Biography
Ignatius of Smolensk
About Ignatius of Smolensk
Ignatius was a bishop of Smolensk and a supporter of the monk Abraham. The Orthodox Church in America’s notice says that he ordained Abraham and presided over a hearing brought by Abraham’s opponents, at which the monk was acquitted. It places Ignatius’s death around 1210.
The same account connects him with founding a monastery dedicated to Mary’s robe and with the monastery of Abraham, where it says he lived after retiring as bishop. These foundation attributions belong to the received church account. Its claim that he was the first bishop of Smolensk is qualified and is not adopted as established history here. The notice also reports a heavenly light at his death; that is preserved as hagiographic tradition rather than an independently demonstrated event.
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