Isidor Yurievsky Priest of the Nikolskaya Church in Yuryev Date of Birth: 01.01.1472 Country: Dive

1. St. Isidor of Yuriev
2. Early Life and Arrest
3. Imprisonment and Martyrdom
4. Discovery and Burial
5. Canonization
6. Remembrance

St. Isidor of Yuriev

St. Isidor, the priest of St. Nicholas' Church in Yuriev, is revered as a martyr for his unwavering faith and refusal to renounce Orthodoxy.

Early Life and Arrest

Little is known about St. Isidor's early life. According to legend, he served as a priest in the Russian Church of Yuriev. In 1472, during the feast of the Epiphany, he was arrested by the local Catholic bishop for consecrating water in the Omovzha River.

Imprisonment and Martyrdom

St. Isidor was imprisoned along with 72 of his parishioners. They were forced to convert to Catholicism, but they refused. In prison, Isidor administered Holy Communion to his fellow prisoners. Subsequently, they were all executed by drowning in the Omovzhe River.

Discovery and Burial

During the spring thaw, the bodies of the martyrs were found three miles from the city. They were buried in St. Nicholas' Church in Yuriev.

Canonization

St. Isidor was recognized as a martyr and canonized. His memory is celebrated on January 8th (Julian calendar) and in the assembly of Pskov saints.

Remembrance

In the late 19th century, Archbishop Arseniy of Riga initiated the commemoration of the Yuriev martyrs. A church was built in Valka in 1896. A special service was composed in their honor.

In 1897, St. Isidor was recognized for veneration throughout the Orthodox Church. A church in St. Petersburg, known as the Isidorovskaya Church, was built to serve the spiritual needs of Orthodox Estonians.