Background
Tikhon of Zadonsk (secular name Timofey Savelyevich Sokolov) was born in 1724 in the village of Korotsko, in the Novgorod region, Russian Federation.
Tikhon of Zadonsk
the Zheltikov monastery
the Novgorod Seminary
the Novgorod Seminary
the Novgorod Seminary
the Zheltikov monastery
preacher theologian prelate church figure
Tikhon of Zadonsk (secular name Timofey Savelyevich Sokolov) was born in 1724 in the village of Korotsko, in the Novgorod region, Russian Federation.
As a thirteen-year-old boy, Tikhon of Zadonsk was sent to a clergy school near the Novgorod archbishop’s home and earned his keep by working with the vegetable gardeners. In 1740, he was accepted under a state grant set up for the Novgorod seminary.
Upon finishing seminary in 1754, Tikhon of Zadonsk became a teacher there, first in Greek, and later in Rhetoric and Philosophy. Tikhon of Zadonsk was tonsured a monk at the age of thirty-four and later consecrated Bishop of Voronezh.
Later, he was appointed him rector of the Tver seminary and, at the same time, head of the Otroch monastery. On May 13, 1761, Tikhon of Zadonsk was consecrated Bishop of Keksgolma and Ladoga. In 1763, Tikhon of Zadonsk was transferred to the See of Voronezh. During the four and a half years that he administered the Voronezh diocese. In 1765, he transformed the Voronezh Slavic-Latin school into a seminary.
Tikhon of Zadonsk served as bishop for a little under seven years and retired to the monastery of Zadonsk because of poor health. He lived there until he died.
On May 14, 1846, during the construction of the new cathedral at Zadonsk, Tikhon's relics were uncovered and reported to be incorrupt. His relics were kept in Zadonsk. It was reported that many miracles occurred near his relic, so he was made a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1861. His feast day is celebrated on August 13, Julian calendar (August 26, Gregorian Calendar). As a result, another feast day, the Uncovering of the Relics of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk was instituted to be celebrated annually on May 14.
