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.

New Bishop of Kamensk Consecrated in Irkutsk

During his recent pastoral visit to the Irkutsk Region in central Siberia Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow celebrated the consecration of Archimandrite Seraphim (Kuz'minov) as Bishop of Kamensk and Alpayevsk in the catholicon of Irkutsk's Monastery of Our Lady of the Sign. The services were concelebrated in the presence of the relics of St. Innocent of Irkutsk by the patriarch and twelve other hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The eparchy of the newly consecrated bishop is one of the newer dioceses established by the Church for the faithful living in the region of the Ural Mountains. More (in Russian) here.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Begins Visit to Central, Eastern Siberia

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow has begun a pastoral visit to central and eastern Siberia. The visit, which will include stops in the eastern Magadan Region and the central Irkutsk Region and Republic of Tyva, began with the Republic of Khakassia in central Siberia, where the patriarch met with Archbishop Ionafan (Tsvetkov) of Abakan and other hierarchs of the Russian and Moldovan Orthodox Churches in the local diocesan Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Abakan before going on to tour the institutions of the Eparchy of Abakan in the Khakassian capital. More (in Russian) here.

Yakut Orthodox Celebrate Birth of Bible Translator

Celebrations have been held by the Orthodox Church in Yakutia to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the restoration of the diocesan Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Yakutsk and the 105th anniversary of the birth of Dmitriy K. Sivtsev, who translated the Bible into the Yakut language.

Friday's celebrations were led by Archbishop Herman (Moralin) of Kursk, former Bishop of the Orthodox Church in Yakutia, and Bishops Theophylact (Kur'yanov) of Pyatigorsk, Roman (Lukin) of Yakutsk and the Lena, the newly enthroned ruling bishop of the Orthodox Church in Yakutia, and Ambrose (Yermakov) of Gatchina, an auxiliary of the Eparchy of St. Petersburg. More (in Russian) here.

Siberian Archbishop Calls for Restriction of Erotic Advertising

Archbishop Antoniy of Krasnoyarsk has called on local authorities in the Siberian city to restrict the erotic content of publicly posted advertisements to give the city a cleaner, healthier public space. More here.

Tyvan-Language Bible to be Released

In connection with the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Tyva the Russian Orthodox Church is releasing the first full translation of the Bible into the Tyvan language. More (in Russian) here.

Russian Orthodox Bishop Committed to Protecting Yakut Culture, Organizing a Seminary

During a press conference the newly consecrated Bishop Roman of Yakutsk and the Lena has expressed his intention to have his see's theological school reorganized as a seminary to better provide the pastoral training needed for the clergy of the Orthodox Church in Yakutia. Bishop Roman also expressed his concern over the corrosivie effects of globalization on Yakut culture and the commitment of the Orthodox Church in Yakutia to protecting the Yakut nation and its cultural traditions. More (in Russian) here.

Appeal Made for New Eparchies in Primorye

Archbishop Veniamin (Pushkar) of Vladivostok has submitted a request to Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow that the creation of two additional eparchies out of his existing Eparchy of Vladivostok be considered for the better care of the Orthodox faithful living in Russia's Primorye Territory. The request was submitted during a meeting between Patriarch Kirill, Archbishop Veniamin, and Governor Sergey Darkin of Primorye. More (in Russian) here.

Cornerstone of New Cathedral Laid in Buryatia

Metropolitan Varsonofiy (Sudakov) of Saransk and Bishop Savvatiy (Antonov) of Ulan Ude have laid the foundation stone for the Eparchy of Ulan Ude and Buryatia's new Cathedral of the Dormition. In attendance at the service were leading members of the government of the Republic of Buryatia, which is a member of the Russian Federation. More (in Russian) here.

Moscow Patriarchate, Yakutsk Diocese to Publish Works of St. Innocent

The Moscow Patriarchate and the Eparchy of Yakutsk and the Lena have agreed to cooperatively publish the complete works of St. Innocent (Veniaminov) of Sitka and Moscow. More in Russian here.

St. Innocent of Sitka

Joyous feast! С праздником! St. Innocent was one of the great lights of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 19th century and certainly an even greater light in Alaskan and American Orthodoxy. An account of his life can be found here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all!

St. Macarius of Moscow, Apostle of the Altai

Joyous feast! С праздником! St. Macarius II (Nevskiy) of Moscow and the Altai was one of the lights of the Church of Rus' in the 19th century. Born to a poor family in rural central Russia, he later felt called to witness amongst the Altai and served in that region as a translator, evangelist, and teacher. While there he became a monk and was ordained to the holy priesthood and the later consecrated a bishop, becoming the head of the mission to the Altai in the meantime.

In 1912 Tsar St. Nicholas named St. Macarius Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna and a member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in recognition of the archbishop's praiseworthy missionary labors in Siberia amongst the Altai. In 1917 the interim government of Russia removed St. Macarius from his see and was sent into internal exile in a monastery, later being persecuted by the Bolsheviks and dying in 1926 of pneumonia.

St. Macarius was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. A full account of his life and labors can be found here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all!

Old Believers Return to Siberia from Bolivia

Old Believers who fled the Soviet conquest of Siberia and the Russian Far East continue to return to Russia, this time from Bolivia. More here.

Old Believers Return to Siberia

In an effort to repopulate Siberia Russia has launched a program that encourages Russians in the Diaspora, even Old Believers, to move to the region. Siberia was an Old Believer stronghold during the time of the Romanovs (and perhaps will be again one day :-) ). More here.