Venerable Stephen, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, established the Makhrish monastery. The landowner Gregory, having donated his estate to him, became a monk there. Stephen ordained Gregory as a priest, but he was sent to a distant land for asceticism. The Yurkov brothers, fearing the loss of their lands, began to persecute Stephen, and he, leaving the monastery, went with Gregory to an unknown land. They arrived at the river Suhona, where they built a church in honor of the Holy Trinity and another in honor of the great martyr George. The monastery began to flourish thanks to the generous donations of the local landowner Konstantin Dmitrievich, who also became a monk under the name Cassian.
The Avnezh monastery, established by Stephen, became well-known, and the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich sent him books and donations, but commanded him to come to Moscow. Stephen appointed Gregory as the abbot and Cassian as the cellarer. Six years later, in 1392, the monastery was attacked by the Vyatichians and Tatar troops, killing Gregory and Cassian. They were buried at the church's ashes, and the place became desolate.
In 1524, when the Tatar yoke was overthrown, a peasant named Gabriel cleared the forest at the site of the former monastery. He noticed that one place had not burned, and upon digging it up, he found two graves. The elder Gregory appeared to him, instructing him to build a church at that place. However, the local inhabitants paid no heed to his words. Gabriel, having destroyed the chapel, fell into madness but later repented.
In 1560, Metropolitan Makary gathered information about the holy martyrs and built churches. When the tomb was opened, the holy relics were found incorrupt, and many miracles occurred. The Avnezh monastery was attached to the Trinity Lavra, and in 1764 it was abolished, but the chapel remained dedicated to the memory of the venerable ones.
