[6] Mikhail (as he was then known) was born in the village of Antilokhovo, Savinsky District and took monastic vows after his wife's death in 1663.

He supported Peter the Great in his efforts to build the first Russian warships in Voronezh but was generally critical of his Westernization policies.

When 14 years later his tomb was opened, Mitrofan's body was found to be "whole" and his relics were proclaimed to have healing powers.

After he was formally canonized in 1832 and Nicholas I paid a visit to his shrine,[7] his fame increased and large numbers of pilgrims from Central Russia started flocking to his tomb in Voronezh.

There is an ornate statue of Saint Mitrofan in front of the Annunciation Cathedral where his relics have been kept since then.