Jonah of Yashezero

Venerable Jonah of Yashezero was a monk, a disciple of Venerable Alexander of Svir and the founder of the Annunciation Jonah Monastery at Yashezero, in northern Russia. He died around 1592; our input data also gives 1600, but the text says about 1592. He is commemorated on 22 September (5 October).

He was born in the village of Shoksha, 16 versts from the site of the monastery he would found. On reaching manhood he went to the river Svir to Venerable Alexander, who had founded the Holy Trinity monastery there. In 1533, shortly before the death of Venerable Alexander, Jonah received his blessing for the labour of the hermit and settled in the forests between lakes Yashezero and Sennoe. According to tradition, there was a pagan sacrificial site there. Setting up a cross, the venerable one began to live in those wild places and spent several years alone, in harsh ascetic conditions.

Gradually several monks joined Jonah, a wooden church of the Annunciation of the Mother of God was built, and other buildings. In 1562 a book of donations was opened to raise funds for the monastery; this year is customarily taken as the date of the monastery's foundation.

Venerable Jonah died at the end of the sixteenth century. According to tradition, he knew the hour of his death, and therefore took the great schema and withdrew to a cave a verst and a half from the monastery, where he spent his last days. The brethren visited their teacher's cave to ask counsel until he departed to the Lord.

His relics were brought from the cave to the monastery he had founded and laid under a slab in the porch of the church of the Transfiguration. Gradually people began to come to the grave seeking healing, and many were healed in a wonderful way. Because of the many miracles and healings at the monastery, Jonah was numbered among the saints. His day is kept on 5 October, and since 2004 it has been a national holiday of the Veps region.