Venerable Ephraim of Novotorzhsky, Archimandrite

Efrem Novotorzhsky

(80s of the 10th century, Hungary - January 28, 1053, Novgorod Torg, now Torzhok in the Tver region) - founder of the Borisoglebsky Monastery, reverend of the Orthodox Church in the Cathedral of Novgorod Saints.

Memory - January 28 (February 10), June 11 (June 24), in the 3rd week of Pentecost.

He was of Hungarian origin, and was the older brother of Moisei Ugrin and Georgiy Ugrin. It is assumed that he was born around the 80s of the 10th century. At the beginning of the 11th century, the brothers left Hungary and moved to Rus', serving with the Rostov prince Boris[1]. Ephraim served as a groom for the prince, and after his death he left the service[2]. At the site of the death of his brother George in 1015, who defended Prince Boris, Ephraim discovered his brother’s head and kept it with him until the end of his days[3].

Ephraim, after the death of his brother, went to the Novgorod land. He founded a hospice house near Torzhok[4]. Then in 1038 he founded a monastery in the name of the holy princes Boris and Gleb, of which he became abbot. He was buried in the Boris and Gleb Church[2][3].

According to hagiographic legend, on June 11, 1572, under the Novgorod Archbishop Leonid, the incorrupt relics of St. Ephraim were found. Under the Moscow Metropolitan Dionysius, he was canonized (around 1584-1587[5]), after which a service for the saint was compiled. According to Orthodox authors, a number of miracles are associated with this saint, including the intercession of Torzhok during the Time of Troubles[3]. One of his students was the Monk Arkady[2].

His life is known, but the oldest version has not reached us. After the discovery of the remains of Saint Ephraim in the 16th century, a new edition of the life appeared, and in the 17th century a new revision of it[6]. The Life came to us in late versions of the 17th - early 19th centuries, and not everything is clear about the authorship. Philaret believed that it was written by Joasaph in 1572. Vasily Klyuchevsky did not agree with this, focusing on the 17th century, since the last account of the miracle, dating back to 1647, was described by a contemporary[7].

Notes

1. Lepakhin V.
   Reverend Moses Ugrin - the “second” or “other” Joseph // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature. - St. Petersburg: Dmitry Bulanin, 2003. - T. LIV: In memory of D. S. Likhachev. — P. 370, 384.
2. ↑ 123
   Ephraim // Christianity: Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ch. ed. S. S. Averintsev. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1993. - T. 1. - P. 537.
3. ↑ 1 2 3 Kuzmin A. V., Ya. E. Z.
   Efrem // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M.: Church Scientific, 2008. - T. XIX: “Message to the Ephesians - Zverev.” - pp. 41-45. — 752 p. — 39,000 copies. — ISBN 978-5-89572-034-9.
4. Shakhmatov A. A.
   Research on the most ancient Russian chronicle codes. - St. Petersburg: M. A. Alexandrov, 1908. - P. 75-76.
5. Khoroshev A. S.
   Political history of Russian canonization (XI-XVI centuries). - M.: Moscow University, 1986. - P. 177.
6. Tvorogov O. V.
   About the “Code of Old Russian Lives” // Russian hagiography: Research, publications, polemics. - St. Petersburg, 2005. - P. 28.
7. Budovnits I. U.
   The story of the ruin of Torzhok in 1315 // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature. - M.-L.: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1960. - T. XVI. — P. 446.

Notes[ | ]

1. Lepakhin V.
   Reverend Moses Ugrin - the “second” or “other” Joseph // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature. - St. Petersburg: Dmitry Bulanin, 2003. - T. LIV: In memory of D. S. Likhachev. — P. 370, 384.
2. ↑ 123
   Ephraim // Christianity: Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ch. ed. S. S. Averintsev. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1993. - T. 1. - P. 537.
3. ↑ 1 2 3 Kuzmin A. V., Ya. E. Z.
   Efrem // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M.: Church Scientific, 2008. - T. XIX: “Message to the Ephesians - Zverev.” - pp. 41-45. — 752 p. — 39,000 copies. — ISBN 978-5-89572-034-9.
4. Shakhmatov A. A.
   Research on the most ancient Russian chronicle codes. - St. Petersburg: M. A. Alexandrov, 1908. - P. 75-76.
5. Khoroshev A. S.
   Political history of Russian canonization (XI-XVI centuries). - M.: Moscow University, 1986. - P. 177.
6. Tvorogov O. V.
   About the “Code of Old Russian Lives” // Russian hagiography: Research, publications, polemics. - St. Petersburg, 2005. - P. 28.
7. Budovnits I. U.
   The story of the ruin of Torzhok in 1315 // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature. - M.-L.: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1960. - T. XVI. — P. 446.