Pavel Ignatievich Gaiday

Born in 1896 in Galatz, Romania, Pavel Gaiday later lived in Moldova, where he graduated from the theological seminary. In his youth, Pavel Gaiday sought spiritual advice and guidance from the holy and righteous protopriest John of Kronstadt. The Kronstadt pastor instructed Pavel, after his own death, to come under the spiritual guidance of the Odessa protopriest Jonah Atamansky, with whom he maintained a close spiritual relationship. "Go to Protopriest Jonah in Odessa and follow in his footsteps," were the words of Father John. Pavel followed this blessing, moved to Odessa, and served as a psalmist in one of the city's churches under the guidance of Father Jonah.

The spiritual children of Father Pavel preserved the circumstances of his marriage in their memories. Desiring to dedicate himself entirely to God's service, he intended to become a monk. However, Father Jonah did not bless him for monasticism, but instead found him a bride—a pious maiden from a noble family named Kapitolina Dmitrievna, who was around 50 years old at the time (while Pavel was just over 20). He blessed their marriage, but instructed them to live as brother and sister. Father Pavel never regretted this decision and was grateful to Father Jonah. He told his spiritual children, "Love and cherish Matushka; I use her as a cover." Father Pavel and his wife took in two girls, Stesha and Vera, to raise.

Shortly after his marriage, Pavel was ordained as a deacon, then as a priest, and began his service at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Odessa. During the church schisms, he remained loyal to Patriarch Tikhon.

Father Pavel quickly won the hearts of the Orthodox faithful in Odessa. He often served, delivered beautiful sermons, and most importantly, possessed the qualities that distinguished his spiritual mentors—Saints John and Jonah: a fervent, living faith, boundless love for people, and tireless diligence. He selflessly offered himself as a sacrifice for the salvation of Christ's flock.

And people were drawn to this young priest, wise beyond his years and filled with the Holy Spirit.

 The spiritual influence of Father Pavel on the people could not go unnoticed by the local authorities. He was soon evicted from Odessa to a distant farmstead, and then to the village of Kapaklievka in the Taras Shevchenko District of the Odessa region, where he continued to serve God and his neighbors. Daily, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy, held prayer services for the sick, and exorcised the possessed. People suffering from illnesses and demonic afflictions came to Kapaklievka from all nearby towns and villages. The church was always full, and people received healings through Father Pavel's prayers.

Matushka Kapitolina Dmitrievna was his faithful companion.

However, the service of Father Pavel could not remain unnoticed by the godless authorities. On April 30, 1929, Father Pavel was arrested by the Odessa District Department of the GPU for "engaging in healing practices, performing deceptive actions to incite superstition for personal gain, and conducting counter-revolutionary activities." By the decision of the OSO at the Collegium of the GPU of the Ukrainian SSR on June 30, 1929, he was "subjected to administrative expulsion to the city of Turukhansk in the Krasnoyarsk Territory for a term of three years."

Matushka Kapitolina and many of his spiritual children, about twenty people, followed him into exile. They traveled not only as individuals but also as entire families. Stesha and Vera, Father Pavel's adopted daughters, also went into exile.

In Turukhansk, there was severe hunger, and they suffered from mosquitoes. The small house where Father Pavel lived was situated under a cliff on the banks of the Yenisei River. Members of the community earned their living by gathering and selling wild onions and burning lime. The men hired themselves out to fell trees, while the women did laundry to help support the priest and survive themselves. Sometimes they went without food for weeks, but the Lord protected them all through Father Pavel's prayers.

After his release in 1933, Father Pavel moved to Leningrad, where he served in the Church of St. George.

However, he was soon arrested again "for belonging to the 'Union of Michael the Archangel' and imprisoned in the 'Kresty' prison. They placed a violent, possessed man in his solitary cell, thinking it would be torture for the priest. But as soon as the possessed man entered the cell, he calmed down. Father Pavel prayed for him and healed him. During interrogations, Father Pavel denied any affiliation with political parties.

In the same year, 1933, he was sentenced by the Leningrad NKVD under Article 58-10 and again exiled for three years to the Turukhansk region. However, Father Pavel fell seriously ill, and in 1934, he was transferred to the city of Akmolinsk.

Matushka Kapitolina, the adopted daughters, and the spiritual children followed him once again to Akmolinsk. Here, they built a small adobe house where they gathered for prayer.

On October 17, 1935, Father Pavel was arrested again. For a while, he was held in the Akmolinsk prison, where he fell ill and stayed in the prison infirmary. During the Nativity Fast, Father Pavel tried not to break it. Because of this, he was mocked and forcibly fed non-fasting food.

Father Pavel was charged under Article 58-10, 11.

On January 22, 1936, the Akmolinsk People's Court sentenced Father Pavel under Article 107 of the Criminal Code to ten years in labor camps.

Father Pavel was sent to serve his sentence in the NKVD's Karlag. In August 1937, he was arrested again. He was accused of "systematically conducting counter-revolutionary agitation among the prisoners, speaking out against the leaders of the party and the government, and artificially raising his temperature to avoid work." Father Pavel did not admit guilt to the charges against him.

On August 31, 1937, the NKVD troika of the Karaganda region sentenced Father Pavel Gaidai to be executed by firing squad.

The sentence was carried out on September 5, 1937.

He was canonized in August 2000 by the Jubilee Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.