Seleucus Trofimov

Seleucus Trofimov was a Russian schemamonk of St Panteleimon Monastery on Athos, who left precious recollections of the Russian elders there. He reposed peacefully on 5 September 1879. He is venerated by the faithful, without a synodal canonization.

Named Stepan Trifonovich Trofimov in the world, he was born in a well-⁠off family in Bessarabia, but when he was two their house burned and the family fell into poverty; the parents died and he stayed with his sister in the care of a grandmother. During the Turkish war of 1829 he was adopted by a Russian officer, then by a colonel, with whom he lived in St Petersburg. Drawn by life in the great city, he attended a theatre performance about the Last Judgment and soon fell gravely ill: in his illness he had a vision in which two young men, angels, led him through gloomy places and showed him the torments of hell, and he understood that he must change his life. He came to Athos and lived at Rossikon; as a disciple of Hieronymus he noted down memories of many of the monastery's elders, used by later books about them. He was a friend of Timothy, Gregory Lisyansky and others, and closed his eyes in peace.