Saint Eustathius of Mtskheta, originating from the lineage of Persian priests, moved to Mtskheta at the age of 30, where he earned a living as a shoemaker. Having believed in Christ, he received Baptism with the name Eustathius and led a pious life. The Persians, unable to persuade him to renounce his faith, arranged for his dispatch to the satrap of Tbilisi, where he and other Christians endured six months of imprisonment. Released, he was again summoned by the satrap Bejan-Buzmila, who commanded him to renounce Christ. Eustathius dignifiedly refused, for which he was beheaded on July 29, 589. Before his death, he prayed for a Christian burial in Mtskheta. His body, cast upon the field, was transported by Christians and laid beneath the altar of the Mtskheta cathedral Svetitskhoveli. The memory of the holy martyr is commemorated on July 29.
