Abraham of Rostov | |
|---|---|
 Icon of Saint Abraham of Rostov | |
| Monk | |
| Born | Galich, Russia |
| Died | 1077 Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | 1549 |
| Feast | October 29 (November 11 in Gregorian calendar) |
Abraham of Rostov, Archimandrite of Rostov, in the world Abercius, was born in the tenth century in Chuhloma, which is in Kostroma region near Galich, Russia. [1]
Born Abercius, he was very ill as a child. He converted to Christianity in his youth after, according to tradition, being cured of illness through prayer. [2] He decided to become a monk at Valaam and with the new name Abramius (Abraham) settled at Rostov on the shore of Lake Nero. [3]
Not far from his hut was a temple where the local tribes worshiped the stone idol of Veles, a source of superstitious fright in the whole neighborhood. His legend recounts a miraculous vision of John the Evangelist, who gave him a staff, crowned with a cross, to destroy the idol. In commemoration of this, at the site of the temple, Abraham erected a monastery in honor of the Theophany. He also built a church dedicated to Saint John the Theologian and preached the Gospel in his area. Convinced by his preaching, many pagans were baptized. [3]
At the petition of the Rostov princes Avraham was ordained to the rank of archimandrite of the monastery of the Theophany. [4]
Abraham died in old age and was buried in the church of the Theophany by his disciples. [5] His relics were found during the time of Grand Prince Vsevolod Georgievich (1176-1212). [6] According to Golubinsky the general church canonization of Abraham was held already by the time of the Makaryev Sobors of 1547–1549. [7] The divine service devoted to Abraham of Rostov, compiled in the imitation of the like to Sergius of Radonezh, was first mentioned in the manuscript collection of the 15th century. [8]
In 1551 Ivan the Terrible, during his military campaign against Khanate of Kazan, made a pilgrimage to the Abraham Monastery before the battles. He took the staff of the saint and upon the successful defeat of Kazan khans he returned it back and ordered the construction of the stone Cathedral of the Theophany in 1553- 1555. [9] [6]
His feast days are: October 29 (November 11) (new style) - finding relics - in the Synaxis of the Kostroma saints, May 23 - in the Synaxis of Rostov-Yaroslavski Saints and in the Synaxis of the Karelian Saints - May 21 (dates are given according to the Julian calendar). [8]
The legend of the saint indicates 1010 as the date of his death, but most historians recognize this date to be wrong. [1] Nikolay Karamzin indicated, that Abraham was acting in Rostov during or after Andrey Bogolyubsky (c. 1111 – 1174). The activity of Abraham in Rostov dates from 1073 to 1077 years according to Vasily Klyuchevsky; Macarius Bulgakov refers it to (?)-1045 years, Andrei Titov - the end of the XI - the beginning of the XII century, Filaret (Gumilevsky) - the beginning of the XII century. [10]
Evgeny Golubinsky was skeptical about the very fact of the existence of Abraham, apparently considering him a single person with Abraham Galitzki and referring his activity to the last quarter of the fourteenth century (according to the legend, the latter lived the same years as Yury Dmitrievich, born in 1374). Arseny Kadlubovsky does not consider Abraham to be the founder of the Theophany Monastery, and also relates his life to the fourteenth century. [10] [1]
Sergius of Radonezh was a spiritual leader and monastic reformer in the Principality of Moscow. Together with Seraphim of Sarov, he is one of Eastern Orthodoxy's most highly venerated saints in Russia.
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Sep. 20 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - Sep. 22
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January 3 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - January 5
January 10 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - January 12
January 22 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - January 24
Macarius of the Yellow Water Lake and the Unzha, the Miracle Worker was a Russian Orthodox monk and saint. He is credited with the founding of four monasteries in the Middle and Upper Volga regions of Russia.
Abraham of Bulgaria was a Christian convert from Islam later who was martyred for his faith and is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Abraham of Galich was an abbot of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, and later went on to found four monasteries on Lake Chukhloma, in the region of Galich in present-day Kostroma Oblast. His feast day is on 20 July.
Abraham of Paleostrov, also known as Avraamy Olonetsky, is an Eastern Orthodox saint, who was a hegumen (abbot) of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Monastery in Paleostrov, Russia. Abraham was a disciple of Cornelius of Paleostrov and one of his successors as abbotof his monastery.
October 27 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - October 29
Alipy of the Caves was an Eastern Orthodox saint, monk and famous painter of icons from the cave monastery of Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Saint Alipy was a disciple of Greek icon painters from Constantinople and considered to be the first icon painter of Kievan Rus.
Xenophon of Robeika was a Russian Orthodox monk, later declared a saint. Xenophon took his monastic vows at the Lisitsky Monastery from Abbot Barlaam. Xenophon later became hegumen (abbot) of the Khutyn Monastery. Resigning from this post, he later founded the St. Nicholas Monastery on the Robeika River, close to Novgorod. His relics were placed in the monastery's church, which later became a parish church.
Isaiah of Rostov was a Russian Christian missionary and bishop. His feast day in the Russian Orthodox Church is celebrated on May 15.
August 20 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - August 22
October 28 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - October 30
November 26 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - November 28
