Basil Fool for Christ

Vasily was born to a serf family in December 1468 at the portico of the Epiphany Cathedral at Yelokhovo (now in Moscow).^[1] His father was named Jacob and his mother Anna.

Originally an apprentice shoemaker, he went to Moscow when he was sixteen. There he helped those who were ashamed to ask for alms, but were in need of help. He adopted an eccentric lifestyle of shoplifting and giving to the poor to shame the miserly and help those in need. He went naked and weighed himself down with chains. He rebuked Ivan the Terrible for not paying attention in church. Vasily was said to have the gift of prophecy.^[1]

When he died on 2 August 1552, or 1557, St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, served his funeral with many clergy. He is buried in St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, which was commissioned by Ivan for commemoration of his conquest of Kazan and was named for the saint later. Vasily was formally canonised in 1588.^[1] His feast day is celebrated on 2 August (15 August, N.S.).

• Blessed John of Moscow the Fool-For-Christ
• Foolishness for Christ
• Hell icon
• John the Hairy
• Xenia of Saint Petersburg

•  "Василий Блаженный" . Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1906.
• Attwater, Donald; John, Catherine Rachel. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-14-051312-4.
• Yerusalimsky, K. Yu.; Preobrazhensky, A. S. (2004). "Василий Блаженный". Православная энциклопедия — Т. VII: Варшавская епархия — Веротерпимость. Православная энциклопедия. pp. 123–131. ISBN 5-89572-010-2.