Abraham of Galich

Abraham Galitzki or Abramius of Galich (Russian: Авраамий Галичский) or Chukhlomsky and Gorodetsky (died c. 20 July 1375) was an abbot of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, and later went on to found four monasteries on Chukhloma Lake, in the Galich district of Kostroma Oblast.[1]

Saint

Abraham of Galich
Abbot
Died20 July 1375
Kostroma Region, Lake Chuhloma, near Protection of the Holy Virgin monastery
Venerated inRussian Orthodox Church
Canonized1553 and 1621, Kostroma
FeastJuly 20

Life and devotion

The birthplace and civil name of Abraham Galitzki are unknown. According to the excerpt from his hagiography, Galitzki originally worked in the Nizhny Novgorod Caves monastery, from where he moved to the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra. After some time, with the blessing of Sergius of Radonezh, Galitzki went to the Galich princedom, where he founded the first monastery in the Galich region, named Abrahamiev Novozaozersky (Russian: Авраамиев Новозаозерский) in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos on the north-east shore of Galich Lake. In the legend of Galitzki it is said that he settled in the domain of Prince Dimitry of Galich,[1] who possessed Galich in the years 1360-1363. Later Galitzki founded another three monasteries: one of them is Gorodets monastery in honor of the Protection of the Holy Virgin located on the northern shore of Lake Chukhloma.[2][3][4]

Death

Galitzki died in the chapel near this monastery, where he retreated shortly before his death, about 1375. According to his legend, Galitzki died on July 20, 1375, but D.F. Prilutsky and Ye. E. Golubinsky believed that his death happened a little later, since prince Yuri Dimitrievich was named to be his contemporary, who received the Galich lands in 1389.[2]

A stone Cathedral of Intercession of the Theotokos was built over the relics of Galitzki in 1608-1631, later after this monastery was ruined, in 1857–1867 over the relics of the Monk the cathedral was built in honor of the icon of the Mother of God Tenderness. In 1981, on the initiative of the Archbishop of Kostroma and Galich Cassian (Yaroslav) was founded Cathedral of the Kostroma saints, in which the name of Galitzki entered.

Canonization and veneration

Galitzki was twice canonized to local veneration - in 1553 and in 1621 (perhaps a diocesan celebration). The hagiography of Galitzki was compiled in 1548-1553 by abbot of Gorodets monastery Protasy who took the old monastic records about the saint as a basis.[5]

He is venerated as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church, with a feast day of July 20.

References
  1. "Repose of Venerable Abramius of Galich or Chukhloma Lake, disciple of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh", Orthodox Church in America
  2. АВРААМИЙ ГАЛИЧСКИЙ, in Orthodox encyclopedia Retrieved on 6 Mar 2018
  3. Icon of the Mother of God “Chukhloma” from Galich Retrieved on 6 Mar 2018
  4. Авраамий Галичский Archived 2013-09-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 6 Mar 2018
  5. ПРЕПОДОБНЫЙ АВРААМИЙ ГОРОДЕЦКИЙ, ГАЛИЧСКИЙ И ЧУХЛОМСКИЙ (St. Abraham Gorodetsky, Galitzki and Chuhlomsky) Retrieved on 6 Mar 2018

External sources
  • Holweck, F. G. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co. 1924.
  • Repose of the Venerable Abramius of Galich or Chukhom Lake, and Disciple of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, Orthodox Church in America.
  • Д.Ф. Прилуцкий (Prilutsky). Историческое описание Городецкого Авраамиева монастыря в Костромской губернии // Преподобный Авраамий Городецкий, Чухломской и Галичский чудотворец и созданный им Свято-Покровский Авраамиево-Городецкий монастырь.(Historical description of Gorodets Abrahamiev monastery in Kostroma region// St. Abraham Gorodetsky, Chuhlomsky and Galitzki wonder-worker and Gorodets monastery founded by him) Moscow, 1996, p. 145-156
  • Е.Е. Голубинский (Yevgeny Golubinsky). История канонизации святых в Русской Церкви. (The history of canonization of Saints in Russian church) Moscow, 1903; reprint: Moscow, 1998, p. 11
  • Н. А. Зонтиков, Э. Н. И. Авраамий Галичский. Православная энциклопедия (Abraham Galitzki. Orthodox encyclopedia), vol. 1, p. 173-175
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