Dionysius of Polotsk

Saint Dionysius was bishop of Polotsk until 1184, in the opinion of most scholars formerly a monk of the Kiev Caves Lavra. The Russian Church canonized him among the hierarchs. His commemoration is on 23 June (6 July by the new calendar).

Little is known of him, including his family. Before receiving the episcopal rank he was, according to most scholars, a monk of the Kiev Caves Monastery. Other historians consider that Dionysius was of Roman (Greek) stock and came to the principality of Polotsk from distant Byzantium, since the see of Polotsk had earlier been led by Bishop Cosmas, a Byzantine by birth, and Dionysius's successor too was a Byzantine, Bishop Nicholas. After the victory of the Grecophile party in Kiev, bishops of Rus became Greeks. So it is most likely that he was a Greek.

He came to head the episcopal see in Polotsk about between 1156 or 1157 and 1166 or 1167. Bishop Cosmas is mentioned in the sources for the last time in 1156. Dionysius appears first as bishop in the Life of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, in connection with the tonsure of two of her nieces. This took place in the winter of 1166 to 1167, before Euphrosyne of Polotsk went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Blessed Euphrosyne summoned the bishop who then held the see of Saint Sophia, named Dionysius, and, after bringing them into the church, ordered them to be tonsured, giving the name Agatha to the niece Kiroanna and Euphemia to Olga.

Before setting out for Jerusalem, the princess-⁠abbess Euphrosyne received the blessing of Bishop Dionysius. There her earthly way ended. With his blessing the Life and service of Venerable Euphrosyne were composed. The death of Bishop Dionysius is reported by the Hypatian Chronicle under the year 6691 (1184): in that summer the bishop of Polotsk, named Dionysius, passed away. But under the year 6690 (1183), among the hierarchs who were to give tonsure to the new abbot of the Caves Monastery after the death of Abbot Polycarp on 24 June, Dionysius is not mentioned, and the bishop of Polotsk is named Nicholas. It is supposed that in 1183 Dionysius may have left the see, or that Nicholas was named as the future bishop, or that the new abbot was chosen only a year after Polycarp's death.

Time has not preserved the pages of the life of Saint Dionysius himself. Nor have traditions been preserved of his spiritual labour or of miracles at his relics. The resting place of Saint Dionysius is hidden. It is not known when he was numbered among the saints, but the memory of the bishop of Polotsk has been honoured from of old by the people.