On May 7/20, the Russian Saint Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos prayerfully commemorates the Synaxis of All the Venerable Russian Saints of the Holy Mountain.
This day for honoring the memory of all the Russian Athonite saints who shone forth on the Holy Mountain was established in 2016 by the Council of Elders of the Panteleimon Monastery, with the blessing of the monastery’s abbot, Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhin), because ancient Russian liturgical tradition assigns to this day the repose of Anthony of Kiev, the “founder of Russian monasticism.”
In addition, on this same day the memory is celebrated of other Russian Athonite saints: Nil Sorsky and Pachomius the Russian. The feast of Nilus the Myrrhgusher is also kept on this day.
Altogether, the Synaxis of All the Venerable Russian Saints of the Holy Mountain includes more than sixty Athonite ascetics glorified at various times by one or another Local Church (the list, which began with over forty saints, is evolving). Some of them were Serbs, Greeks, and Georgians, yet their lives were connected in one way or another with Holy Rus’ or with Russian monasticism on Mount Athos.
This day for honoring the memory of all the Russian Athonite saints who shone forth on the Holy Mountain was established in 2016 by the Council of Elders of the Panteleimon Monastery, with the blessing of the monastery’s abbot, Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhin), because ancient Russian liturgical tradition assigns to this day the repose of Anthony of Kiev, the “founder of Russian monasticism.”
In addition, on this same day the memory is celebrated of other Russian Athonite saints: Nil Sorsky and Pachomius the Russian. The feast of Nilus the Myrrhgusher is also kept on this day.
Altogether, the Synaxis of All the Venerable Russian Saints of the Holy Mountain includes more than sixty Athonite ascetics glorified at various times by one or another Local Church (the list, which began with over forty saints, is evolving). Some of them were Serbs, Greeks, and Georgians, yet their lives were connected in one way or another with Holy Rus’ or with Russian monasticism on Mount Athos.
The Synaxis of Russian Saints of the Holy Mountain includes the following:
1. Venerable Anthony Of The Caves (†1073).
2. Reverend Moses Ugrin Of The Kiev Caves (†1043).
3. Saint Sava, Archbishop of Serbia (†1236) (glorified by the Serbian Orthodox Church).
4. Venerable Ammon of the Kiev Caves (thirteenth century).
5. Venerable Isaiah the Athonite and Serbian, abbot of the Russikon (†1380) (glorified by the Serbian Orthodox Church).
6. Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (†1406).
7. Venerable Sergius of Murom (†1412).
8. Saint Dionysius of Rostov (†1425).
9. Venerable Arseny of Konevets, wonder-worker of Novgorod (†1447).
10. Venerable Savva Of Krypetsk (†1495).
11. Venerable Savva Of Vishera (†1461).
12. Venerable Nil Of Sora (†1508).
13. Martyr Anthony Carotis (†1516) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
14. Venerable Innokenty Of Komelsk (†1521).
15. Athanasius III Patellaris, Wonderworker of Lubny, Patriarch of Constantinople (†1654).
16. Monk-Martyr Pachomius the Russian (†1730).
17. Monk-Martyr Constantine (Konstantii) (†1743) (glorified by the Patriarch of Constantinople).
18. Monk-Martyr Agape (†1752).
19. Venerable Basil Polynomially (†1767).
20. St. Ignatius Mariupol (†1786).
21. Saint Paisius Velichkovsky (†1794).
22. Hieromartyr Nikita the Slav (†1808) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
23. Monk-Martyr Paul (1821) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
24. Venerable Ilarion Kanchaevli the Georgian (†1864) (glorified by the Georgian Orthodox Church).
25. Venerable Antipas of Valaam, Hieroschemamonk (†1882).
26. Venerable Gabriel of Mount Athos (†1901) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
27. Venerable Aristotle, the Muscovite Wonderworker (†1918) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
28. Hieromartyr Danach (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
29. Hieromartyr Gabriel Gur (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
30. Hieromartyr Gabriel (Vladimirov) (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
31. Hieromartyr Hilarion (Tsurikov) (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
32. Hieromartyr John (Laba) (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
33. Venerable Silouan the Athonite (†1938) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
34. Hieromartyr Hilarion (Gromov) (†1938) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
35. Hieromartyr Jonah (Sankov) (†1938) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
36. Monk-Martyr Anthony (Korzh) (†1938) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
37. Hieromartyr Antipas (Kirillov) (†1938) (canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church).
38. Venerable Alexy (Kabaliuk), Carpatho-Russian, Archimandrite (+1947) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
39. Venerable Theodosius (Kashin), Hieroschemamonk (†1948) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
40. Venerable Kuksha (Velichko), Schema-archimandrite, Wonderworker of Odessa (†1964) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
41. Venerable Job (Kundra) of Ugol (1985) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
1. Venerable Anthony Of The Caves (†1073).
2. Reverend Moses Ugrin Of The Kiev Caves (†1043).
3. Saint Sava, Archbishop of Serbia (†1236) (glorified by the Serbian Orthodox Church).
4. Venerable Ammon of the Kiev Caves (thirteenth century).
5. Venerable Isaiah the Athonite and Serbian, abbot of the Russikon (†1380) (glorified by the Serbian Orthodox Church).
6. Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (†1406).
