Barlaam of Khutyn (russian: Варлаам Хутынский), also known as Varlaam, was a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

. Born Alexis Michalevich to a wealthy family from Novgorod. After the death of his parents, he became a

on the

Volkhov Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov east of St. Petersburg. Population: It was previously known as ''Zvan ...

and handed all of his inheritance to the poor. At this time he had gained many followers. So great were their numbers that he founded a monastery, the Khutyn Monastery of Saviour's Transfiguration, and took the name of Barlaam (Varlaam). He died on 6 November 1192, his grave has become a site for

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

.St. Barlaam
Catholic Online Varlaam is famous for healing the Grand Prince Vasily (from a family of Riazan boyars) when the prince was visiting Novgorod. Later he became a patron of the city of

Vologda Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. Population: The city serves as a major transport hu ...

. He was also an accomplished painter, and painted several murals in the Gothic style in Novgorod, none of which survived destruction during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

References

Overview at bogolub.narod.ru
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barlaam Of Khutyn 12th-century Christian saints 1190s deaths Russian saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Year of birth unknown