Nikodim Sanin

Nikodim Sanin was a Russian schemamonk of St Panteleimon Monastery, born in the town of Sychevka in Smolensk province, a former floor polisher and guild master in St Petersburg, who died in 1853 after eight years in the monastery. He is venerated by the faithful, without a synodal canonization.

Named Nikolai Ivanovich in the world, he was a petty trader, then a floor polisher in St Petersburg, where he built up his own guild. He earned money but was not happy in marriage, his wife being unfaithful. Embittered, he sometimes gave himself to a dissolute life with his workmen, but his conscience gave him no peace and slowly brought him to amend his life: he thought of death and Judgment, gave alms, went to church, read holy books and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On returning he decided to leave the world and go to Athos. His wife too changed completely, began to care for her salvation and let him go.

After his death a note written by him was found, probably against temptations: he trusts in God's mercy and the merits of Christ, his Judge, not the demons. He was short, pleasant of face, bald, with a long thick beard streaked with white; he spoke quickly and stammered a little, but sang and read in church without difficulty. As confessor at early Liturgy he sang almost always alone. He died in 1853, after eight years in the monastery.