Michael Maleinos

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saint Michael Maleinos (Greek: Μιχαήλ Μαλείνος) (ca. 894–963) was a Byzantine monk who commanded great respect among Christians of Asia Minor. His nephew, Nicephorus Phocas, became the Byzantine emperor several years after his death. His feast day is July 12.

He was born Manuel Maleinos (Greek: Μανουήλ Μαλείνος) into the wealthiest family of Cappadocia and spent his youth at the court of Leo the Wise, who was his relative. At the age of 18 he denounced worldly pleasures and withdrew to Bithynia, where he founded a highly reputable lavra. Athanasius of Trebizond, who started his monastic life at Michael's monastery, later modeled the Great Lavra, Mount Athos upon Michael's establishment.

Michael Maleinos was a patron saint of Mikhail Feodorovich, the first Romanov tsar. Owing to this fact, he was greatly revered by the Romanov dynasty and many chapels were dedicated to him in Russia.