St. Anna of Kashin

Saint Anna of Kashin, Duchess of Kver and Princess of Russia was born to Dmitry Borisovich of Rostov. She was educated under Saint Ignatii, the Bishop of Rostov. This education in the faith would prepare her for the earthly losses that would befall her later in life. In 1294, she married the Grand Prince St. Michael of Tver and bore five children to him. Then in 1295, a fire destroyed the city of Tver. Not long afterward, her infant daughter Theodora died. Then in 1296, their palace was burned to the ground and the family barely escaped with their lives.

Her husband contended with Yuri Danilovich of Moscow over the Principality of Vladimir. Michael of Tver refused to fight for fear of bloodshed and he relinquished the title of Grand Prince to Yuri. But Yuri continued to threaten Tver and Saint Michael went to war with him. It was during this conflict that the Princess Agatha, the wife of Yuri, was captured by Michael. She died accidentally in captivity and Yuri accused Michael of having poisoned her. Though the charge was false, the slander gained Yuri victory over his enemy. The Saint would either have to face an attack against Tver brought on by the overwhelming forces of the Horde or be brought before the Khan and be judged by him. Choosing to protect his people, Michael appeared before the Khan. The Khan ruled against him and Michael would be executed on November 22, 1318.

Anna, having already lost an infant daughter to illness, now saw her husband slandered and murdered for a crime he had not committed. She also witnessed two of her sons, Dmitry and Alexander, killed by the Horde. After her husband's death, she entered into a convent and took the name Evrosinya. She would die of old age on October 2, 1368.

Her grave passed into complete oblivion, having lied in the Dormition Cathedral for over 200 years. In 1611, she appeared in a dream to the sacristan George and promised him healing. But she said to him, "You do not regard my tomb as anything and consider it to be ordinary and me you despise. People place their hats on my tomb, they sit on it, and no one forbids them. I am uncared for and insulted by you. Surely among you there is an intelligent man, and, until now, none of you understands this. And how far will you trample me underfoot? Perhaps you do not understand that I pray to the all-merciful God and the Theotokos that your city not be handed over into the hands of your enemies and that I preserve you from misfortunes?!" She ordered the clergy to keep her tomb honorably and to light a candle before the icon Made Not By Hands. This dream led to the discovery of St. Anna's incorrupt remains. Her Feast Day is kept October 2.

Additional Sources:

Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens, Protopresbyter James Thornton