Venerable (Monastic) 14th century

Venerable Andronikos Disciple of Saint Sergius

Also known as Andronikos of Moscow

A disciple of St Sergius of Radonezh who, at the request of St Alexis of Moscow, became the first abbot of the Savior monastery on the Yauza, later home to the iconographer St Andrei Rublev.

Feast Day

June 13

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Andronikos of Moscow, Disciple of Saint Sergius of Radonezh and First Abbot of the Savior-Andronikov Monastery

Life

Andronikos was a fourteenth-century Russian monastic, a native of Rostov who was formed in the ascetic life as a disciple of Saint Sergius of Radonezh at the Holy Trinity monastery north of Moscow. At the request of Metropolitan Alexis of Moscow, he was sent to found and lead a new cenobitic community on the Yauza River, becoming the first abbot of what came to be known, after him, as the Savior-Andronikov Monastery.

Remembered for strict fasting, meekness, and humility, Andronikos drew many to the monastic life, and the community he established grew into one of medieval Moscow's principal spiritual and artistic centers. It is most famous in later tradition for its association with the iconographer Saint Andrei Rublev, who worked and was buried there. Andronikos is commemorated on June 13.

Timeline 4 moments Read Hide

Early 14th century Birth in Rostov Andronikos was born early in the fourteenth century in Rostov.
14th century Disciple of Saint Sergius He entered monastic life under Saint Sergius of Radonezh at the Holy Trinity monastery north of Moscow, where he was trained in the ascetic and cenobitic discipline that Sergius fostered.
c. 1357–1361 Founding of the monastery on the Yauza Metropolitan Alexis of Moscow, fulfilling a vow made after surviving a storm at sea, asked Sergius for a disciple to lead a new monastery and requested Andronikos by name. Construction of the community on the Yauza River was completed by 1361, and Andronikos served as its first abbot.
Later life Succession by Saint Savva In his old age Andronikos handed leadership of the community to his disciple Saint Savva and gave himself to deeper contemplation. The sources differ on the year of his repose.

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributions Read Hide

The Savior-Andronikov Monastery

The monastery Andronikos led was founded under Metropolitan Alexis on the bank of the Yauza River in Moscow, dedicated to the Savior and honoring the Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands. Though dedicated to Christ, the house also came to bear its first abbot's name, becoming known as the Spaso-Andronikov (Savior-Andronikov) Monastery.

Under Andronikos the community became known for its strict observance, and Saint Sergius is recorded as visiting to encourage his disciple's work. The monastery grew into a major center of manuscript production in Muscovy and guarded the eastern approaches to the city. Its surviving Saviour Cathedral, built in the early fifteenth century, is among the oldest preserved buildings in Moscow outside the Kremlin.

Association with Andrei Rublev

The monastery is most widely remembered in later tradition for its connection to the iconographer Saint Andrei Rublev, counted among its monks. Rublev decorated churches associated with the community and spent his final years at the monastery, where he was buried. The site today houses the Andrei Rublev Museum of Old Russian Art.

Relics & Shrines

Andronikos was buried in the cathedral of the monastery he founded. Archaeological excavations conducted at the monastery in 1993 identified remains attributed to Saints Andronikos and Savva beneath the ancient altar of the cathedral.

Notes

Not the Apostle Andronicus of the Seventy (OS-1192).

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints