Venerable Cassian the Barefoot of Volokolamsk

Venerable Cassian the Barefoot, known in the world as Kozma, was born around 1438–1439 in Pereslavl-Zalessky into a pious noble family. In his youth he served at the court of Grand Prince Ivan III, teaching the princely children archery. Renouncing the world, he came to St. Paphnutius of Borovsk, who tonsured him a monk under the name Cassian. Later, together with St. Joseph of Volotsk, Cassian helped found the Volokolamsk Monastery, where he held second place after the abbot and became renowned for extreme asceticism — wearing chains and a hair shirt, reciting 6,000 Jesus Prayers and making 1,000 prostrations daily. Having vowed to go barefoot in every season, he earned the epithet "the Barefoot." In 1530, in extreme old age, he stood as godfather at the baptism of the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible. He reposed in 1532, around age 93.