Biblical quotations in the legend of the death of Saint Pafnuty of Borovsk and their functions

The article concerns the realization of famous paradigm Imitatio Christi, comparing the lives and acts of saints with those of Christ in ancient russian hagiography in general and in the Legend describing the death of Pafnutiy of Borovsk in particular. Traditionally injected in the narration by biblical quotations and reminiscences, the paradigm equalizes the days 71 preceding the decease of Pafnutiy with premortal sufferings of Christ. Thus, Pafnuty is surrounded with negligent discipes, which are not able, as well as the apostles in the Gethsemane garden, to bear the high level of prayful effort the ascetic experiences. Pafnutiy stays silent, when monks address to him, as well as Christ, when Pilate asks Him. Innokentiy, the hagiographer of the saint utilizes quotations with out the attribution as well as the compositional quotations. Consequently the impression of stenography in the description of last days of Pafnutiy is to be illusory, and the text of the “Legend” is constructed with sophisticated lows of hagiographical poetics.