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| St. Martyrius of Novgorod (Feast Day - August 24) |
Saint Martyrius was born in Stara Rus. On the northeast side of the city, near the right bank of the Polista River he founded in the year 1192 the Transfiguration Monastery.
At the Novgorod cathedral, Saint Martyrius was chosen by lot after the death of Saint Gregory (May 24). On December 10, 1193 in Kiev, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. Saint Martyrius became famous as an indefatigable builder of churches. In May 1195, he contracted for a church in the name of the Mother of God at the city gates. On September 13, 1196, he consecrated a church in honor of the Resurrection of Christ in a new women’s monastery at Lake Myachina.
In January 1197 the Saint consecrated a church in honor of Saint Cyril of Alexandria at the men’s monastery of the same name 3 versts from Novgorod. In the year 1197, he contracted in the carpenter’s quarter of Novgorod for a women’s monastery in the name of the holy Great Martyr Euphemia, built by devout young women of the city.
In January 1197 Saint Martyrius consecrated at the Transfiguration Monastery in Stara Rus a temple dedicated to Saint Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople. In May 1198, he began to build a stone church in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and on August 15 of the same year he consecrated it.
In that same year Princess Elena, wife of Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, built on the merchants’ side at Molotkova a church in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos at the monastery, founded by Saint Martyrius. The church was built in memory of the following miracle. A certain devout man of Novgorod went to church each day. Once he returned home, and became tired, fell asleep, and dropped a prosphora stamped with the image of the Theotokos. The dogs, smelling bread, ran up to the prosphora but jumped away, driven off by an invisible power.
Great Prince Vsevolod became disaffected with the people of Novgorod. In 1199 Saint Martyrius went to Vladimir with representatives of the townspeople. Along the way, on the shore of Lake Seliger, he died on August 24, 1199. His body was taken to Novgorod to the Martyriev Portico of the Sophia Cathedral, so named because it was built by Saint Martyrius.
In 1439, the name of the archbishop was included in the list of Novgorod saints buried in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, for whom local veneration was established. In 1471, before the defeat of Novgorod, there was a sign on his tomb - blood appeared. In 1511, Saint Martyrius was canonized. His image is painted on a pillar in the altar of the Novgorod Hagia Sophia Cathedral.