Father Kliment Zedergolm, Hieromonk of Optina Pustyn

In spring 1878, in April, at Optina Hermitage, Hieromonk Kliment died of pneumonia — in the world, Konstantin Karlovich Zedergolm. He was not yet fifty.

Father Kliment was not known as a brilliant preacher or a saintly ascetic marked by striking, bodily feats; nor did he belong to the ranks of renowned spiritual fathers or elders whom monks seek for guidance and counsel, with many laypeople of various ranks and ages going as well. <…>

And yet, despite all these reservations, Father Kliment was an extraordinary man — and even more extraordinary as a monk.

His works, his life path, and his significance were entirely unique, and to consign them to oblivion would mean committing the greatest injustice.

Below is a brief account of his life…