal case, and an investigation is underway.

A funeral service was held at the Lavra’s Cathedral of the Dormition, after which the body of Monk Varsonofy was buried behind the altar of the church alongside other monks who died during the shelling in 2022. Monastery officials noted that on the day of his death, Father Varsonofy had managed to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Monk Varsonofy (Vasily Turyansky) was born in 1973. Before entering the monastery in 2013, he worked as a design engineer. At the monastery, he performed various monastic duties, including serving in the refectory and tending the flower garden, remaining devoted to his monastic calling for more than ten years.