The town of Valaam, situated near the border between Great Novgorod and Sweden, was repeatedly subjected to fierce attacks. On February 20, 1578, eighteen elders and sixteen novices suffered martyrdom for their faith in Christ. Their names were entered into the Synodikon. The Swedish assaults continued with such brutality that no part of the settlement remained untouched by the blood of the martyrs.
In the nineteenth century, one of the monastery’s monks, Abbot Nazarius, received a vision of a group of black-robed ascetics walking upon a cloud of white light while chanting a funeral hymn. Their bodies bore the marks of wounds, and as they vanished from sight, they left behind a gentle echo.
With the blessing of Abbot Damascene, a Divine Liturgy for the repose of their souls was always celebrated on February 20 (March 4 according to the New Calendar), the anniversary of their martyrdom.
The holy martyrs were officially recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church at the Holy Synod of 2000.
