Elder Iliy (Nozdrin) of Optina
On March 15, 2025, Schema-Archimandrite Iliy Nozdrin departed onto the Lord. Elder Iliy was a modern Optina Elder, the spiritual father of the brotherhood there, and of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. While much can be said about Elder Iliy, what his life really shows us is the absolute failure of the Bolsheviks to crush the Orthodox spirit of the Russian people.
The Bolsheviks shut down Optina, they killed its renowned elders; and yet, Optina rose from the ashes and gave birth to elders in our own times, such as Elder Iliy. His life is a powerful example of service to God and neighbor. Likewise, the rebirth of Optina is a powerful rebuke both of militant Atheisim, and of Protestantism and its unbelief in the holiness of people, places, and things.
A Brief Life of Schema-Archimandrite Iliy
“Just a few days before his passing, Father Iliy looked very weak physically, but his eyes shone with an unearthly light. He took my hand and said: ‘Do not be afraid of anything. The Lord is everywhere. And even when it seems that He is far away, He is closer than we think. Remember this always.’ These words became a precious testament for me.”
Schema-Archimandrite Iliy, born Alexey Afanasyevich Nozdrin on March 8, 1932, in the village of Stanovoy Kolodez, Oryol region, was gifted by God with life in a devout peasant family. At his baptism, he received the name Alexey in honor of St. Alexius, the Man of God.
His childhood was marked by the hardships of the Second World War. In 1942, his father succumbed to a grievous wound, and soon after, his grandfather, Ivan Nozdrin, the devout warden of the Pokrovsky Church known for his integrity, also reposed. His mother embraced the trials of widowhood with faith, devoting herself entirely to raising her children.
After finishing school in 1949, Alexey served in the army. Under pressure, he joined the All-Union Leninist Youth Communist League, or Komsomol, a decision he later deeply regretted, seeing it as a moment of weakness against his faith. Upon returning home, he burned his membership card, severing all ties with the godless ideology.
“Father Ioann once told me, ‘Alexey, your life does not belong to you but to God. He has chosen you for a special service.’ I asked, ‘Why me? I am just a simple village boy.’ And he replied, ‘Because the Lord looks not at status or learning, but at the heart. And your heart has been with Him since childhood.’”
Alexey took monastic vows while studying at the Leningrad Theological Seminary and Academy. He took the name Iliy (Ilian) in honor of one of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, being ordained a hierodeacon and hieromonk not long thereafter.
Monastic Life
Fr. Iliy lived at the renowned Pskov-Caves Monastery from 1966 to 1976. Here he discovered the writings of St. Silouan the Athonite, considering it a turning point in his life.
“When I read about Elder Silouan,” Father Iliy later shared, “it was as if a bright path opened before me. His words, ‘Keep thy mind in hell and despair not,’ became my daily guide in humility and hope. In a world filled with trials, Christ’s light remains, and no storm can extinguish it.”
By decision of the Holy Synod, Fr. Iliy was sent to the Russian Athonite Monastery of St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mt. Athos in 1976. When Fr. Iliy arrived on Athos, St. Panteliomons was in poor shape. He was one of just a handful of monks Here he became one of a handful of monks preserving the monastery from being transfered to the Greeks.
“On Athos, I learned the depth of true silence, time seems to pause, and one stands face to face with God. Once, while praying in a cave, an overwhelming joy filled my being, as if my whole soul was illuminated. It was not a vision, but an inner certainty of God’s presence… But the most wondrous thing on Athos is the presence of the Mother of God. This is Her domain, and one feels Her nearness in all things.”
Fr. Iliy labored in the Old Russik Skete, serving as the brotherhood’s spiritual father. By his prayerful efforts, St. Panteleomon’s Monastery was preserved, and flourishes today.
In the late 1980s, Father Iliy was called back to Russia to aid in the revival of monastic life at Optina Monastery after sixty-five years of desolation.
Optina and the Beginning of Eldership
“The Lord is with us, and all the holy elders of Optina.”
Arriving on the hollowed grounds of Optina in 1989, Fr. Iliy took the Great Schema, entering upon the path of Optina eldership.
“When I arrived in Optina, there were only ruined churches and paths overgrown with weeds,” the elder recalled. “The first service was held by candlelight because there was no electricity. But we felt the amazing spiritual strength of this place. It seemed as if the souls of the former Optina elders were invisibly present among us. I remember how one of the first brethren, a young hieromonk, said to me, ‘Father Iliy, I am afraid I will not endure, there are too many difficulties.’ And I answered, ‘Do not be afraid, my son. You are not carrying this cross alone. The Lord is with us, and all the holy elders of Optina.’”
Fr. Iliy guided the brotherhood through the troubled waters of Optina’s rebirth, putting all of his trust in God to carry see this good work come to fruition. But the enemy of mankind could not stand to see this beacon of Christian piety raised on high again. Just a handful of years after its refounding, he set out to strike at the heart of the brotherhood.
On Pascha 1993, a Satanist entered Optina. With a ritual dagger he brutally murdered three monastics: Hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov), Monk Trophim (Tatarnikov), and Monk Therapont (Pushkarev).
