Martinian of Belozersk

Venerable Martinian of Belozersk (Mikhail Stomonakhov) was a disciple of Venerable Cyril of Belozersk, founder of the Saviour monastery at Vozheozero and abbot of Ferapontov and of the Trinity-⁠Sergius Lavra. Born around 1400 into a peasant family of the Belozersk land, he fell asleep on 12 (25) January 1483. He is commemorated on the day of repose, 12 (25) January, on the day of the finding of the relics, 7 (20) October, and on the third Sunday after Pentecost, in the Synaxis of the Saints of Vologda.

Childhood and monastic life

According to his life, he was born in the village of Syama, near the Cyril monastery of Belozersk, into the peasant Stomonakhov family, and was named Mikhail. At about ten years old he was brought by relatives to the monastery, to Venerable Cyril, and he himself begged the saint to receive him. With Cyril's blessing the lay deacon Olesh (Alexei) Pavlov, who lived nearby, taught him. Later one of his obediences was copying books; he also worked at the bakery and kitchen, all with zeal and humility. The life notes his early zeal for the strict life: "He took fasting as a delight and nakedness as a beautiful garment, and so wore down his body with abstinence, by the apostle's word, 'wasting the flesh, enlightening the soul'." Gifted and educated, full of monastic virtues, he was tonsured young by Cyril, then made cleric of the cathedral church, and later ordained hieromonk. Soon after his teacher's death, in 1427, desiring quiet, he went a hundred versts from the monastery and settled on an island in Lake Vozhe.

The "Martemianov" monastery

His hermitage on Lake Vozhe did not last long: learning of the struggles of the Cyril hieromonk, other monks from Cyril's brotherhood came to him and begged him to receive them. Soon a church was built, dedicated to the Transfiguration, and so a new monastery came to be, later called the Spaso-⁠Preobrazhensky of Vozheozero. But the saint soon left the monastery he had founded to be abbot of Ferapontov. Earlier, the monastery's founder, Venerable Ferapont of Belozersk, at the insistence of Prince Andrei Dmitrievich of Mozhaisk, had left it to found near Mozhaisk the Luzhetsky monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Since there was no prepared monk at Ferapontov to continue the work of the former abbot, the brethren begged Martinian to be their abbot. He introduced into the monastery Cyril's rule and, striving for good order, soon brought it to flourishing; for this reason the Ferapontov monastery was long called "Martemianovsky".

The venerable and Vasily II

The acquaintance with Grand Prince Vasily the Blind was made in 1447, when he, supported by the boyars, the hierarchs and the abbots of the main monasteries, passed through the Belozersk land with a newly raised army and visited the Cyril and Ferapontov monasteries. The meeting with Martinian apparently made a special impression on him; according to the life, receiving the saint's blessing and listening to his counsel, he promised to bring him near. Indeed soon the venerable was made abbot of the Trinity-⁠Sergius Lavra, and in December 1447 he signed, as abbot of the Lavra, the epistle of the hierarchs of the Russian Church to Dmitry Shemyaka. The life says that he became the grand prince's confessor.

A story is told that shows how great his authority was. A boyar of the grand prince, whose name is not known, left Vasily for the prince of Tver. Wishing to bring him back, the prince asked Martinian to mediate, promising forgiveness; the saint made the request, but on his return the boyar was thrown into prison. Learning from his relatives of the oath-⁠breaking, Martinian came in haste to Moscow and, disregarding court etiquette, rebuked Vasily: "Why did you order that boyar, whom I called with my own soul, put in chains and break your word? Let my blessing, a sinner's, not be upon you and upon your great reign." Then he left as swiftly for the Trinity monastery. The prince, wonderfully, repented, came to the monastery and asked forgiveness, and the boyar was freed and restored to his rights.

In 1455 he left the hegumenate of the Lavra and returned to Ferapontov. The hagiographer gives as the reason his wish for quiet, unattainable for the abbot of a large monastery near the capital. According to another view, that of Nikolai Borisov, the cause was his disapproval of the killing of Dmitry Shemyaka, done at the grand prince's command in 1453; as in the case of the boyar, the venerable was principled, and incurred the displeasure of Vasily II. After 3 July 1453, in the grand prince's charters the abbot of the Lavra is no longer named, which shows the cooling and even irritation of the prince; the date coincides with the time when news of Dmitry's killing reached Moscow. He was succeeded as abbot by Vassian Rylo, tonsured at Paphnutius of Borovsk, who also became the prince's confessor.

Last years and death

At Ferapontov he was steward of the monastery and continued his care for its welfare. In the 1460s Pachomius the Logothete wrote, from his words, the life of Cyril of Belozersk. In his last years he was ill, but did not give up either his cell rule or the common service; when he could no longer walk, the brethren carried him in their arms to the church so that he could take part in the service. He died on 12 (25) January 1483.

Relics and veneration

His incorrupt relics were found on 7 (20) October 1513, at the burial of a tonsured monk of Ferapontov, his disciple Archbishop Joasaph of Rostov. He was numbered among the saints by the Council of Makary in 1547, and the known life was written then. In 1641 a church dedicated to him was built over the grave. On 19 and 20 October 2013, in the Vologda diocese, five hundred years since the finding of the relics were celebrated, with a service in the venerable's church at Ferapontov monastery, led by Archbishop Maximilian (Lazarenko), with a numerous procession in spite of a strong, cold wind. His disciples were the blessed Galaction of Belozersk and Archbishop Joasaph (Obolensky) of Rostov.