Philip of Rabanga

Venerable Philip of Rabanga was the founder and abbot of a monastery in the Vologda region, who died on 15 November 1457. He is commemorated on 15 November. The sources keep no information about his origin, nor about the place and time of his birth.

His first ascetic labours took place at the Glushitsa monastery, where he received the monastic habit; at that time the abbot was the ascetic Dionysius of Glushitsa. After Dionysius' death, in 1437, Philip remained for a time under his successor, Amphilochius, but, burdened by the multitude of the brethren, he decided to leave the monastery and, far from any dwelling, at a bend of the river Rabanga Sukhona, 32 versts northeast of Vologda, he built himself a cell. His solitude was soon disturbed: the surrounding inhabitants began to come to him, some for counsel and prayers, others seeking the solitary life; so little by little a brotherhood gathered. At the request of this brotherhood Philip asked Archbishop Ephraim of Rostov for the blessing to build a church and monastery at Rabanga. The archbishop gave the blessing, provided Philip with everything needed for the consecration of the church and made him abbot of the new monastery. The church was consecrated in honour of the Transfiguration of the Lord in 1447, and the Transfiguration monastery of Rabanga was founded.

After ten years, on 15 November 1457, Philip reposed. His body was buried beside the church, where it lies under a slab. In 1564 Ivan the Terrible granted estates to the monastery. In 1744 a two-⁠storey stone church dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord was built over Philip's relics. The monastery existed until 1764, when it was turned into the parish church of the village of Rabangskaya Sloboda. The church was blown up in the 1930s.