Biography
Cyril Pavlov was born in the peasant family in Makovskiye Vyselki, Ryazan Oblast of Russia. After finishing the polytechnical college worked as technician at the metallurgic plant. Cyril Pavlov fought altogether 6 years, starting yet in Soviet-Finnish War, went through Stalingrad battle. He was awarded a medal "For defence of Stalingrad".
In one of the most bloody days lieutenant Pavlov found among the ruins the Gospel, opened, started reading and took it as a sign from above. He collected all the pages of the Gospel and never abandoned them. So began his way to God. In one of the interviews he recollected "When I started reading the Gospel - my eyes got opened upon everything surrounding me, upon all the events...I walked with the Gospel and was not afraid. Never. Such was the inspiration! Simply God was next to me and I was not afraid of anything...". As soldier, Pavlov reached Austria, participated in the battles at the Lake Balaton. In 1946 he was demobilised from Hungary and came to Moscow. At the Yelokhov cathedral he asked if there is any theological institute and was sent to the newly opened theological seminary at Novodyevichiy monastery. Pavlov arrived there in the military outfit and was gladly met by pro-rector father Sergius. This way in 1946 yesterday's sergeant became the seminarist. Having finished the seminary, he studied at Moscow Theological Academy and in 1953 took postrig becoming a monk, refusing the glory and awards. He completed the academy in 1954 already not as Ivan Dmitrievich Pavlov but hieromonk (priest-monk) Cyril. Father Cyril lived at Trinity-Sergius lavra and became brotherly spiritual guide to the monks.
Many regarded him to be the same hero of Stalingrad as the sergeant Yakov Pavlov, after whom the house was named. However father Cyril rejected such statements. Today father Cyril, prefers not to speak about his military past. To those who approach him with this type of question he answers, "That had remained in the other life". It is said, that once archimandrite was called into the Military Commission of Sergiev Posad and asked what to say to Moscow chiefs about the defender of Stalingrad, Pavlov. The elder Cyril answered, "Tell, that I died...".
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