Nestor the Chronicler

Nestor the Chronicler ( 1056 – 1114) was a monk of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev and a prominent author in Kievan Rus'. He is firmly credited with writing two major hagiographies: the Life of the Venerable Theodosius of the Kiev Caves and the Account about the Life and Martyrdom of the Blessed Passion Bearers Boris and Gleb.

Traditional historiography has long attributed the Primary Chronicle (also known as the Tale of Bygone Years) to Nestor, which originally earned him the title of "the Chronicler." However, many modern scholars doubt that he was its primary author. Due to this ongoing authorship controversy, some academics prefer to refer to him instead as Nestor the Hagiographer to accurately reflect the two works definitively attributed to him.

Biography According to the Kiev Caves Patericon, Nestor entered the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev as a novice around 1073, when he was 17 years old. He received monastic tonsure under Stephen, the successor to Theodosius of Kiev, and was later ordained a hierodeacon.

In 1091, Nestor was commissioned with two other monks to find the relics of Theodosius of Kiev, a mission he fulfilled successfully.

Nestor died around 1114 and was buried in the Near Caves. He was later canonized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The body of St. Nestor is among the relics preserved in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. He is commemorated with other saints of the Kiev Caves Lavra on September 28 (Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves) and on the Second Sunday of Great Lent, and his feast day is celebrated on October 27.

Feast day

27 October – main commemoration (with Nestor of Thessaloniki and Nestor of the Far Kiev Caves)

Fixed Feast Day (Synaxes)

25 May – Synaxis of Saints of Volhynia (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Greek Orthodox Church) 15 July – Synaxis of All Saints of Kiev (Russian Orthodox Church - ROC) 28 September – Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Near Caves 10 October – Synaxis of Saints of Volhynia (ROC) 27 October – Synaxis of All Saints of Kiev Theological Academy and Kiev Theological Seminary [ Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)]

Moveable Feast Day (Synaxes)

Synaxis of all Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves – movable holiday on the 2nd Sunday of the Great Lent Synaxis of the Saints of the Kievan Caves Monastery, venerated in the near caves of Venerable Anthony – movable holiday on the 1st Saturday after Leavetaking of the Elevation of the Cross (21 September)

Liturgical hymns

Liturgical hymns dedicated to Saint Nestor are preserved in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

Troparion St. Nestor — Tone 4 Вели́ких князе́й ру́сских дея́ния/ и преподо́бных оте́ц Пече́рских жития́ и чудеса́ написа́вый,/ свое́ же, Богому́дре Не́сторе, мно́гих ти ра́ди доброде́телей и́мя/ напи́сано на Небеси́ стяжа́вый,// моли́ и нам написа́тися в Кни́ги Живо́тныя. Velikikh knyazey russkikh deyaniya/ i prepodobnykh otets Pecherskikh zhitiya i chudesa napisavy,/ svoe zhe, Bogomudre Nestore, mnogikh ti radi dobrodeteley imya/ napisano na Nebesi styazhavy,// moli i nam napisatisya v Knigi Zhivotnyya.

Common Troparion St. Nestor — Tone 4 Времена́ и ле́та достопа́мятных дея́ний,/ по́двиги и труды́ Богоно́сных оте́ц,/ Не́сторе прему́дре, напису́я,/ любо́вию возгоре́лся еси́ после́довати стопа́м первонача́льных,/ с ни́миже не преста́й моли́тися Христу́ Бо́гу,// спасти́ся душа́м на́шим. Vremena i leta dostopamyatnykh deyany,/ podvigi i trudy Bogonosnykh otets,/ Nestore premudre, napisuya,/ lyuboviyu vozgorelsya esi posledovati stopam pervonachalnykh,/ s nimizhe ne prestay molitisya Khristu Bogu,// spastisya dusham nashim.

Kontakion St. Nestor — Tone 2 Я́ко сый Богоно́снаго Феодо́сия учени́к/ и и́стинный жития́ того́ подража́тель,/ пе́рвый честны́х его́ моще́й самови́дец бы́ти сподо́бился еси́,/ я́же с про́чиими святоле́пно прене́с,/ насле́дил еси́ с те́миже Ца́рство Небе́сное,// е́же получи́ти и нам, чту́щим тя, Го́сподеви моли́ся. Yako siy Bogonosnago Feodosiya uchenik/ i istinny zhitiya togo podrazhatel,/ pervy chestnykh ego moshchey samovidets byti spodobilsya esi,/ yazhe s prochiimi svyatolepno prenes,/ nasledil esi s temizhe Tsarstvo Nebesnoe,// ezhe poluchiti i nam, chtushchim tya, Gospodevi molisya.

Known works Life of the Venerable Theodosius of the Kiev Caves (1080s) Chtenie ("Reading", "Lesson", "Legend", "Account") about the Life and Martyrdom of the Blessed Passion Bearers Boris and Gleb (late 11th or early 12th century; dating heavily disputed). (based on the oldest manuscript, the 14th-century Silvestrovskij sbornik)

(disputed) Primary Chronicle, or The Tale of Bygone Years (ca. 1113)