On April 8/21, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Niphon, Bishop of Novgorod (†1156).
St. Niphon, Bishop of Novgorod In the late eleventh century, a son was born into a family of pious Kievans and given the name Nikita at Baptism. The boy’s father and mother, well-off people, gave their son a good education for that time, and Nikita read many books in his youth. He attended church services with his parents, who instilled the fear of God in him.
When Nikita was very young, he was left an orphan, the sole heir to his parents’ estate. He made the following decision:
“I will distribute my wealth among the poor and wholly devote myself to the Lord.”
Nikita took monastic vows at the Kiev Caves Monastery with the name Niphon. Soon he excelled at fasting and prayer. Thus several years passed.
In 1129, John, Bishop of Novgorod retired, and the search for a worthy successor began. Immediately St. Niphon’s candidacy was suggested:
“This man is worthy of becoming a bishop, because he fears God and leads a righteous life.”
And on January 1, 1130, St. Niphon became Bishop of Novgorod. His episcopal consecration was performed in Kiev.
From that time on, his activities as a peacekeeper began. He reconciled warring parties, united people of different classes into a single union, while firmly adhering to the Orthodox faith. Thus St. Niphon served as archpastor for twenty-six years. It was a tumultuous period—the grand princes in Novgorod were replaced ten times. In 1134, the Novgorodians rebelled when Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich (1117–1136) undertook a military campaign that ended in failure. The rebellion of the Novgorodians was so forceful that Michael II, Metropolitan of Kiev (c. 1130–1145), decided to punish Novgorod by imposing an ecclesiastical suspension on it. The Novgorodians stopped rioting and came to their senses, but they were very saddened by the order of the Metropolitan of Kiev. To save the Prince of Novgorod and its people from such punishment, Bishop Niphon sent Abbot Isaiah to Kiev to appease Michael II. The Metropolitan of Kiev highly respected Bishop Niphon, so he soon came to Novgorod himself to reason with the Novgorodians.
St. Niphon, Bishop of Novgorod In 1135, Bishop Niphon reconciled the warring people of Kiev, Chernigov and Novgorod, preventing a great bloodshed between them.
“Brothers, you have no reason to be divided, because you are all children of Rus’. Peace is our main riches.” With these words, the bishop put an end to their strife. He managed to convince the princes to make peace. But Bishop Niphon could be strict. In 1136, he did not give his blessing for Prince Svyatoslav Olgovich’s proposed marriage (1136–1138). He told the priests and hieromonks:
“The Church cannot bless this marriage, because it is abhorrent to the Lord.”
And Bishop Niphon told Prince Svyatoslav bluntly and frankly:
“You mustn’t marry her.”
Apparently, there was a good reason why Prince Svyatoslav was forbidden to marry the young woman he had chosen. And the prince realized that the bishop was right. From that time on, Prince Svyatoslav always coordinated his actions with the archpastor.
Bishop Niphon put much effort into beautifying churches. In 1135, the saint began the construction of the stone Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God. This church has survived to this day; it has an icon of St. Niphon, praying next to St. Nikita of Novgorod (†1108; commemorated January 31; he, too, was tonsured at the Kiev-Caves Monastery and later became Bishop of Novgorod). In 1144, the archpastor restored the beautiful Cathedral Church of Hagia Sophia to its former glory. Bishop Niphon also built the following churches: one of St. Basil, another of Sts. Constantine and Helen Equal-to-the-Apostles, and another of St. Sabbas the Sanctified. He also began the construction of the Church of St. Clement, which has survived to this day. Bishop Niphon restored several churches in Novgorod, which were badly damaged in a fire in 1152. In addition, Bishop Niphon built the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord near the city of Pskov and founded the Holy Transfiguration Mirozhsky Monastery there.
In 1147, harsh trials began in the life of Bishop Niphon. Grand Prince Izyaslav II Mstislavich of Kiev wanted to have Clement (Smoliatich) elevated to the rank of metropolitan of Kiev without the approval of the Patriarch of Constantinople. This was because some bishops had told him:
“Grand Prince, three bishops can elect and consecrate a head bishop, because there are such ancient rules.”
But Niphon, Bishop of Novgorod, and Manuel the Greek, Bishop of Smolensk, disagreed and told Iziaslav:
“Grand Prince, listen to us: only the Patriarch of Constantinople consecrates our metropolitans.”
But Clement was nevertheless consecrated Metropolitan of Kiev.
And Bishop Niphon continued his peacemaking activities. In 1148, the Novgorodians turned to him with a request:
“Father, we are suffering from attacks from the Suzdal people. Reconcile us!”
And Bishop Niphon went to Suzdal. Already a highly respected pastor in Russia, he spoke with Prince Yuri (George in Baptism) Dolgoruky of Suzdal (now in the Vladimir region) and made peace with him. Moreover, Prince Yuri agreed to return the captured Novgorod people to their homeland. The prince then made a request to the archpastor:
“Father, it will be an honor for us if you consecrate the newly built churches of Suzdal.”
And Bishop Niphon consecrated some of the Orthodox churches of Suzdal. A very unique antimension has survived that was blessed for the Church of St. George the Victorious, with the signature: “From Niphon, Archbishop of Novgorod, by order of Bishop Nestor of Rostov, under the pious Prince George, son of Grand Prince Vladimir Monomakh.”
In 1149, Archbishop Niphon was invited to Kiev and suddenly placed under forced residency at the Kiev-Caves Monastery for a short time. As an explanation for this decision, he heard the following words:
“Why do you refuse to commemorate the newly elected Metropolitan Clement?”
Some time later, in the same year 1149, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky of Rostov and Suzdal, who was at odds with Grand Prince Izyaslav of Kiev, captured Kiev and freed Bishop Niphon. And the saint travelled back to Novgorod, where he was welcomed with great joy.
Veliky Novgorod. The thirteenth century
As for Clement (Smoliatich), he remained metropolitan until 1155. Bishop Niphon was urged by those around him to recognize Metropolitan Clement, but he did not do so; he did not submit to the metropolitan who had been appointed uncanonically. St. Niphon wrote to the Patriarch of Constantinople about everything he was going through. A letter has been preserved that Patriarch Nicholas IV of Constantinople sent to Bishop Niphon, in which he asks him to endure this injustice, for which he would receive a crown from the Lord.
Soon, a new Metropolitan of Russia was elected in Constantinople. After receiving this news, St. Niphon went to Kiev to meet him. But their meeting was not destined to take place—Bishop Niphon fell seriously ill when he arrived in Kiev, albeit his illness was brief. Three days before falling ill, Bishop Niphon had an amazing dream: the Venerable Abba Theodosius of the Kiev Caves appeared to him and promised that soon they would be together.
On April 21, 1156, during Bright Week, St. Niphon reposed in the Lord.
Veneration of St. Niphon began in the mid-fifteenth century. In 1549, at the Second Church Council held by St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, the Churchwide canonization of St. Niphon, Bishop of Novgorod, took place. His relics rest in the Near Caves (St. Anthony’s Caves) of the Kiev-Caves Lavra.
