Editing Herman of Alaska (section)

==Early life==
Biographers disagree about Herman's early life. His official biography, which Valaam Monastery published in 1867, said that his pre-monastic name was unknown, but that Herman was born into a merchant's family in [[Serpukhov]], a city in [[Moscow Governorate]]. He was said to later become a novice at the [[Trinity-St. Sergius Hermitage]] near [[St. Petersburg]] before going to [[Valaam]] to complete his training and receive full tonsure as a monk.<ref>''Little Russian Philokalia,'' p. 21.</ref> But, modern biographer Sergei Korsun found this account to be based on erroneous information provided by [[Semyon Yanovsky]], an administrator from 1818 through part of 1820 of the [[Russian-American Company]] (RAC) in Alaska. He confused Herman's biographical information with that of another monk, Joseph (Telepnev).<ref>Korsun, p. x.</ref>

Another former RAC Chief Manager, [[Ferdinand von Wrangel]], stated Herman was originally from a prosperous peasant family in the [[Voronezh Governorate]] and served in the military. He then entered monastic life as a novice at [[Sarov]] Monastery. This concurred with testimony of Archimandrite Theophan (Sokolov), and a letter written by Herman himself. These agree that Herman began his monastic life as a novice at Sarov, and later received the full tonsure at [[Valaam]].<ref>Korsun, p. xi.</ref> A young military clerk named '''Egor Ivanovich Popov''', from the [[Voronezh Governorate]], was tonsured with the name 'Herman' at Valaam in 1782.<ref>Korsun, p. 5.</ref>

All biographers agree that at Valaam, Herman studied under Abbot Nazarius, previously of Sarov Monastery. The abbot had been influenced by the [[hesychastic]] tradition of [[Paisius Velichkovsky]]. Herman undertook various obediences and was well-liked by the brethren, but wanted a more solitary life. He became a hermit with Abbot Nazarius' blessing.<ref>Korsun, 7–9.</ref> His hermitage, which later became known as "Herman's field" or Germanovo, was two kilometers from the monastery.<ref name=Kovalskaya>"German Alyaskinsky."</ref> Metropolitan Gabriel of St. Petersburg offered to ordain Herman to the priesthood and twice offered to send him to lead the Russian Orthodox Mission in China, but he refused, preferring the solitary life and remaining a simple monk.<ref name="Kovalskaya" /><ref>Korsun, pp. 9–10.</ref> Years after he left for North America, Herman continued to keep in touch with his spiritual home.<ref>''Little Russian Philokalia,'' p. 22.</ref> In a letter to Abbot Nazarius, he wrote, "in my mind I imagine my beloved Valaam, and constantly behold it across the great ocean."<ref>''Little Russian Philokalia,'' p. 153.</ref>