Saint Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs
of Zographou, Mount Athos.
Also known as 26 Martyrs of Zographou, Zographou Martyrs, Martyrs of Zographou Monastery, Holy Martyrs of Zograph, Abbot Thomas of Zographou and Companions, Ζωγραφίτες Ὁσιομάρτυρες
Abbot Thomas and 25 companions of Zographou Monastery on Mount Athos, burned alive in their monastery tower in the late 13th century for refusing to accept the Union of Lyons.
- Fell asleep
- October 10, 1284 (sources vary: 1276, 1282, 1283)
- Feast day
- September 21 (New) · October 4 (Old)
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Troparion of St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos
Tone 4
Your holy martyrs, O Lord, through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For, having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
The life of St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos Faithful Unto
the Flames on Mount Athos
Abbot Thomas and his brethren of Zographou chose to remain in their tower rather than accept a union they believed betrayed Orthodoxy. Their witness is remembered on Mount Athos, in Russian Orthodox communities abroad, and in the liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Church in America.
Early years
The sources consulted do not give details of the birth, families, or early formation of the individual martyrs, beyond their identification as monks of the Zographou community on Mount Athos. Zographou was a Bulgarian-speaking monastery, and several of the martyrs are recorded with Greek and Slavic names.
In the Church
The martyrs were members of the monastic brotherhood of Zographou under Abbot Thomas, who is commemorated as their leader. The monks of Mount Athos, as a body, sent a letter to Emperor Michael VIII stating the Orthodox objections to papal primacy, the commemoration of the Pope, the use of unleavened bread, and the filioque.
Later years
When imperial authorities came to Athos to enforce the union, most of the Zographou community departed, while the steadfast remained in the monastery tower. The attackers set the tower on fire and the martyrs died in the flames. Accounts describe them singing Psalms and the Akathist to the Mother of God as the fire spread.
Legacy and veneration
The Church commemorates the Zographou martyrs in the OCA calendar and in several other Orthodox sources. The Akathist composed in 1919 and the troparion are used in their commemoration. The fresco by Mitrophan Zograph and the Zographou Icon of the Akathist Mother of God keep their memory alive at the monastery.
Relics are venerated at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York.
Veneration of St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos How the saint's
memory is kept.
- Patronage
- Patron of Zographou Monastery, Mount Athos, Those who suffer for the Orthodox Faith, Resistance to the Union of Lyons, Monastic martyrs.
- Relics of the Zographou Martyrs
- A portion of the relics of the Zographou martyrs is kept at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, where they are venerated during the Midnight Office and Compline services. The sources consulted do not confirm the location of any other portions.
- Iconography
- The most characteristic depiction of the Zographou martyrs is the scene of the burning tower, with the monks enclosed within it. The best-known example is the 1818 fresco by Mitrophan Zograph in the narthex of Zographou Monastery on Mount Athos. The sources consulted do not describe a fixed set of vestments or attributes for the martyrs in icons. The Zographou Icon of the Akathist Mother of God, reportedly found unharmed after the fire, is associated with the monastery's memory of the martyrdom.
Frequently asked Questions about
St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos.
- When is the feast day of the 26 Martyrs of Zographou?
- The OCA calendar lists the martyrs on September 21 and also on October 10. Some devotional sources give September 22 as well.
- Who were the 26 Martyrs of Zographou?
- Abbot Thomas, twenty-one monks, and four laymen of the Bulgarian monastery of Zographou on Mount Athos, who were burned alive in their monastery tower.
- Why were the Zographou martyrs killed?
- They refused to recognize the Union of Lyons, which required papal primacy, the filioque, and unleavened bread, and which Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos enforced on Athos.
- When did the Zographou martyrdom take place?
- The OCA gives October 10, 1284, noting that some sources say 1276. OrthodoxWiki gives 1282, and the Prologue of Ohrid gives 1283.
- Where are the relics of the Zographou martyrs?
- A portion of the relics is kept at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, where they are venerated during the Midnight Office and Compline.
- Is Abbot Thomas of Zographou a canonized saint?
- The martyrs are commemorated in the Orthodox calendar and have a troparion and kontakion in the OCA service texts. The sources consulted do not describe a separate canonization process for them.
- What is St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos the patron saint of?
- St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos is the patron saint of Zographou Monastery, Mount Athos, Those who suffer for the Orthodox Faith, Resistance to the Union of Lyons, and Monastic martyrs.
Kontakion of St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos
Tone 2
As venerable and proven ascetics, as honorable and renowned martyrs,
and as models of the desert life, O most exalted Fathers,
we sing hymns of praise to you,
for you have trampled upon serpents.
Prayer to St. Twenty-Six Monastic Martyrs of Zographou, Mount Athos
No traditional prayer addressed specifically to these martyrs was located in the sources consulted. Their principal hymns of commemoration are the troparion and kontakion above, together with the Akathist.
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References and further reading
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2026/09/21/102693-26-monastic-martyrs-of-zographou-mount-athos
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2455/10/10/108024-26-monastic-martyrs-of-zographou-monastery-on-mount-athos
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/troparia/1990/09/21/102693-26-monastic-martyrs-of-zographou-mount-athos
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/all-lives/0577/09/21
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Zographou_martyrs
- orthodoxethos.comhttps://www.orthodoxethos.com/post/commemorating-the-26-monks-of-zographou-martyred-by-the-latins
- athos.guidehttps://athos.guide/en/axios/foma-i-s-nim-21-inoka-i-4-miryan
- andreipsarev.substack.comhttps://andreipsarev.substack.com/p/faith-sacrifice-and-hope-from-mount
- stjohndc.orghttps://stjohndc.org/en/orthodoxy-foundation/saints/martyrdrom-26-martyrs-zographou-monastery-mtathos
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/107332.html
- svparaskeva.comhttps://svparaskeva.com/%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8-26-%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D0%BC%D1%8A%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B8/?lang=en
- iconandlight.wordpress.comhttps://iconandlight.wordpress.com/tag/26-martyrs-of-zographou-monastery/
- en.orthodoxwiki.orghttps://en.orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile&title=Zographou_martyrs
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmas_the_Zographite
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_20_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics)
- iconandlight.wordpress.comhttps://iconandlight.wordpress.com/tag/holy-26-martyrs-of-zographou-monastery/
- iconandlight.wordpress.comhttps://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2021/10/08/holy-martyrs-of-zographou-knights-of-truth-sacrificed-themselves-for-the-orthodox-faith-st-george-the-knight-cherishes-his-knights-as-the-mother-of-god-cherishes-all-heavenly-citizens/
- iconandlight.wordpress.comhttps://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/and-who-told-you-that-your-pope-is-head-of-the-church-for-us-head-of-the-church-is-only-christ-the-26-holy-zographou-martyrs/
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