Kozelsk, Kaluga Province, Russia, March 19, 2025
Photo: optina.ru
The farewell to the deeply beloved and revered elder Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin) took place at Optina Monastery yesterday.
Elder Iliy 
Elder Iliy reposes in the Lord—Russian Church’s most revered elder (+VIDEO)Elder Iliy (Nozdrin), the most beloved and revered elder of the Russian Church, reposed in the Lord on Saturday night, March 15.
“>reposed in the Lord on Saturday night, March 15, at the age of 93.
Photo: optina.ru
His funeral service and burial were led by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, for whom Fr. Iliy was a spiritual father and mentor, Optina Monastery reports.
Despite the cold and sudden snowstorm, thousands of Orthodox faithful from across Russia filled the monastery to say goodbye to Fr. Iliy. The Kazan Church, where his body was placed, remained open overnight to accommodate the pilgrims.
For the farewell to the beloved elder, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was celebrated by the monastery His Grace Bishop Joseph of Mozhaisk with the clergy of the monastery and numerous guests.
Photo: optina.ru
Hieromonk Silouan spoke of how Fr. Iliy always had the right words for everyone and how his face always radiated light. “Many simply asked permission to stand next to him to get warm with the warmth of life in God, the warmth of grace that emanated from the Elder,” he said.
For the funeral service, Pat. Kirill was joined by nine other hierarchs and a host of monastery and visiting clergy.
Photo: optina.ru
Before the beginning of the funeral service, Pat. Kirill addressed those gathered with warm memories of the Elder: “Alexei (as Fr. Iliy was called in the secular world) attracted people with his purity, a kind of decency. Everyone loved him; he was a simple, modest person who tried to be inconspicuous, and communicating with him calmed the soul.”
Recalling the Elder’s path in the Church, the Patriarch especially noted his service on Mt. Athos: “Fr. Iliy made a very important contribution to strengthening monastic life on Athos, became a beloved spiritual father, a man who maintained a living connection with the homeland. The Lord led Fr. Iliy through difficult circumstances, which he endured with dignity.”
Photo: optina.ru
“His life, his ministry was accompanied by humility and love,” emphasized the Patriarch. “And love is not just an emotional feeling that sometimes captures people’s hearts, but above all the ability to give oneself to people. It’s to such love that human hearts open. Fr. Iliy gave himself to people. They came to him for help, for advice, and the Elder carried this heavy ministry with humility and courage.”
The service was broadcast by the Orthodox channel Spas:
After the funeral, the Elder’s coffin was carried in procession around the church and then transferred to the brotherhood cemetery, where a memorial litia was served. His grace is located the near the Chapel of the Resurrection of Christ.
Photo: optina.ru
The monastery writes of Elder Iliy:
In the days of farewell to the elder, the words of the Apostle Paul sound especially significant: Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation (Heb. 13:7). The path of Fr. Iliy is not only an example of monastic feat but also a visible testimony to the embodiment of the commandments of love for God and neighbor in the modern world.
Providentially, the Lord granted Fr. Iliy such a long earthly life—almost an entire century. And this length of days was given to him not by chance, but so that as many people of different generations as possible could touch the grace of God, which abundantly poured out through this amazing Elder. The Elder himself had long been ready for the transition to eternity, to meet with the Lord, to Whom he dedicated his entire earthly life without remainder.
His words addressed to all of us sound like a testament today: “Repentance and good deeds lead to Paradise. Why have we been given the Gospel, the Church of God? All the mysteries of the meaning of life are revealed to us in them. Let us live according to God’s Law, and then there will be peace in the country, and everything necessary will be added to us” (cf. Mt. 6:33). These simple words contain the entire essence of Christian life.
Let us pray for the repose of the soul of the newly departed Schema-Archimandrite Iliy. “May the Lord keep us all through the prayers of Fr. Iliy. We believe that he will intercede for the forgiveness of our sins before the throne of the Heavenly King”—these words of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill reflected the common hope of all who knew and loved the Elder. Now, everyone who comes to Father’s grave carries in their heart a particle of that light and warmth that Fr. Iliy generously shared during his life. And may this light warm our souls, reminding us of what the Elder dedicated his long earthly life to: love for God, sincere service to people, deep faith, and hope in the mercy of the Savior.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
Source: Orthodox Christianity
