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Venerable (Monastic)16th century

Venerable Gennadius of Vazheozersk

d. January 8, 1516

Also known as Gennadius of Vazhe Lake

A disciple of St. Alexander of Svir who labored in solitude by Lake Vazhe and, with St. Nikephoros, established the Vazheozersk hermitage; reposed in 1516.

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Gennadius of Vazheozersk

Life

Gennadius of Vazheozersk was a sixteenth-century Russian monastic ascetic and a disciple of Saint Alexander of Svir. According to his life, he was born to wealthy parents but renounced his inheritance, giving everything away to enter the monastic life under Alexander, with whom he lived as a hermit by the river Svira.

With the blessing of his spiritual father, Gennadius later withdrew to Lake Vazhe, roughly twelve versts from the Svir monastery, where he built a cell and pursued a solitary ascetic life together with two of his disciples. He is venerated as a founder, with Saint Nikephoros, of the Vazheozersk hermitage. He reposed on January 8, 1516. His feast is kept on February 9, the same day as that of Saint Nikephoros of Vazheozersk.

Troparion1 hymnReadHide
TroparionTone 8

By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile,
and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe!
O our holy father Gennadius, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline6 momentsReadHide
  1. 1510Nikephoros joins Saint Alexander of SvirSaint Nikephoros, the co-founder of the Vazheozersk hermitage, arrives at the monastery of Saint Alexander of Svir and becomes his disciple.
  2. Jan 8, 1516Repose of GennadiusGennadius reposes at Lake Vazhe, having prophesied that a church and monastery would arise at the place of his ascetic labors.
  3. 1557Repose of NikephorosSaint Nikephoros, who had built the Church of the Transfiguration and established the monastery at Lake Vazhe, reposes on February 9.
  4. 1858Church consecrated to the two saintsA church commemorating both Gennadius and Nikephoros is consecrated; a dedication to the two saints is recorded in the second half of the nineteenth century.
  5. 1992Monastic life resumesAfter the buildings were repurposed under Soviet rule (1923–1991), monastic life is restored at the monastery.
  6. 2000Transfiguration MonasteryThe community is reorganized as the Transfiguration Monastery.

Contributions & Legacy

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Discipleship and Withdrawal to Lake Vazhe

Gennadius came from a family of means but, according to his life, gave away all that he had to follow Saint Alexander of Svir, living with him in asceticism as a hermit by the river Svira.

With Alexander's blessing he departed for Lake Vazhe, about twelve versts from the Svir monastery. There he built a cell and lived a solitary, ascetic life with two of his disciples. Before his repose he is said to have prophesied of the place, 'Here at this place shall be a church and a monastery.'

Saint Nikephoros and the Founding of the Hermitage

Saint Nikephoros of Vazheozersk arrived at the monastery of Saint Alexander of Svir in 1510 and became his disciple. By one account he later journeyed to visit Saint Cyril of New Lake, spending eight days in spiritual discourse, and traveled to Kiev to venerate the relics of the saints of the caves.

Returning with Alexander's blessing, Nikephoros settled at Lake Vazhe where Gennadius had labored, built the Church of the Transfiguration, and established a monastery there, remaining for the rest of his life. He reposed on February 9, 1557, the day on which both saints are commemorated.

Relics and Legacy

The relics of the saints were laid to rest in a hidden place within the monastery they founded. In the second half of the nineteenth century a church was built and dedicated to Saints Nikephoros and Gennadius of Vazhe Lake; a church commemorating both saints was consecrated in 1858.

The monastery suffered devastation during the invasions of the early seventeenth century but was gradually restored. Under Soviet rule (1923–1991) the buildings were repurposed, and monastic life resumed there in 1992. In 2000 the community became the Transfiguration Monastery, at various times a women's and a men's community.

Companions2 figuresShowHide
Co-founder with Gennadius of the Vazheozersk hermitage; commemorated together with him on February 9.
Venerable Nikephorosof Vazheozersk
Spiritual father under whom Gennadius renounced his inheritance and entered the monastic life before withdrawing to Vazhe Lake.
Venerable AlexanderAbbot of Svir
Related Saints3 saintsShowHide

Saints connected to his life, mission, and place in Orthodox tradition.

Fellow disciple of Alexander of Svir who likewise founded a monastery in the Olonets wilderness.
Venerable Athanasiusof Syandemsk
Fellow disciple of Alexander of Svir among the Svir cohort of monastic founders.
Venerable AdrianAbbot of Ondrusov
Fellow disciple of Alexander of Svir who founded a hermitage in the same northern Russian region.
Saint Macariusof Oredezhsk

Browse similar saints by calling and place.

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org)