Monasterio de las Cuevas de Kiev
Alexander was born into a family of rural teachers. He graduated from the Philology Department at the University of Elista, then worked as a school teacher. In 1983 he was tonsured monk in the Pskov-Caves Monastery. In 1985, he was ordained. He served in the parishes of the Bryansk Oblast and in Kiev Pechersk Lavra.