Russian Orthodox Holy Synod Creates 10 Regional Metropolias, 13 New Dioceses

This is a little dated, but as I couldn't find any specifics on the recent fall session of the Holy Synod I thought I would post some here.

At the fall session of the Russian Orthodox Holy Synod earlier this month the Holy Synod decided to create a number of new eparchies for the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia and Kazakhstan. In European Russia the Holy Synod established the Eparchies of Balashov, Buzuluk, Kasimov, Orsk, Pokrovsk-Engels, and Skopin; in Siberia the Eparchies of the Amur (with its seat at Komsomolsk-na-Amure in Khabarovsk Territory), Bratsk, Kyzyl (for the Orthodox Church in Tyva), and Sayansk; and in Kazakhstan the Eparchies of Kokshetau, Petropavlovsk, and Ust-Kamenogorsk. In addition to the thirteen new eparchies it established the Holy Synod also approved the creation of ten regional metropolitanates for the Orthodox Church in Mordovia, the Irkutsk, Orenburg, Rostov-na-Donu, Ryazan, Saratov, and Sverdlovsk Regions, and the Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Primorye Territories.

Following its decisions on the diocesan structures of the Church the Holy Synod transferred Archbishops Panteleimon of Orlov to the Eparchy of Krasnoyarsk, Anthony of Krasnoyarsk to the Eparchy of Orlov, and Gabriel of Blagoveshchensk to the Eparchy of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Bishop Guriy of Magadan to the Eparchy of Petropavlovsk. It also elected Archimandrite Lukian (Kutsenko) as Bishop of Lodeynoye Pole and auxiliary of the Eparchy of St. Petersburg, Archimandrite Ioann (Pavlikhin) as Bishop of Magadan, Igumen Veniamin (Kirillov) as Bishop of Ardatov, Igumen Feofan (Kim) as Bishop of Kyzyl and Tyva, Igumen Ireney (Tafun) as Bishop of Orsk, Igumen Stefan (Gordeyev) as Bishop of Alatyr and auxiliary of the Eparchy of Cheboksary, Igumen Feodosiy (Gazh) as Bishop of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan, Igumen Dionisiy (Poruba) as Bishop of Kasimov, Igumen Taras (Vladimirov) as Bishop of Balashov, Igumen Pakhomiy (Bruskov) as Bishop of Pokrovsk, Igumen Artisarkh (Yatsurin) as Bishop of the Amur, Igumen Yefraim (Prosyanka) as Bishop of Nikolayev and auxiliary of the Eparchy of Khabarovsk, Igumen Maksimilian (Klyuyev) as Bishop of Bratsk, Hieromonk Nikolai (Pogrebnyak) as Bishop of Balashikha and auxiliary of the Eparchy of Moscow, Hieromonk Guriy (Fedorov) as Bishop of Arsenev, and Hieromonk Vladimir (Samokhin) as Bishop of Skopin.

Lastly, in addition to dealing with other matters the Holy Synod also resolved to petition the next session of the Hierarchical Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (consisting of all the metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops of the Church) to designate the Metropolitans of Astana and Tashkent as permanent members of the Holy Synod due to their leadership of the Orthodox Churches in Kazakhstan and Central Asia respectively.

A full account of the Holy Synod's recent session can be found here.

Kursk-Root Icon Visits Kazakhstan, Russia

The Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God has made a visit to its original home in Kursk, Russia, following its first visit to the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan. After a brief stop in Moscow the Icon is due to return to its home at Our Lady of the Sign Cathedral in New York this coming week. More here.

Kazakh Orthodox Local Synod Meets in Uralsk

The Local Synod of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan has met under its first hierarch, Metropolitan Alexander (Mogilev) of Astana, in Uralsk, Kazakhstan, to discuss issues in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. Among other things the assembled hierarchs approved plans for a September visit by the Kursk-Root Icon and blessed the commemoration of the Astana Icon of the Theotokos.

The Local Synod's session closed with a concelebration of services in Uralsk's Cathedral of the Nativity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Eparchy of Uralsk. More (in Russian) here.

Russian Orthodox Church Organizes Conference on Chinese Orthodoxy in Almaty

The Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan has hosted a conference on Orthodoxy in China and ways in which the Orthodox Church, particularly in Kazakhstan and Siberia, can coordinate the provision of pastoral care to Chinese and Russian Orthodox Christians living in mainland China. The Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan is already sending visiting clergy to the neighboring Chinese region of Sinkiang, whilst many villages near China's borders with Russia and northeastern Kazakhstan are partially or largely Russian and Orthodox. More (in Russian) here.

Update (3/6/2011): An English-language write-up on the conference can be found here.

Metropolitan Christopher of Prague Visits Kazakhstan

Over the weekend Metropolitan Christopher (Pulec) of Prague and the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church visited Kazakhstan, where he concelebrated the Sunday Liturgy in Alma Ata with Metropolitan Alexander (Mogilev) of Astana and other hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan. More on Metropolitan Christopher's visit can be found here and (in Russian) here.

Baikonur Priest on Exploration of Space

The confessor at Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan said in a recent interview that progress in space exploration has been minimal because, "God does not let us move on. While we are in the process of moral growth we shall not go far away from Earth." More here.

Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Participates in Inauguration of Kazakhstani President

Metropolitan Alexander (Mogilev) of Astana and Kazakhstan participated today in the inaguration of President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev, who is beginning his 4th (or 5th?) term as President of Kazakhstan. More here.

Nomination of Bishop-elect of Karaganda Celebrated in Moscow

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) together with other hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the rite of nomination of Archimandrite Sebastian (Osokin), who is Bishop-elect of Karaganda and Shachtinsky of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan. Axios! More here.

Relics Given to Astana Cathedral

Yesterday the Vatican donated relics of St. Andrew to the Russian Orthodox cathedral in Astana, Kazakhstan. More here. Oddly enough for a Russian-language newspaper, the author thinks that 30 November is St. Andrew's day in the Russian Orthodox Church (it's actually 13 December). What is the world coming to? ;-)

Russian Orthodox Church to Serve in Kazakh

Glory to God for all things! The Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan is preparing to publish official service books in the Kazakh language so that the services can be celebrated in either Slavonic or Kazakh. The country's theological seminary already mandated the study of Kazakh by future pastors and last year's patriarchal Paschal epistle was published in both Russian and Kazakh in the country, but by God's mercy soon churches with Kazakh Orthodox members will be able to pray in their members' native tongue. More here.

Old Believers in Modern Kazakhstan

An interesting article on Kazakhstan's Old Believers, one reflective of Russian Orthodoxy in general in Kazakhstan if I'm not mistaken, can be found here.