Biography
Sylvester of Obnora
About Sylvester of Obnora
Sylvester was a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh who sought solitude on the Obnora River in the Yaroslavl region. He built a cell in the forest and lived on a meager diet. The church account says that a lost traveler discovered him, after which visitors began coming for counsel and blessing. Sylvester welcomed them, although he continued to value periods of withdrawal.
A community formed around his cell. With Metropolitan Alexei’s blessing, it built a church of the Resurrection, and Sylvester became its first abbot. Local memory also connected him with wells and a grove where cutting trees was forbidden. He died on April 25, 1379, and was buried beside the wooden church. Later accounts recorded healings and other signs at his tomb. His long Life has not survived, so these received traditions cannot supply a continuous contemporary biography.
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