Euphrosynus of Pskov

Venerable Euphrosynus of Pskov (in the world Eleazar) was a Russian monk, the founder of the Spaso-⁠Eleazarov monastery at Pskov, born in 1386 in the village of Videlebye, near Pskov, and fallen asleep on 15 May 1481, at the age of ninety-⁠five. He was numbered among the saints at the Makaryev Council of 1549. He is remembered on 15 May, on the old calendar, and on the third Sunday after Pentecost, in the synaxis of the saints of Pskov.

Youth and life as a hermit

He was born in the family of simple villagers of Pskov. He was given to his parents to learn letters. According to his life, before his parents decided to marry him, Eleazar, inclined to monastic life, went to the Snetogorsk monastery and received tonsure there with the name Euphrosynus. About 1425 he withdrew to the bank of the river Tolba, where he made himself a cell. One source says that he had spiritual visions there. Gradually monks began to gather around him and the community of the future Spaso-⁠Eleazarov monastery was formed. For the monks Euphrosynus wrote a monastic rule without a liturgical part, which regulated only the common life of the monastery. According to the Russian source, in 1447 he raised a church in honour of the Three Hierarchs (who, by tradition, appeared to him and showed him the place for the church) and of Venerable Onuphrius the Great. According to the English source, in 1477 he raised a church and set a rule for the community, appointing his disciple Ignatius as abbot. In the arranging of the hermitage the schemamonk Serapion, Euphrosynus's companion, took part, with much labour.

Disciples and repose

Disciples of Venerable Euphrosynus were Joachim of Opochka, founder of the monastery of the Holy Prophet Elijah at Opochka, and Hilarion of Gdov, founder of the Intercession monastery at Knyazhe-⁠Ozero. He fell asleep at the age of ninety-⁠five, on 15 May 1481. Before his death he received the schema, with his name in the world, Eleazar. At the Makaryev Council of 1549 he was numbered among the saints. Over his tomb, by order of Archbishop Gennady of Novgorod, an icon was set painted by Ignatius, the disciple of Venerable Euphrosynus, and the testament written by his own hand was also placed. Later the monastery was moved to a new place, and the relics of Euphrosynus were laid beneath the floor in the katholikon. After the closing of the Spaso-⁠Eleazarov monastery, in the years 1921 to 1923, the place of burial of Venerable Euphrosynus was lost.