Gavriil of Belostok
| Gabriel of Belostok | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Martyr | |
| Born | April 2, 1684 |
| Died | April 20, 1690 (aged 6) Białystok, Poland |
| Venerated in |
Eastern Orthodoxy Russian Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | 1820 |
| Feast | April 20, May 3 |
| Patronage | Children |
Gabriel of Białystok (Polish: Gabriel Białostocki, Russian: Гавриил Белостокский - Gavriil Belostoksky or Gabriel of Zabłudów, Polish: Gabriel Zabłudowski, alternatively Gavrila or Gavriil; April 2 O.S. 1684 - April 20, 1690) is a child saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. The legend of his death describes a ritual murder which has been described as a blood libel. His feast day is held on April 20 / May 3.
The revival of his cult in Belarus and Russia in the 1990s raised concerns among some human rights organizations.
According to the legend, the six-year-old boy was kidnapped from his home in the village of Zverki, 13 km from Zabłudów, Grodno Uezd (then Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, today's Poland) during the Jewish Passover, while his parents, pious Orthodox Christians Peter and Anastasia Govdel, were away. Shutko, a Jewish arendator of Zverki, was accused of bringing the boy to Białystok, poking him with sharp objects and draining his blood for nine days, then bringing the dead body back to Zverki and dumping it in a local field.
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