Ambrose of Optina, in the world Alexander Mikhailovich Grenkov, was born on November 23 (December 5) 1812 and died on October 10 (22) 1891. He was a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church and a hieroschemamonk. In 1988, he was canonized as a saint at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. During his lifetime, Ambrose was known as an elder and became the prototype of Elder Zosima in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel "The Brothers Karamazov."

It is believed that Alexander Grenkov was born on November 23 (December 5) 1812, although some sources indicate November 21, 1812, or even 1814. He was born in the house of his grandfather, a priest, in the village of Bolshaya Lipovitsa in the Tambov province, in the family of sexton Mikhail Fyodorovich and Marfa Nikolaevna Grenkov, and was the sixth of eight children. After the early death of his father, Alexander lived with his mother in the large family of his grandfather.

At the age of twelve, he entered the Tambov Theological School. In 1830, as one of the best graduates, he continued his studies at the Tambov Theological Seminary. During his studies, he fell seriously ill and made a vow to become a monk. However, after graduating from the seminary in 1836, he became a private tutor, and from March 7, 1838, he taught Greek at the Lipetsk Theological School.

After another illness, he visited the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and Elder Hilarion, and in the autumn of 1839, he secretly left for Optina Monastery. On October 8, 1839, Alexander arrived at the monastery and became a novice four months later. He served as a cell attendant and reader for Elder Lev and worked in the bakery. In November 1840, he was transferred to the skete, where he worked in the kitchen.

From 1841, he began to serve under Elder Macarius. In the summer of 1841, he was tonsured into the rassaphore, and on November 29, 1842, into the mantle, taking the name after Saint Ambrose of Milan. In 1843, he was ordained as a hierodeacon, and in 1845, as a hieromonk, after which he fell ill and could hardly serve.

On August 23, 1846, at the request of the abbot and spiritual father, Ambrose became an assistant to Father Macarius in spiritual guidance. By the spring of 1848, his health deteriorated, and he was tonsured into the great schema. After that, his condition improved somewhat.

After the death of Elder Macarius in 1860, Ambrose became an elder. People from all over Russia came to him for advice. He made no distinctions between people, accepting everyone from senators to peasant women. Among his visitors were such notable figures as Solovyov, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy.

Ambrose often fell ill, suffering from various ailments. In 1862, he suffered a dislocated arm, which further weakened his health. In 1868, his condition worsened, but after prayers before the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God, he felt better.

In 1870, he was awarded a gold pectoral cross. In 1884, with his blessing, the Shamorodinskaya Women's Monastery was founded. He blessed schemamonk Sophia to create a women's community, which later became a monastery. After Sophia's death, the abbess became nun Euphrasia.

Ambrose passed away at the Shamorodinskaya Monastery on October 10, 1891. His tombstone bears the words of the Apostle Paul: "I became weak to the weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22).