(Vasily Belavin)
Russian Orthodox patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias (1917-1925). Born 1865, died 1925.
Patriarch Tikhon openly condemned the killings of the Czar's family in 1918, and protested against violent attacks by the Bolsheviks on the Church.
From 1922 to 1923, Patriarch Tikhon was imprisoned. Upon being released, he assured the regime of his loyalty, in an apparent attempt to relieve the harsh pressures on the Church. Despite his declaration of loyalty, he continued to enjoy the trust of the Orthodox community in Russia. When he died, he was considered a martyr for the faith.
In 1989, Patriarch Tikhon was canonised by the Russian Orthodox church. This canonisation process is generally considered an example of the thaw in Church-Soviet relations in the glasnost era.