John of Gothia

Who is John of Gothia?

John of Gothia was a Crimean Gothic Greek Orthodox Metropolitan bishop of Doros, and rebel leader who overthrew and expelled the Turco-Jewish Khazars from Gothia in 787. He was posthumously canonized an Eastern Orthodox Saint.

John of Gothia was born to a Crimean Gothic family, the son of Leon and Fotina, in Partenit, Crimea, where he grew up to become a bishop. John went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and stayed there for three years. From there he became a bishop in Georgia in 758, until he returned to Gothia and became Metropolitan bishop of Doros.

In 787 John led a revolt against Khazar domination of Gothia. The Khazar garrison and Tudun were expelled from Doros, and the rebels seized the mountain passes leading into the country. The Khazars however managed to retake the city in less than a year, and John was imprisoned in Fullakh. He later managed to escape, and sought refuge in Amasra in the Byzantine Empire, where he died in 791. His remains were brought home to a church on the Ayu-Dag mountain, Partenit, Crimea, where a memorial to him has been built. John was posthumously canonized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church. His memorial day is 26 June.