Kirill of Belozersk

(secular name, Kosma, or Koz’ma). Born 1337; died June 9, 1427. Ecclesiastical writer and statesman.

In 1380, Kirill became a monk, and in 1388–90 he was archimandrite of the Simonov Monastery in Moscow. In 1397 he founded the Belozersk Monastery and actively worked to expand its landholdings. He was the author of a number of works, including epistles to princes, a homily, and a monastic rule. He was recognized as a saint and canonized by the church in 1547.