Archimandrite
The worldly name of Father Gabriel is Goderdzi Urgebadze. He was born on August 26, 1929, in Tbilisi, in a family of a communist. His father passed away early, and he was called Vasiko.
He believed in God in childhood when he learned about Christ. The desire for monasticism arose in his youth. He took monastic vows at the age of 26, receiving the name of the Venerable Gabriel of Athos.
In the yard of his house, he built a church, completing it around 1962. He found icons for the church in dumps and restored them in his workshop.
On May 1, 1965, he burned a portrait of Lenin and began to preach Christ, for which he was arrested and imprisoned in the KGB isolation ward. Later, he was placed in a psychiatric hospital, where he was diagnosed with "psychopathic personality."
In the 1980s, he settled in the Samtavro monastery, where he lived in a round tower. His love for people and his exploits inspired admiration among the nuns.
Father Gabriel died on November 2, 1995, from dropsy. His body was wrapped in a shroud and buried.
On December 24, 2012, he was glorified among the saints as Venerable. On February 22, 2014, his incorrupt relics were found.
On December 25, 2014, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to include the name of Venerable Gabriel in the monthly calendar.
