Dobri Dobrev (Stryzhak) Icon

Dobri Dobrev was a Bulgarian ascetic. Born in 1914, his father died in World War I and he was raised by his mother. He married in 1940 and had four children. He soon found himself serving in World War II, during which an explosion left him almost completely deaf.  He grew increasingly detached from the material world and became highly devoted to the spiritual life. Few details are known about his middle and later years, as he disliked fame and refused to talk about himself.  Around the turn of the 21st century, when he was in his 80s, he began to give away his belongings for the benefit of the Church. When he no longer had a home to live in, his parish in Bailovo, Bulgaria, gave him a small room. He wore homemade clothes and walked some 25 km every day, living as a beggar. Unbeknownst to anyone, he kept none of the money he received; instead, he donated to churches, monasteries, and orphanages across Bulgaria. Whether passers-by gave him money or not, he was always eager to share his l