Sophron of Shatberdi

Venerable Sophronius of Shatberdi (ninth-⁠tenth centuries) struggled in the Shatberdi Monastery, in the Dzama gorge (today in Shida Kartli), and is called "the renewer of the church of Shatberdi." He is venerated as a saint in the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers and Mothers of Klarjeti of the Orthodox Church of Georgia; he is commemorated on 5 October (old calendar).

News of him is found in the Life of Venerable Gregory of Khandzta, written in 951 by George Merchule. He is mentioned among the four men of the Church of Georgia who could have written Gregory's life but had fallen asleep: "the wise, the perfect fathers of our days: the great Sophronius, the desired father, renewer of the church of Shatberdi, its crown until the end of the ages," Hilarion of Parekhi, George of Ancha and Stephen of Tbeti. It seems he was abbot of Shatberdi, for "father" in the old Georgian sources often means "abbot." A Sophronius appears in the colophon of the Adishi Gospels (897) as the one who commissioned the manuscript; according to Academician A. G. Shanidze, he is the same as the Sophronius of the Life, so that the Gospels were probably copied in the Shatberdi Monastery.