Hierarch Niphont of Novgorod

St. Niphont was installed as Bishop of Novgorod in 1130. He was noted for his firmness in upholding canonical church order: when in 1147 a council of Rus' bishops elected Kliment Smolyatich as Metropolitan of Kiev without the consent of the Patriarch of Constantinople, St. Niphont openly refused to recognize the election as canonical and would not commemorate Kliment as metropolitan, drawing pressure from Grand Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich as a result. For his fidelity to the canons he was granted by the Patriarch of Constantinople the right to wear the crossed vestments (krestchatye rizy), a rare honor for Rus' hierarchs of the time. He cared greatly for the good order of the Novgorod diocese, church building, and learning. He died in Kiev on April 21, 1156, having traveled there to greet Metropolitan Constantine I, who had been canonically appointed by the Patriarch — thus living to see the restoration of the canonical order he had fought for his whole life. He was buried at the Kiev Caves Lavra and was canonized at the Moscow Council of 1549.