Artemius of Verkola

Who was Artemius of Verkola?

Artemius of Verkola is a child saint venerated in the Russian Orthodox Church.

According to his hagiography, he was an unusually pious peasant child who lived in village Verkola in northern Russia. He was struck by lightning while helping his father plow the fields and was killed instantly. He was interred in a clearing and a wooden shell was placed around his body, with a fence constructed around it.

Thirty-three years after his death a local deacon saw a light emanating from the boy's resting place and supposedly discovered the boy's body showed no sign of decay. Miracles of healing happened to people who venerated the boy's relics and he was proclaimed a saint.

In 1648, by order of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich of Russia was founded the St. Artemius of Verkola monastery, and relics of the saint was moved into it.