Hierofey (Sobolev)

Born on October 27, 1936 in the village of Tengushevo of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in a peasant family.

He graduated from high school. In 1957–1961 he studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary , in 1961–1965 - at the Moscow Theological Academy .

In 1963 he entered the fraternity of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. He carried various obediences.

On October 15, 1964, he was tonsured as a monk with the name of Hierotheos in honor of the martyr Hierotheos, Bishop of Athens .

November 22, 1964 ordained a deacon .

In 1965-1972 he studied in the graduate school of the Moscow Theological Academy .

January 30, 1966 ordained to the priesthood .

In 1970 he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Tallinn and Estonia Alexy (Ridiger) .

In 1979 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite .

From July 3, 1986 to January 20, 1987, he was the second priest of the Catherine Church of the city of Vetluga, Gorky Region.

From January 20, 1987 to July 18, 1991 - rector of the Resurrection Cathedral in the city ​​of Arzamas, Nizhny Novgorod region.

On July 18, 1991, at the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, according to the report of the Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Nicholas (Kutepov), he was appointed to be Bishop of Balakhninsky , Vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese .

On July 28, 1991, in the Resurrection Cathedral of Arzamas, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, in the service of the hierarchs, made the nomination of the head of the cathedral, Archimandrite Ierofey (Sobolev), as Bishop of Balakhninsky , Vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese ^[1] .

July 29, 1991 in the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Arzamas is consecrated Bishop of Balakhninsky, vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. Chiropractor in Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, Metropolitan Krutitskiy and Kolomna ryukhovy ) , Kaluga and Borovsky Kliment (Kapalin) , Ivanovsky and Kineshma Ambrosy (Shchurov) , Samara and Syzran Eusebius (Savvin) , Tashkent and Central Asian Vladimir (Ikim) , Tambov and Michurinsky Eugene (Zhdan) , Alma-Atinsky and Alexis Semipalatinsk (Kutepov) , Bishops of Tver and Kashinsky Viktor (Oleinik) , Arseny of Istra ^1] .

From that time until his death, he continued his ministry in the city of Arzamas, in the Cathedral of the Resurrection Cathedral, often served as a succession for the priests of the cathedral, baptized, and crowned. He lived with his elderly mother in a simple village house, did not have a car, not even an official one, until Metropolitan Nikolai blessed him with one of the diocesan Volga.

He helped Metropolitan Nicholas of Nizhny Novgorod to administer the diocese.

In the last years of his life, Vladyka Hierotheos was sick a lot - he broke his leg several times - and on the background of diabetes, the recovery was very bad - he constantly moved on a crutch, even served like that. Got into an accident. He survived a robbery attack on his house - the criminals beat Bishop Hierotheos, causing him a concussion and broken ribs, beat the lord's mother, took 10 thousand rubles and disappeared.

He died on August 14, 2001 after a serious long-term illness in Arzamas. Buried in the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky monastery .

• Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, III Class
• Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh III degree
• Medal of St. Sergius of Radonezh
• letters of commendation

• Bishop Balakhninsky Ierofey (Sobolev) on the site "Russia in Krassakh"
• Hierofey (Sobolev Vladimir Ivanovich) (1936—2001)
• In memory of Bishop Balakhna Hierotheos
• Bishop Yerofey departed to the Lord