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Fyodor Kuzmich (; – 1 February 1864), also known as the Righteous Theodore of Tomsk, , Starets () was a Russian Orthodox starets. He was canonized as a righteous saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1984. There are many variations of a legend that claims that he was Alexander I of Russia who faked his death in 1825 to become a hermit. The question is still pending between historians.See М.М. Громыко in See V.A. Fedorov in
According to his life's history, Feodor Kuzmich lived a life of rigor, sleeping on a bare board and wearing only simple clothes. Due to Feodor Kuzmich's strange appearance and mannerism, residents assumed that his previous life was quite different from his present. Before and after his death many miracles were attributed to Feodor Kuzmich. When asked about his previous life, Feodor Kuzmich responded:
"Why do you usually think that my situation is worse now than it was once before? At the present time I am free, independent, and, most importantly, – easy-going. Before, my peace and happiness depended on many conditions: it was necessary to take care of my loved ones enjoying the same happiness as I did, so that my friends would not deceive me ... Now there is nothing of this except what will always remain with me – except the words of my God, except for the love of the Savior and neighbor. Now I have no grief and disappointment, because I do not depend on anything earthly, nor on anything that is not in my power. You do not understand what happiness is in this freedom of the spirit, in this unearthly joy. If you would restore me to the former position and make me again the guardian of earthly wealth, perishable and now altogether unnecessary to me, then I would be an unhappy man. The more our body is pampered and groomed, the more our spirit becomes weaker. Every luxury relaxes our body and weakens our soul."
Upon his death, Feodor Kuzmich's grave was visited by prominent people such as the Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich and Nicholas II.
In 1984, Feodor Kuzmich was canonized as a saint by Patriarch Pimen I of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It is suspected that Alexander I would have faked his death due to feelings of guilt about his father Paul I's death, and he faked his death to abdicate his throne and seek forgiveness for allowing his father to be killed. Prominent visitors include Innocent of Alaska, Father Peter Popov, and Bishop Athanasius of Irkutsk. In addition, Feodor Kuzmich is reported to have known French and spoke about life in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as speaking about prominent people as if they were his friends.
Feodor Kuzmich discussed in detail Philaret Drozdov, as well as intimate details about the war of 1812. By this time, there were many rumors that Feodor Kuzmich was in fact Alexander I. On his deathbed, the priest reportedly asked him if he was in fact the Alexander the Blessed. In response, Feodor Kuzmich said, "Your works are wonderful, Lord ... There is no secret, which is not opened"
In his work Posthumous Notes of the Hermit Fëdor Kuzmich, author Leo Tolstoy referred to the legend when he wrote:
"After the monk's death these rumours only spread and became stronger. Not only common people believed them but many from the elite, including the royal family of Tsar Alexander III. The reasons for these rumours were the following: Alexander died unexpectedly, he did not suffer from any disease before, he died far away from home in a remote place of Taganrog, and when he was put in the coffin many who saw him, said that he changed a lot, this is why the coffin was quickly sealed. It was known that Alexander said and wrote that he wanted so much to leave his post and to stay away from this world."
In 1984 his name was added to Russian Church Menologium by Patriarch Pimen I, next year on 5 July 1985, his Relic were translated and a new chapel was built.
His feast days are:
Rumors of a previous life
According to one account, he lived in a modest house with a garden; protected in a variety of ways by the Imperial Chancery, he received a visit from Tsarevich Alexander in 1837 and his grave was visited by Tsarevich Nicholas in 1893.Wacław Gąsiovowski, viscount de Busancy, Tragic Russia (Cassell, 1908), pp. 120–25. Rumors of Alexander's tomb being empty have persisted since 1866. According to legend, Alexander's tomb has been opened four times, with the latest happening in 1921 when Soviet authorities allegedly opened his tomb in search of valuable metals. In each case it was reported that the tomb was empty or exhibited signs of tampering.Troubetzkoy 2002, pp. 205–210
Support for the legend
Among some of reasons supporting the belief that Alexander I faked his death are curious similarities between Alexander and Feodor Kuzmich. Svetlana Semyonova, president of Russian Graphological Society, analyzed both Alexander's and Feodor Kuzmich's handwriting and concluded that they are the same. Furthermore, there are rumors that Alexander's wife also faked her death a year after Alexander's death and became a nun in Saint Petersburg.
Canonization
In the beginning of 20th century a chapel was built over his tomb.
Notes
Further reading
Categories: 1864 Deaths, 19th-century People From The Russian Empire, 19th-century Christian Saints, 19th-century Christian Mystics, Starets, Alexander I Of Russia, Eastern Orthodox Mystics, Christian Ascetics, Russian Saints Of The Eastern Orthodox Church, Christian Hermits, People From Tomsk, Christian Saints Of The Late Modern Era, Russian Religious Leaders, Tomsk Governorate, Christian Miracle Workers, Year Of Birth Unknown
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