Saint Philip of Sukhona was a seventeenth-century Russian ascetic who lived as a hermit on Mount Yankov, on the left bank of the Sukhona River, about two versts from the city of Ustiug. He is venerated as a Venerable (monastic) saint, and his memory is kept on August 17.
The reputation of his ascetic life drew the people of Ustiug, who founded a monastery at the site of his struggles so that they could pursue the monastic life under his direction. Although his guidance was sought by many, Philip in his humility declined to accept the office of igumen, and he died at the monastery as a simple monk.
Timeline2 momentsReadHide
1654A monastery and church rise at the hermitageThe inhabitants of Ustiug, gathering around Philip's place of ascetic labor, built a church in honor of the Mother of God 'Of the Sign,' with a chapel dedicated to Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow.
August 17, 1662ReposePhilip died at the monastery that had grown around his hermitage. Having declined leadership throughout, he reposed as a simple monk.
Contributions & Legacy
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Hermitage and Monastery
Philip settled as a solitary on Mount Yankov, on the left bank of the Sukhona River near Ustiug, in the Russian North. His ascetic example attracted others who wished to learn the monastic life from him, and the townspeople established a monastery on the site of his labors.
When the community built its church in 1654, it was dedicated to the Mother of God under the title 'Of the Sign,' with a side chapel honoring Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow. Though sought after as a spiritual guide, Philip refused, out of humility, to be made igumen of the community, and remained an ordinary monk until his death.
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