Savva of Krypets

Venerable Savva of Krypets (also called Sava of Pskov) was a Russian monk and the founder of the monastery of Saint John the Theologian at Krypets, about fifteen versts from Pskov. He fell asleep on 28 August, in 1495 according to some and in 1487 according to others. He is venerated as a wonderworker, in the Synaxis of the Saints of Pskov, and the Church commemorates him on 28 August by the old calendar (10 September on the new).

Very little is known of his life. According to the Russian source he was of Serbian origin. It is known that he lived for a time on the Holy Mountain of Athos, then came to the land of Pskov and struggled first on Snetnaya Mountain, in a monastery of the Mother of God near Pskov, then on the river Tolva, at the monastery of Venerable Euphrosynus, and at last withdrew into complete silence in the Krypets desert. After some years zealots of the desert life began to gather around Savva, and soon the monastery of Krypets was founded, with a church dedicated to Saint John the Theologian, but Savva refused the abbacy. Teaching the brethren humility and poverty by word and by his life, he planted a strict asceticism in his monastery. The monastery received much help from Prince Yaroslav Obolensky, ruler of Pskov, who built a bridge of 1400 fathoms across the marshes to the monastery, called Yaroslav's bridge to this day. A Serbian source says that the monastery was founded in 1485 and that Savva had earlier served on the Holy Mountain.

His peaceful repose came on 28 August 1487 according to some accounts or in 1495 according to others. The conciliar decree of 1547 does not name Venerable Savva of Krypets, but in that year his relics were found under the ground, and the celebration of 28 August was established in 1554. His life survives in copies from the sixteenth century. He was buried in the main church of the monastery. In 1855 a new shrine was made for the relics of Saint Savva, the work of Fyodor Verkhovtsev.