Martyr Abraham of Bulgaria

In the city of Bolgara, on the lower stretches of the Volga, Saint Abraham began to preach to his fellow countrymen about the true God. They seized him and tried to force him to renounce Christ, but the saint remained firm in his confession. They tortured the martyr fiercely and for a long while, but he endured everything with unshakable patience.

On April 1, 1229 they quartered the holy Martyr Abraham, and then cut off his venerable head. Russian Christians living in the city buried the saint’s body in the Christian cemetery. On March 6, 1230, the relics of Saint Abraham were transferred by the Great Prince Saint George Vsevolodovich of Vladimir (February 4) to the Dormition cathedral of the Knyaginin (Princess) monastery. His memory began to be celebrated from that time.