Rev. Kondraty Sozontovich Fefelov, aged 71, passed away peacefully at his home in Nikolaevsk on May 6, 2008. Funeral services were held on May 8, 2008.

Born on October 4, 1936, in Russia, Rev. Fefelov was a founding member of the Russian Old Believer community in Nikolaevsk, Alaska. He served as a devoted priest at St. Nikolas Church for over 22 years, faithfully guiding his congregation until he was no longer able to serve due to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in the fall of 2005.

At the age of eight, Rev. Fefelov experienced the profound loss of his father and eldest brother, who were taken by the Soviet regime. His family fled to China, where he later met and married his beloved wife, Irina Karpovna Reutov, in 1956. Even as a young man, he earnestly sought the true faith, teaching himself Church singing and Old Slavonic reading.

When communism reached China, the family relocated to Hong Kong, where their first son, Feodor (who passed away in 2003), was born. They soon emigrated to Brazil, where two more children, Deonisy and Feodosia, were born. With the support of the Tolstoy Foundation, the Fefelov family immigrated to the United States in 1963, settling in Oregon. There, their daughter Pelagea was born just one week after their arrival.

After six years in Oregon, the Fefelovs moved to Alaska in 1969, seeking to preserve their faith and traditions, and to protect their family from the influences of urban life. By then, the family included seven children: Feodor, Deonisy, Feodosia, Pelagea, Nikita, Raisa, and Kira. With just $600 to their name, they arrived in Nikolaevsk in the spring of 1969. Within a week, they built a shared cabin with another family. Though it had no floors and only one kitchen, it marked the beginning of their new life. By October, they had constructed their own home. Later, children Ludmila, Faina, Felisata, and Joseph were born in Nikolaevsk.

Raising a large family under difficult conditions, Rev. Fefelov worked tirelessly. In winter, he built boats in Homer; in summer, he fished to provide food for his household. The family also raised livestock and maintained a large garden. Over time, their efforts bore fruit—they opened a boat-building shop, and Rev. Fefelov operated a grocery store, gas station, and installed the village’s first shared telephone. He was instrumental in constructing more than half the homes in Nikolaevsk and generously volunteered his time to benefit the community.

“He was a God-fearing, obedient man whose love for Christ touched many lives.”

Although originally appointed as the community's church leader (nastoyatel), Rev. Fefelov continued to seek the authentic expression of the Old Rite Orthodox faith. Along with five other families, he traveled to Romania, where they were baptized into the Old Rite Orthodox Church in its unaltered form. He later pursued ordination and was ordained a priest in 1983. With community support, he built churches in Nikolaevsk and Oregon, and extended assistance to establish a church in Khabarovsk, Russia.

Following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2005, his health declined rapidly, eventually robbing him of speech and leading to his passing. He was lovingly cared for by his devoted wife and family throughout his illness.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended the funeral and burial services on May 8,” his family said. “We are also deeply grateful for your prayers and support. He was a highly respected man whose memory and teachings will live on. We humbly ask that you continue to keep him in your prayers.”

His wife, Irina K. Fefelov, passed away April 27, 2024. their ten children; 47 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and many extended family members and friends across Romania, Russia, Australia, and beyond who will remember him with love and gratitude.