Venerable Cassian the Greek, Wonderworker of Uglich (in central Russia) was a descendant of the Greek princes of Mangup (later Theodoro). Constantine received an excellent education for his time. He arrived in Moscow from Constantinople in 1478 as part of an embassy accompanying Princess Sophia – the niece of the Greek Emperors John and Constantine Palaiologos, and bride of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III. Constantine expressed a desire to stay in Muscovy. The Great Prince Ivan III offered to give him "cities and lands for his subsistence," but he humbly declined this because he sought the solitude of serving God as a monk. With the Great Prince's permission, he went to Rostov, where he first stayed with Archbishop Joasaph (Obolensky). When the Archbishop decided to step down from his cathedra and settle in the Saint Therapon-White Lake Monastery, where previously he had been tonsured, Prince Constantine gladly followed him. There the Greek prince received the opportunity for prayerful solitude and life in the contemplation of God, and reading the Holy Scriptures. He became a monk after a miraculous vision one night, in which the former Hegumen Martinian (but some sources say Saint Therapon) commanded him to be tonsured. Soon Prince Constantine was honored with the monastic schema and the name Cassian. He happened to leave the Monastery with some of the brethren and sailed along the Volga to the city of Uglich. Not reaching it for 15 versts, he was captivated by a picturesque place on the bank of the Volga, not far from the confluence of the Uchma River. There, he set up a cross and built a cell. The Saint's fame spread far and wide, and "many people started coming to obtain his blessing, and to see how he lived in the wilderness, and to converse with him," Saint Cassian, received everyone with love, instructing them on the path of salvation with his "quiet words." With the permission of Prince Andrew, he founded a monastery there in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. With several monks who came with him from the Saint Therapon Monastery, he built the Dormition church in that place, laying the foundation for the Uchem Monastery. Later, during a raging flood, the church was severely damaged when the Volga overflowed its banks. Then Prince Andrew of Uglich went to help Saint Cassian again. Father Cassian was bound by personal friendship and ties of spiritual kinship, for he was the godfather of the Prince's son Demetrios. The Monastery and the church were moved to another place, not far from the former location, but safer. The new church was dedicated to the Holy Prophet John the Forerunner and became a parish church for the nearby villages. Saint Cassian engaged in ascetic contests (podvigs) for a long time in the Monastery he founded. The Saint departed to the Lord at a ripe old age on October 2, 1504. His holy relics were buried in the same Monastery. After his blessed repose, the Righteous Cassian was glorified by numerous miracles, which records evidence from the records from the Uglich Chronicle; particularly, his defense of the Monastery from Polish raiders during the Time of Troubles of 1609–1611. Saint Cassian of Uglich is commemorated on October 2 (his blessed repose); May 21/June 3 (his Name Day); and again on May 23 (the Synaxis of the Rostov and Yaroslavl Saints).
Source:
"Venerable Cassian of Uglich," The Orthodox Church in America, oca.org |
