Nicholas Kochanov of Novgorod

Holy Blessed Nicholas Kochanov of Novgorod was a fool for Christ in Novgorod in the fourteenth century, who died in the year 1392.

He was born in Novgorod to a rich family of noble stock, that of Maxim and Juliana. From youth he was especially devout, went to church diligently, loved fasting and prayer and gave alms generously. Seeing his virtuous life, the Novgorod nobles began to praise him. The blessed one, fearing glory from men, began to play the fool for the Lord. He left his rich house, put on rags and wandered the streets of the city in every season, enduring cold and poverty, with secret prayer in his heart. Thoughtless people spoke ill of him, insulted him and even beat him, but he rejoiced and prayed for those who offended him.

Nicholas lived on the Sophia side of Novgorod. On the Trade side another blessed fool for Christ was struggling at the same time, Theodore (commemorated 19 January/1 February). By their pretended enmity the two saints condemned the quarrels of the Novgorodians of the two parts of the town, and they drove each other out when each entered the other's side. Once, running after his "enemy", the blessed Nicholas crossed the Volkhov as on dry land and threw a head of cabbage at Theodore, whence he was called Kochanov.

The Lord glorified him with the gift of foresight and of working miracles. A posadnik invited him to a banquet of all the notable men of the city, but the servants, without the host's knowledge, drove him away. When he left, the wine vanished from the vessels. The posadnik, learning that the blessed Nicholas had come and had been driven away, sent to bring him back, and when the saint returned, the wine was again in the vessels.

He died on 27 July 1392 and was buried, as he wished, at the edge of the cemetery around the cathedral of Saint Jacob, near the road. In 1554 a stone church dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon was built over the grave, called by the people the church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Kochanov. It was greatly honoured by the hierarchs of Novgorod, who, by the order of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, went there on the Thursday of Meatfare week to take their leave, and in the seventeenth century the service on the day of his memory was celebrated there by a bishop. In 1815 a new carved shrine with a canopy was made over his relics. On icons, unlike the other fools for Christ, he is not painted barefoot and half-⁠naked, but in a prince's fur coat, with a head of cabbage in his hand.

He is remembered on 11 July (a movable day), in the Synaxis of the Saints of Novgorod, and on 9 August, in the new style.