Saint Shushanik
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Saint Shushanik (Šušanik, Georgian: შუშანიკი, Armenian: Շուշանիկ) (c. 440-475) was a Christian woman who was martyred by her husband Varsken in the town of Tsurtavi, Georgia. Her martyrdom is described in her confessor Jacob’s hagiographic work.
She was a daughter of Armenian general (sparapet) Vardan Mamikonian and married to the prominent Georgian feudal lord (pitiakhsh) Varsken, son of Arshusha. Varsken was in opposition to Vakhtang I Gorgasali, King of Kartli, and took a pro-Persian position, renouncing Christianity and adopting Zoroastrianism. He martyred his spouse when Shushanik refused to submit his order to abandon her Christian faith. Varsken himself was put to death by King Vakhtang in 482.
Shushanik has been canonized by the Georgian and Armenian churches.
