Bishop
Saint Georgy Govorov was born on January 10, 1815, in the village of Chernávska in the Oryol province, into the family of a priest. In 1837, he graduated from the ecclesiastical school of Oryol and entered the Theological Academy of Kyiv. In 1841, he completed his studies and was tonsured a monk with the name Theophanes. He taught in Saint Petersburg and was later sent to Jerusalem, where he studied the Holy Scriptures and the sacred writings of the Holy Father of our Church.
With the outbreak of the Crimean War, the members of the mission were recalled to Russia. In 1855, Saint Theophanes was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and taught at the Moscow Theological Academy, eventually serving as its dean. From 1856, he served at the embassy church in Constantinople, while in 1857 he was again appointed rector of the academy. In 1859, he was consecrated Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk, where he founded ecclesiastical institutions and schools, including a women’s diocesan school.
From July 1863, the saint remained in his episcopal seat. In 1866, he withdrew to a monastery and gradually embraced a more secluded life. The free time he had after the liturgical services and prayers, he used to devote it to writing. After the Easter of 1872, he entered a hermitage, where he composed literary and theological works, interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, as well as numerous letters.
Through his words and his radiant example, he exercised a profound influence on the society. His teachings are considered similar to those of Elder Paisius Velichkovsky.
The saint reposed on January 6, 1894, during the feast of Theophany. He was buried in the Cathedral of Kazan. He was recognised as a saint in 1988. His struggle for the faith and the deep influence he had on the society, strengthened its spiritual renewal.
