Cyprian of Archangelsk

Venerable Cyprian of Archangelsk founded the monastery of the Archangel at Veliky Ustyug. He was born in the Dvina region, in the Ustyug district, in the time of Grand Prince Constantine Vsevolodovich of Rostov, and was a wealthy farmer.

The Ustyug chronicle says that he renounced the beauties of this world and received the monastic habit, taking the name Cyprian. At the request of the townspeople he chose a place by the lakes and made himself a small cell. In 1212, at the place called Black Ravine, he built with the help of benefactors two wooden churches, of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple and of the Holy Archangel Michael, and surrounded them with cells. He gave all his inherited property to the monastery and was named its first superior.

He reposed on Saturday, 29 September 1276, and was buried in the monastery near the holy gates. Later a stone church dedicated to Mid-⁠Pentecost was built over his tomb. The tomb can still be seen inside the church, by the wall on the left of the choir.