Ignaty (Bryanchaninov) (1807-1867), Orthodox Saint

Categories / Religion. Church/Personalia
IGNATY (born Dmitry Alexandrovich Bryanchaninov) (1807-1867), religious figure, theologian and spiritual writer. In 1822-26, he studied at the Central Engineering College of St. Petersburg, during this time he often visited the house A.N. Olenin, where he met Alexander Pushkin, I.A. Krylov, N.I. Gnedich and other men of letters who highly praised his attempts at writing. In the meantime he visited the monks of Alexander Nevsky Lavra, talked to Leonid, the Elder of Optina Hermitage Monastery. Influenced by monks Bryanchaninov, he resigned in 1827 and joined Alexander-Svirsky Monastery as a novice. In the summer of 1831, he was tonsured in Vologda and named Ignaty. In late 1833, he was summoned to St. Petersburg, elevated to the rank of Archimandrite, and appointed Prior of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Hermitage where he wrote his major theological works that had a significant influence on the consciousness of church and Russian literature; in particular, some ideas of Ignaty were reflected in the works of F.M. Dostoevsky and N.S. Leskov. While being the head of the monastery, Ignaty made a significant contribution to the monastery's spiritual activities; three churches and monk cell buildings were built there. In 1838, Ignaty was assigned to serve as archpriest of all monasteries belonging to St. Petersburg Eparchy. From 1857 to 1861, he served as Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea Region (with an office in Stavropol). Illness forced him to retire, and from 1861 he lived at Nikolo-Babaev Monastery in Kostroma Province, where he died. In 1988, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Ignaty of Caucasus. His relics rest in Tolgsky Convent near Yaroslavl, his feast day is celebrated on 30 April (13 May, New Style).

References: Соколов Л. А. Святитель Игнатий: Его жизнь, личность и морально-аскетич. воззрения. М., 2003.

S. V. Boglachev. Dostoevsky Fedor Mikhailovich
Gnedich Nikolay Ivanovich
Ignaty (Dmitry Alexandrovich Bryanchaninov)
Krylov Ivan Andreevich
Leskov Nikolay Semenovich
Olenin Alexey Nikolaevich
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich
Соколов Л. А. Святитель Игнатий: Его жизнь, личность и морально-аскетич. воззрения. М., 2003 Mikhailovsky Castle
Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Holy Trinity & St. Sergius Hermitage
St. Petersburg Eparchy