The New Fact about the Biography of Novgorod Metropolitan Varlaam (1592–1601): by the Commemorative Sources from Iosifo- Volokolamskiy Monastery

Novgorod Metropolitan Varlaam left little information about himself. The milestones of the bishop’s biography were restored by A. S. Usachev. The scholar showed that the future metropolitan came from the white clergy, took monastic vows in the Iosifo- Volokolamskiy monastery, where he was hegumen for a short time. Subsequently, he headed the Chudov Monastery and from the Chudov archimandrites was elevated to the Novgorod chair. But the question of where Varlaam was after leaving Joseph monastery and before being appointed archimandrite in Chudov monastery remained debatable. To find an answer, commemorative sources of the Iosifo- Volokolamskiy Monastery were used, such as synodikons, Feed book and Donation book. The study allowed us to conclude that in the late 80s — early 90s of the 16th century Varlaam was the hegumen of the Pafnutievo- Borovskiy Monastery.