Fearing the wrath of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the relatives of the disgraced Prince Ivan Ivanovich Belsky secretly took his seven-year-old son Gavriil to the city of Staritsa. In his mature years, seeing the tsar's disdain for his family, he withdrew to Vologda and settled with a shoemaker, learning the craft of shoemaking. After the death of his wife, Prince Gavriil raised his little daughter.
The vicissitudes of earthly life strengthened in the prince the intention to dedicate himself to God. He settled in a place by the river Sodima, built a cell near the church in honor of the Holy Trinity, and, having received monastic tonsure with the name Galaktion, began to strive for asceticism and prayer. Gavriil divided his earnings into three parts: one was dedicated to God, the second was given to the poor, and the third he used to feed himself.
Growing in spiritual life, the Venerable Galaktion secluded himself in his cell, chaining himself to the wall. God-fearing Christians provided him with food through a window. He rested little, standing on his knees and holding onto the chain, and ate only dry bread and water.
People began to come to the hermit for spiritual advice, and he equally accepted both the rich and the poor. In prayer, the Venerable Galaktion attained a special spiritual grace. One day, when there was a drought in the Vologda land, Bishop Antoniy sent to ask the hermit to pray for deliverance from the calamity. The Venerable Galaktion obediently left his cell and prayed in the church, and the Lord sent abundant rain.
He came out of the cell, and, chained, went to the village house and announced the impending calamities. The Venerable Galaktion prophesied that sins had called enemies upon them and insisted on the construction of a church in honor of the Sign of the Mother of God. His prophecies were fulfilled when in September 1612 the Poles and Lithuanians invaded Vologda, desecrating and robbing the churches, and then set fire to the city.
The Venerable Galaktion was killed by the invaders on September 24, 1612. Pious Christians buried his body in the cell. Miraculous healings began to occur at the place of burial. Under Bishop Varlaam, a church was built in honor of the Sign of the Mother of God and a monastery was founded.
