Synaxis Смоленские свв.

The Synaxis of Smolensk Saints is a Russian Orthodox commemoration honoring ascetics whose lives and labors were connected to the Smolensk region. It was established with the blessing of Patriarch Pimen in 1983 and entered the church calendar in 1986; it is kept on the Sunday before the feast of the Smolensk "Hodegetria" Icon of the Mother of God (July 28 Old Style) — a movable date. The synaxis, numbering around 32 names, includes hierarchs — Ignatius, Michael, and Simeon of Smolensk, Pitirim of Tambov; venerables — Abraham and Ephraim of Smolensk, Arcadius of Vyazma, Proclus of the Caves, Gerasim of Boldino, Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharev), enlightener of the Altai; right-believing princes — Rostislav of Smolensk, Theodore the Black with his sons David and Constantine of Yaroslavl, Andrew of Smolensk (Pereyaslavl); passion-bearer Prince Gleb, martyr Mercury of Smolensk, Juliania of Vyazma, Prince Simeon Mstislavich of Vyazma, and Equal-to-the-Apostles Nicholas (Kasatkin), enlightener of Japan. The synaxis testifies to the richness of Smolensk's spiritual tradition across the centuries.