Many at the Paschal service said that there was something different, a foreboding of evil. After the service, Monks Therapont and Trophim set out to ring the church bells. As the bells rang, the killer struck. At this very moment, Fr. Vasily was going to the skete to hear confessions when he heard the ringing of the bells stop prematurely. He rushed to the bell tower.
Encountering a strange man on the way, Fr. Vasily asked what had happened. The man mumbled and pretended to head towards the tower, before turning around abruptly and stabbing Fr. Vasily in the back. The man fled, leaving his dagger behind, etched into it were the words “Satan. 666” The killer, Nikolai Averin, told investigators that voices in his head directed him to Optina, planning the attack for several years.
Uncovering of Relics of the Holy Elders of Optina
On July 7th, a layer of soil was removed from the graves of Sts. Barsanuphius, Anatoly (Zertsalov), Macarius and Leo. There was concern that the graves (some of which had been moved) were not properly marked. This turned out to be true.
In the graves where Sts. Maracius and Leo had been beleived to been buried were found the graves of Ivan and Pyotr Kireyevski.1 While this was a shock, they knew from the moanstery records that the brothers had been buried at the feet of their beloved elders, Sts. Macarius and Leo. Thus, having served a moleban to the Optina Elders and putting their faith in God, they continued their efforts.
The Lord rewarded their efforts. By June 27/July 10, 1998, the relics of the Optina Elders Leo, Macarius, Hilarion, Ambrose, Anatoly (Zertsalov), Barsanuphius, and Anatoly (Potapov) had been unconvered. Patriarch Alexei II immediately blessed three hierarchs to travel to Optina. The following day, Archbishop Kliment of Kaluga, Bishop George of Lyudinove, and Bishop Dimitry of Tobolsk, led a moleban with an akathist before the newly revealed relics of the Elders of Optina.
In October of that year, Patriarch Alexei II arrived in Optina to consecrate the newly rebuilt Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Fr. Iliy and the brethren took the opportunity to ask the Patriarch if the relics of the elders could be relocated to the newly consecrated Church. The Patriarch gave his enthusiastic blessing, and the relics were carried triumphantly to their new resting place, where they remain to this day, a blessing to all the faithful who make the pilgrimage to Optina.
Later Life and Repose
Elder Iliy would continue serving the brotherhood for many years. But a city on a hill cannot be hidden under a bushel. In 2009, Schema-Igumen Iliy was appointed father-confessor to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and moved to Peredelkino. On Pascha 2010, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite by His Holiness the Patriarch. In 2017, Pat. Kirill bestowed the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov upon the humble elder. In 2019, President Vladimir Putin awarded him the Order of Honor. But all of these awards meant nothing to the servant of God and his people.
“When people ask me how I feel about my new position, I always answer, ‘I remain the same monk I was before,’” the elder said. “Monasticism is not a position, but a state of the soul. It does not matter whether you are in a solitary cell or in the capital. The main thing is to keep a prayerful spirit and love for God and others.” - Elder Iliy
People from all over Russia would travel to seek the advice and blessing of Elder Iliy. Mothers worried about their children; Soldiers grieving the wounds of war; Widows grieving the loss of thier husbands; Politicians trying to keep their souls; Businessmen trying to serve God over Mammon; people from all walks of life came to them, unloading their burdens. His correspondence is massive, and it will take many years to collect the many letters and homilies he has given over the years. He received thousands of pilgrims up to the end of his life, remaining always a tireless intercessor not only for Russia, but the whole world.
In the last days of his life, the Lord vouchsafed Elder Iliy to return to his beloved Optina, where he reposed peacefully and in all Godliness. One of his spiritual daughters visited him in the last few days of his life, relating that “[he] looked very weak physically, but his eyes shone with an unearthly light. He took my hand and said: ‘Do not be afraid of anything. The Lord is everywhere. And even when it seems that He is far away, He is closer than we think. Remember this always.’ These words have become a precious testament for me.”
Elder Iliy’s life, filled with humble devotion, deep prayer, and steadfast faith, remains a shining example of asceticism and love for God. His passing is a great loss for the Russian Orthodox Church - and truly, the Church around the world. His life shows us that love and humble service of others can overcome any obstacle. He reminds us that God is with us. The revival of Optina and its Holy elders shows us that God is with us today, not merely in first century Palestine, not just in eleventh or ninteenth century Russia, but here, right now, Christ is in our midst!
May God grant rest to the soul of His departed servant, Elder Iliy of Optina where the Righteous repose. May his memory be eternal. May it strengthen us in our own spiritual journeys, drawing ever closer to Christ in faith and humility. Amen.
“Do you know what the greatest trouble of modern man is?” the elder once said. “It is that he has forgotten how to see God’s hand in his life. We are always looking for miracles, yet they happen every day. Every sunrise is a miracle. Every moment of life is a gift from God. Learn to be grateful for these simple miracles, and you will see how your life will be transformed.”
Ivan and Pyotr Kireyevski were deeply pious and patriotic laymen known for their philosophic and theological writings. Ivan is usually counted among the founders of the Slavophiles, but this is hotly debated. More importantly, Ivan was instrumental in Optina’s translation work. The Letters of Barsanuphius and John which Fr. Seraphim Rose translated into English, as well as the Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian are both the fruits of his labors - among many others. The brothers were devoted spiritual sons of St. Macarius of Optina