Nikandr of Pskov

Venerable Nikandr of Pskov (Nikandr the Hermit, in the world Nikon) was a Russian monk, founder of the Annunciation hermitage of Nikandr, born on 24 July 1507 in the village of Videlebye, in the Pskov region, and fallen asleep on 24 September 1581 (according to other data, 1582). He is honoured as a wonderworker. He is remembered on 24 September, the day of his repose, on 25 March, the patronal feast of the hermitage, on 29 June, the day of the finding of his relics, and in the synaxis of the saints of Pskov. Our sources say little about his life as a monk.

Youth

He was born into the peasant family of Philip and Anastasia and received at baptism the name Nikon. According to his life, Nikon liked neither the games suited to his age nor fine clothes and took no part in idle talk, always wore simple clothes and loved spiritual poverty and purity of heart, waging unceasing war against the enemy of the human race, thus preparing himself for still greater spiritual labours. Meanwhile his father died. He wished to learn letters so as to read Holy Scripture himself.

At seventeen he persuaded his mother to give part of the property to the needy, part to the churches and to leave the vain world. Anastasia entered a convent, where she was tonsured, and soon passed to eternal life. Then Nikon went to Pskov, visited all the churches and monasteries there, went also to the monasteries of the neighbourhood and at last reached the places marked by the labours of Saints Euphrosynus and Sabbas. Then he returned to Pskov, where a pious man, Philip, met him and took him into his house to work. Seeing Nikon's desire to understand Holy Scripture, Philip gave him to a deacon, renowned for his knowledge and wisdom, to be taught.

Relics and veneration

In 1686, by command of Patriarch Joachim, because of rumours of his miracles, the relics of the venerable one were examined and found incorrupt. Then his life and service were composed. Patriarch Joachim, having examined the life and the service, commanded that his commemoration be kept on the patronal feast of the monastery, that is, on the feast of the Annunciation, and on 24 September, the day of his repose.