Sergius Ansimov of Kashin

Schemamonk Sergius Ansimov (in the world Stephen Evstafievich, † 1669) was the builder of the stone church of the Saint Nicholas Monastery at Klobukov, near Kashin, in the Tver region. He is venerated by the faithful, together with his wife, the schemanun Martha, without synodal canonization.

Stephen Ansimov held estates in the villages of Kozhino and Vvedenskoye, Kashin district. Together with his wife he took monastic tonsure: he settled at the Saint Nicholas Monastery at Klobukov, she at the Presentation convent in Kashin. In 1664, at his expense, the foundation of a stone church of Saint Nicholas was laid in the monastery, in place of the wooden one, later made a side chapel of the Holy Trinity cathedral (about 1670-1684). He gave the church at Kozhino a book, the "Commentary on the Gospel of John" of Saint John Chrysostom. He died on 18 August 1669.

His wife, the schemanun Martha († 29 December 1699), asked in her will, on 28 November 1690, to be buried beside him. They were buried at the west wall of the side chapel of Saint Nicholas, in a brick chamber which the schemanun Martha had made about 1669. In the monastery they were venerated together: on the wall were images of the saints of their names, Sergius and Martha. On the days of their death and of their name days memorial services were held there. In local literature miracles at their graves are told, among them the healing of a woman, Avdotia.

In May 1836, when the floor was being repaired, a wooden coffin was seen through a gap in the brick vault, thought to be that of Sergius and Martha, and many pilgrims came. In 1838 the builder of the monastery, Hieromonk Anatoly, reported to Archbishop Gregory of Tver and Kashin about their veneration. The archbishop ordered on 17 June 1838 that the coffin not be opened, that the gap be closed and that pilgrims be advised not to serve memorial services in the chamber; in 1858 Saint Philaret (Uspensky) too forbade memorial services there. In July 1889, during a repair, two coffins were found: on one the lid was slightly loose and Archimandrite Theodosius forbade it to be lifted, while the other had rotted. The place was filled in and the door sealed; the memorial service remained only in the monastery's commemoration.