Barlaam of Khutyn was a 12th-century Russian Orthodox hegumen and saint born into a wealthy family in Veliky Novgorod. After losing his parents, he distributed his entire inheritance to the poor and chose a life of solitude. He initially lived as a hermit near the Volkhov river, where he constructed a small wooden chapel. His growing reputation for holiness attracted numerous followers, eventually leading him to establish the Khutyn Monastery, which was dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ.