The Monk Evphrosyn of Sinozersk (Blue-Lake)
Commemorated on March 20
The Monk Evphrosyn
of Sinozersk (Blue-Lake), in the world Ephrem, was born in Karelia near
Lake Ladoga. In his youthful years he lived near the Valaamo monastery, and
later he resettled to Novgorod the Great. Having there spent some length of
time, the saint then withdrew to one of the Novgorod outskirts – the Bezhetsk
"pentary" [a "fifth" of the "Pyatiny
Novgorodskiya" – comprising anciently five strategically situated
outlying village-districts of Novgorod the Great]. He became helper at
church-services in the village of Dolossk, 20 versts from the city of
Zhelezopol'sk Ustiug. The monk accepted tonsure at the Tikhvinsk
Uspenie-Dormition monastery. In the year 1600 he began his wilderness life in
the wild marsh-lands at the shore of Blue-Lake. Having set up a cross and dug
out a cave, the monk dwelt here for two years, eating only wild vegetation.
Unexpectedly, surrounding inhabitants came upon him, and they began coming to
the monk for guidance, and several remained to live with him. In 1612, when
Polish military detachments were laying waste to Russia, many a person was
saved from pillage at his wilderness place. One time, the Monk Evphrosyn
predicted that the Polish would come into this wilderness, and he advised
everyone to flee. Many did not believe him. "Why then dost thou not
withdraw from this sacred spot?" – they asked. The starets-elder replied:
"I came hither to die for Christ". Those that obeyed the saint
and left the monastery remained safe, but all those who stayed died an horrible
death. Among the inhabitants of the monastery had also been the Monk Jona.
Terrified at the prediction of the Monk Evphrosyn, he wanted to flee
together with the others. But the Monk Evphrosyn held him back, firing up
within the monk fervour for the house of God and a readiness to dwell in the
monastery to his very end. "Brother Jona, – said the Monk Evphrosyn, –
why this cowardly fear in thine soul? When starteth the battle, then mustneeds
be shown courage. We gave a vow to live and die in the wilderness. We mustneeds
be faithful to our word, given before the Lord. In such instance death results
in peace. It is another matter for the layfolk: they are not bound in this by
their word, and they mustneeds spare themselves for the sake of their
children".
After this the Monk
Evphrosyn invested himself in the schema and spent the whole night in prayer.
On the following day, 20 March, the Polish forces fell upon the monastery. The
monk attired as schema-monk emerged from his cell and stood with upraised cross.
The enemy flung themselves at him: "Old man, give us the monastery
valuables". "All the valuables both mine and of this monastery – are
in the church of the All-Pure Mother of God", – answered the monk,
meaning by this the unstealable riches, which for believers are hidden within
God. Not understanding this, the thugs rushed to the church, and one of them
drew out a sword and struck the Monk Evphrosyn on the neck. His neck was cut
half way through, and the holy elder fell to the ground dead. When the Polish,
angered that they had found nothing in the church, returned – the murderer of
the monk, not satisfied that the saint was already breathless, struck him on
the head with a war-axe. The Monk Jona also perished. At the monastery also
with the monks had stayed a certain pious Christian, Ioann Suma. When the enemy
had burst onto the scene, he was in the cell of the monk. Despite his grievous
wounds received from the foreign ruffians, Ioann remained alive. With the
departure of the Polish, he regained his senses and reported to his returning
son the things that had transpired. The surrounding inhabitants learned from
them about the destruction of the monastery and the cruel end of the Monk
Evphrosyn. The body of the monk was reverently buried on 28 March. On this same
day they buried also the Monk Jona and all the others who had perished
under the sword. And 34 years after the death of the saint, at his monastery
was erected by a builder named Moisei a new church in the Name of the Most Holy
Trinity and a bell-tower with a passage-way. With the blessing of the Novgorod
metropolitan Makarii, on 25 March 1655 the relics of the Monk Evphrosyn of
Sinozersk were transferred by the builder Jona beneathe the bell-tower.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
