Gornostaev's life changed when he received an invitation from Damaskin (1795–1881, born Demyan Kononov), Hegumen of Valaam Monastery to rebuilt the monastery and its numerous hermitages.
Venerable Adrian of Poshekhonye (died 1550) was a Russian Orthodox monk and iconographer, who was the founder and first igumen (abbot) of the Dormition monastery in Poshekhonye, north Yaroslavl region.
His epithets Mt'ats'mindeli and At'oneli, meaning "of the Holy Mountain" (Hagiorite) and "of Athos" (Athonite) respectively, are a reference to his association with the Iviron monastery on Mount Athos, where he served as hegumen.
Nikon, the future patriarch of Moscow and reformer of Russian Orthodox Church, arrived to the monastery in 1641 and was the hegumen from 1643 to 1646.
He was the founder and first hegumen of Rozdestvo-Nativity of the Mother of God monetary in Zvenigorod, which was later given the name of saint (Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery).