BLESSED THADDEUS OF PETROZAVODSK IN KARELIA’S HISTORIC AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

The article examines some early episodes in the history of the capital of Karelia, the city of Petrozavodsk, founded in 1703, the same year as St. Petersburg, associated with the life and work of the Orthodox ascetic, known to his contemporaries as Blessed Thaddeus (Faddei). After his passing, lores about his spiritual exploits passed on by word of mouth, until Tikhon Vasilyevich Balandin, the first Petrozavodsk writer, educator and local historian, showed interest in them and wrote them down, preserving his memory. Interest in the personality of Thaddeus has resurfaced in recent years, and he has been canonized as a locally revered saint. Thaddeus of Petrozavodsk has now become more widely known as an associate of Peter I in some way. His veneration in our time is combined with the revival of church life in Karelia and a general increase in interest in the history of the region.