Tychon the Athonite

Venerable Tychon the Athonite, also called Father Tikhon the Russian, is one of the most remarkable ascetic figures of the Holy Mountain in the twentieth century. Russian by birth, he was born in 1884 at Novaya Mikhailovka, with the lay name Timothy Golenkov, to devout parents, Paul and Helen. From childhood he loved the Church and longed for a life given to God. His parents let him first get to know monastery life; at about seventeen he received a blessing to visit monasteries and, by Venerable Paisios the Athonite's account, he travelled to about two hundred monasteries of Russia, then went to Sinai and the Holy Land. In 1909 he reached the Holy Mountain, where he would remain almost to the end of his life.

At first he settled in the Bourazeri cell, where he stayed about five years, but the place was too frequented. With a blessing he moved to Karoulia, one of the hardest to reach and most austere regions of Athos. He lived there about fifteen years, in great bodily hardship and isolation, was tonsured a monk in 1912 and gave himself with still more zeal to fasting, prostrations and prayer. After the hard years at Karoulia he settled at Kapsala, above Kalyagra, in the cell of the Holy Cross belonging to Stavronikita Monastery, which remained the place of his long labour. There he cared for an old man and then remained alone. Those who knew his spiritual state urged him to accept the priesthood, so as to serve people more through the Holy Mysteries; he was ordained deacon, then priest, and from then on was known as Father Tychon.

He lived in chosen poverty and unacquisitiveness, with the Divine Liturgy as the centre of the day and the Jesus Prayer in his heart. He spoke simply, with small images and examples. Venerable Paisios the Athonite, whose spiritual father and elder he was, wrote his life and preserved many details of him. He fell asleep in 1968. He is commemorated on 23 September (new style).