Ignatius Bryanchaninov

Ignatius Brianchaninov
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
Saint, Holy hierarch
Born	February 15, 1807 Pokrovskoye, Vologda Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	April 30, 1867 Nicolo-Babaevsky Monastery, Bolshie Soli
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox church
Canonized	June 30, 1988 by Russian Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Tolga Monastery, Yaroslavl
Feast	April 30
Attributes	Vested as a bishop

Saint Ignatius (secular name Dmitry Alexandrovich Brianchaninov, Russian: Дмитрий Александрович Брянчанинов; 1807–1867) was a bishop and theologian of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He was glorified (canonized) as a saint by the 1988 meeting of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. His relics are preserved at the ancient Tolga Monastery on the Volga River near Yaroslavl.

Dmitry Bryanchaninov was born in the manor of to one of the wealthiest landowning families of the Governorate of Vologda. He was educated at Main Military Engineering School in St. Petersburg.

Although successful in his studies, he was deeply dissatisfied with the lay life and turned to a life of prayer. In 1827 he fell seriously ill and left the army on this ground. He began pursuing a monastic vocation and in 1831 took monastic vows and received the monastic name of Ignatius. He was ordained a priest shortly afterwards. He rose rapidly to the rank of archimandrite and at the age of 26 was appointed superior of the Maritime Monastery of St. Sergius in St. Petersburg. In 1857, Ignatius was consecrated Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, but he retired only four years later to the on the Volga to devote himself to spiritual writing.