Saint Sergius of Radonezh

Saint Sergius of Radonezh (born May 3, 1314, Rostov, Russia—died Sept. 25, 1392, Radonezh, near Moscow) was a Russian Orthodox monk whose spiritual doctrine and social programs made him one of Russia’s most respected spiritual leaders. His monastery of the Trinity became the Russian centre and symbol of religious renewal and national identity.

He was tonsured a monk in 1337 and later was ordained a priest. His chapel retreat in the forest of Radonezh became, by 1354, a spiritual centre traditionally known as the Sergian monastery of the Trinity (now Sergiyev Posad). The religious house contributed to Russia’s economic and cultural recovery by the establishment of monastic schools after the ravages of 13th-century Mongol invasions. It also served as a centre of missionary activities in northern Russia, establishing as many as 75 monasteries.

Sergius soon gained fame for his ascetic life, wonder-working, and compassion for the needy and backward, and he taught the peasants better methods for cultivating the soil. He also carried out several diplomatic missions designed to unite the scattered Russian principalities under the authority of Great Prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow, who, after Sergius’ exhortation, in 1380 led Russian forces in repelling the Tatars and Mongols at the Battle of Kulikovo, a plain south of Moscow by the Don River. As a consequence, Sergius was hailed as the saint protector of Russia. Although he left no writings, his teachings and monastic institutions inspired an oral tradition that exerted a principal influence on Russian spirituality. Hundreds of his disciples, beginning even during his lifetime, adopted the monastic way, founded new monasteries throughout the forests of northern Russia, and thus contributed to the colonization and development of the area.