Saint James of Zhelezny Borok was born in the 14th century into a devout family in Galich. From an early age, he longed to dedicate his life to God, diligently studying the teachings of the saints and striving to keep the commandments of the Lord. After the death of his parents, he distributed his inheritance to the poor and embraced the monastic life.
Seeking spiritual guidance, he became a disciple of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, under whose direction he completed his period of spiritual formation. He later withdrew into solitude, where he founded a monastery and devoted himself to the ascetic life. His holiness attracted many disciples, so that over time a monastic brotherhood was formed around him, with Saint James serving as its abbot. With the blessing of Metropolitan Cyprian, he also established the Church of the Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner.
Saint James was renowned for the gift of working miracles. Through his prayers, the sick were healed. He was also granted the grace of foreseeing future events. In 1415, at the request of Grand Prince Vasily Dmitrievich, he prayed for the health of the prince's wife and foretold the birth of an heir.
During the plague of 1420, Saint James opened the monastery to those who were suffering, offering them shelter, compassion and spiritual support. In 1429, when the Tatars attacked the region, the brethren sought refuge in the forest. After the danger had passed, they returned and restored the monastery.
Saint James reposed in the Lord on April 11, 1442, appointing his disciple Dositheus as his successor. He was buried in the monastery he had founded, where miracles soon began to occur at his tomb. On May 5, 1613, his incorrupt relics were uncovered, an event regarded as a visible sign of God's grace.
After the monastery was closed by the Soviet authorities in 1927, Saint James' relics were confiscated. According to tradition, they were later reburied somewhere within the grounds of the monastery. However, the exact place remains unknown.
