Venerable, Child Schema-Monk Bogolep of Chernyi Yar, Astrakhan

Venerable Bogolep was born in 1660 to the family of the military governor of the town of Chernyi Yar on the Volga (now Astrakhan region), and was baptized Boris. From childhood he was distinguished by piety beyond his years. At the age of seven he fell gravely ill with an incurable disease; sensing his death approaching, the boy himself asked his parents for monastic tonsure. Before his death he was tonsured into the great angelic schema, receiving the name Bogolep. He reposed peacefully in 1667 at the age of seven. He is venerated as one of the youngest ascetics of piety in the history of the Russian Church — a rare example of childhood sanctity through schema-tonsure before death. His memory is kept on July 24/August 6.