Paisius Velichkovsky

The Life written in his community says that Paisius was born in 1722 at Poltava, the son of a priest, and was baptized Peter (Life and Writings of Paisius Velichkovsky (1847), Life 1). It dates his arrival on Mount Athos to 1746 (Life and Writings of Paisius Velichkovsky (1847), Life 26), and tells how he later took charge of the monastery of Neamț in Moldavia, which he governed together with Secu, and was made archimandrite (Life and Writings of Paisius Velichkovsky (1847), Life 66–68). It records his death at Neamț in November 1794, at the age of seventy-two (Life and Writings of Paisius Velichkovsky (1847), Life 75–76).

In a letter to Archimandrite Theodosius he describes his own work: comparing the old Slavonic versions of the ascetic fathers with Greek manuscripts, correcting them, and translating other books afresh (Life and Writings of Paisius Velichkovsky (1847), letter to Archimandrite Theodosius, para. beginning ‘Начах дело мое’). The Russian editors of his writings in 1847 say that the Slavonic Dobrotolubiye printed at Moscow was his translation (Life and Writings of Paisius Velichkovsky (1847), editors’ preface (1847)). See the Philokalia Is Published.