7. Venerable Sergius of Murom (†1412).
8. Saint Dionysius of Rostov (†1425).
9. Venerable Arseny of Konevets, wonder-worker of Novgorod (†1447).
10. Venerable Savva Of Krypetsk (†1495).
11. Venerable Savva Of Vishera (†1461).
12. Venerable Nil Of Sora (†1508).
13. Martyr Anthony Carotis (†1516) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
14. Venerable Innokenty Of Komelsk (†1521).
15. Athanasius III Patellaris, Wonderworker of Lubny, Patriarch of Constantinople (†1654).
16. Monk-Martyr Pachomius the Russian (†1730).
17. Monk-Martyr Constantine (Konstantii) (†1743) (glorified by the Patriarch of Constantinople).
18. Monk-Martyr Agape (†1752).
19. Venerable Basil Polynomially (†1767).
20. St. Ignatius Mariupol (†1786).
21. Saint Paisius Velichkovsky (†1794).
22. Hieromartyr Nikita the Slav (†1808) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
23. Monk-Martyr Paul (1821) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
24. Venerable Ilarion Kanchaevli the Georgian (†1864) (glorified by the Georgian Orthodox Church).
25. Venerable Antipas of Valaam, Hieroschemamonk (†1882).
26. Venerable Gabriel of Mount Athos (†1901) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
27. Venerable Aristotle, the Muscovite Wonderworker (†1918) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
28. Hieromartyr Danach (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
29. Hieromartyr Gabriel Gur (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
30. Hieromartyr Gabriel (Vladimirov) (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
31. Hieromartyr Hilarion (Tsurikov) (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
32. Hieromartyr John (Laba) (†1937) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
33. Venerable Silouan the Athonite (†1938) (glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
34. Hieromartyr Hilarion (Gromov) (†1938) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
35. Hieromartyr Jonah (Sankov) (†1938) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
36. Monk-Martyr Anthony (Korzh) (†1938) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
37. Hieromartyr Antipas (Kirillov) (†1938) (canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church).
38. Venerable Alexy (Kabaliuk), Carpatho-Russian, Archimandrite (+1947) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
39. Venerable Theodosius (Kashin), Hieroschemamonk (†1948) (glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church).
40. Venerable Kuksha (Velichko), Schema-archimandrite, Wonderworker of Odessa (†1964) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
41. Venerable Job (Kundra) of Ugol (1985) (glorified by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
The tradition of commemorating Anthony of Kiev on May 7/20 (Old Style/New Style) is ancient in the Russian monastic and liturgical tradition, especially connected with the Russian presence on Mount Athos.
According to early Slavic and Athonite tradition, Saint Anthony reposed on May 7, 1073. Several Orthodox liturgical and hagiographical sources preserve this date explicitly.
What makes the date especially important is that Anthony is regarded not simply as a saint among many, but as:
- the founder of monasticism in Kievan Rus’
- the spiritual bridge between Athos and the Slavic lands
- the father of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra tradition
His whole spiritual identity is Athonite. He first became a monk on Athos—traditionally at Esphigmenou Monastery—before being sent back to Rus’ by his elder to plant the monastic life there.
His better-known feast in the general Orthodox calendar is usually July 10/23, but May 7 preserves an older and more specifically Athonite-Russian memory of his actual repose.
According to early Slavic and Athonite tradition, Saint Anthony reposed on May 7, 1073. Several Orthodox liturgical and hagiographical sources preserve this date explicitly.
What makes the date especially important is that Anthony is regarded not simply as a saint among many, but as:
- the founder of monasticism in Kievan Rus’
- the spiritual bridge between Athos and the Slavic lands
- the father of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra tradition
His whole spiritual identity is Athonite. He first became a monk on Athos—traditionally at Esphigmenou Monastery—before being sent back to Rus’ by his elder to plant the monastic life there.
His better-known feast in the general Orthodox calendar is usually July 10/23, but May 7 preserves an older and more specifically Athonite-Russian memory of his actual repose.
Troparion, Tone 1
Rejoice in the Lord, O Orthodox Rus', be glad and exult, clothed brightly in piety and faith, having on Mount Athos ascetics of faith and teachers of godliness as your guiding lights. Delight in the miracles and wisdom flowing forth from them, and seeing this holy host guarding you from visible and invisible enemies, cry out thankfully to the Savior: Lord, glory to You!
Kontakion, Tone 4
(Similar to: “Thou Who wast lifted upon the Cross willingly…”)
Having enlightened our fatherland and planted within it the Athonite monastic life, and having instructed therein multitudes of monks, come, let us praise them, crying out: Deliver your flock from every affliction, O multitude of venerable fathers, boast of the Russian land.
