The first hermit of Pechersk is considered to be Blessed Mark, and the first founder of the monastery was Blessed Jonah. Priest John Shestnik, sent from Moscow to Yuriev in Livonia, faced persecution against Orthodox Christians and defended his flock from Catholics. In 1470, after two and a half years of service, he was forced to leave Derpt and take refuge in Pskov. Father John, who decided to lead the life of a hermit, began to dig a church in the mountain, where he soon accepted monasticism and was named Jonah. In 1473, he completed the construction of the temple and turned to Archbishop Theophilus with a request to consecrate it. The church was consecrated on August 15, 1473, and during this event, a miracle occurred with the healing of a blind woman. After this, monks began to flock to the monastery, and it began to prosper. Blessed Jonah passed away around 1480, and his relics were placed in a cave. In 1642, the relics were transferred to a new coffin. For his labors and zeal for God, he was canonized among the ranks of the saints of God.
