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| St. Longinus of Koryazhemsk (Feast Day - February 10) |
Saint Longinus of Koryazhemsk first pursued asceticism at the Monastery of Saint Paul of Obnora, and then lived at the Saints Boris and Gleb Solvychegod Monastery. From there he settled with his friend Simon Soiginsky near Vychegda, toward the mouth of the Koryazhema river.
Here, deep in the countryside, ten versts from Solvychegod, the ascetics built cells and a chapel. Soon after his friend Simon went to live on his own near the Soigu river about 60 versts away. When the fame of Longinus began to spread, brethren gathered around him, they built a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and built what became known as the Koryazhemsk Monastery in which the Saint was abbot. Near the church there was a well, dug out by Saint Longinus himself.
After his death on February 10, 1540 the Saint’s body was buried, in accord with his last wishes, near the entrance to the church. Sixteen years later, it was placed inside the church.
On May 9, 1665 the wooden Church of Saint Nicholas was replaced with the stone Church of the Annunciation which contained a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The tomb of the Saint was allowed on February 25, 1821 to be decorated with gilded carvings and crowned with a canopy. On March 18, 1872, after the dismantling of the dilapidated Church of the Annunciation, the coffin of the Saint was transferred to the Church of the Savior.
