Emigre Metropolitan Reburied in Latvia

Metropolitan Alexander (Kudryashov) of the Orthodox Church in Latvia served the reburial of his predecessor Metropolitan Augustine (Petersons) of Riga. Metropolitan Augustine, a native Latvian, served as First Hierarch of the Latvian Orthodox Church until the occupation of Latvia by the USSR during World War II, after which he took refuge in Germany, where he reposed in 1955.

Although buried in Germany following his repose, Metropolitan Augustine left instructions in his will that he be reburied in Latvia after it regained its independence. More (in Russian) here.

Kuban Cossacks in USA Commemorate World War II Massacre

This past Sunday the Lienz Tragedy, when 20,000 Kuban Cossacks were rounded up and handed over to the Soviet Union for execution following World War II, was commemorated by Russian Orthodox clergy and Kuban Cossacks visiting the Russian cemetery in Jackson, New Jersey, with a memorial. The ataman of the Kuban Cossacks living abroad was in attendance and spoke about the massacre following the memorial. More here.

Armenia Celebrates the Restoration of Its Independence

Armenia is celebrating Republic Day, this year marking the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian nation's restoration of its independence from the Russian and Ottoman Empires. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union the holiday was restored in free Armenia to celebrate its renewed independence from foreign occupation. More here.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Calls USSR a "Great Country"

At the opening of celebrations in honor of Slavonic writing and literature in Moscow Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of All Rus' referred to the Soviet Union, which collapsed 20 years ago this year, a great country that few apart because of the decay of its foundations. More here.

Minsk Prepares to Celebrate Metropolitan Melchizedek (Paevsky)

This coming week the Belorussian Orthodox Church will be organizing events in honor of Metropolitan Melchizedek (Paevsky) of Minsk, a prominent hierarch in the post-Soviet history of the Orthodox Church in Belarus. Metropolitan Melchizedek was elected to the Eparchy of Minsk after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1921 and quickly became popular in Belarus for his preaching and service to his flock.

To protect the Belorussian Orthodox faithful from the warring pro-German, Polish, and Soviet factions then present in the region Metropolitan Melchizedek declared the Belorussian Orthodox Church self-governing in 1922 (the tiny Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church claims to date from this time, though in actuality it was organized with Nazi support during World War II). Metropolitan Melchizedek later returned to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and reposed and was buried in Moscow in 1931.

More (in Belorussian) on Metropolitan Melchizedek's life and the upcoming events in Minsk commemorating him can be found here.

Moldovan Orthodox Clergy Express Reservations Over Legal Protections for Moldovan Muslims

A special meeting of the clergy of the Moldovan Orthodox Church's Deanery of Criuleni and Dubasari has been held to allow the clergy to discuss with Moldovan officials draft laws that would protect the rights of the country's Muslims. Although the officials present downplayed the possibility in Moldova of the Islamist terrorist activities that have troubled other parts of the former USSR some of the clergy present expressed concern over the protection of the country's small Muslim minority on the possibility of Islamism spreading in Moldova. More (in Romanian) here.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Calls for Return of Appropriated Churches in Transcaucasia

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) has written President Rashid B. Temrezov of Karachayevo-Cherkessia calling for the return of the republic's ancient churches, many used for secular purposes since the Soviet era, to the care of the Russian Orthodox Church, which currently has jurisdiction over the region. More here.

Construction of New Muscovite Churches Discussed

A meeting to discuss the construction of 200 new parish churches in Moscow, which represent roughly a fifth of the total churches destroyed in the area by the Soviets, has been held under Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow. As things currently stand the city center has an adequate number of churches for its residents, but on the whole metro Moscow has one church for every 35,000 Orthodox Christians. More (in Russian) here.

Roman Catholics Seek Return of Mogilev Cathedral

The Roman Catholic Church in Belarus is seeking the return of its former cathedral in the eastern city of Mohilev, which was confiscated from the Church during the Soviet era. More here.

Interview on Yuriy Gagarin's Faith

In honor of today's celebration of Yuriy Gagarin and the first manned spaceflight I'd like to bring this interview to your attention. Enjoy!

Kiev Caves Lavra Considering Removal of Soviet-era Museums

Ukraine's Kiev Caves Lavra, currently the seat of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is considering evicting the two state art museums organized in the Lavra's central buildings during the Soviet era so that the buildings can be restored to the Lavra's use. More here.

Romania Marks 'Days of Bessarabia'

Today through Sunday celebrations marking the 93rd anniversary of the union of Bessarabia, an ethnically mixed borderland of the Russian Empire inhabited by Romanians, Ukrainians, and the Gagauz, with the Kingdom of Romania will be held in Bucharest. The celebrations will conclude on Sunday with a memorial at the tomb of Metropolitan Gurie (Grosu) of Chisinau, the first Metropolitan of Bessarabia following its transfer to the Church of Romania. More here.

Following World War II Bessarabia was annexed by the Soviet Union, which divided its territory between the Ukrainian and Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republics, with the latter representing the regional particularities of the region's Romanians as making them a distinct ethnic group. Although union with Romania was discussed following the collapse of the USSR, Moldova remains independent and its government continues to describe its language as Moldovan, not Romanian.

Patriarch Cyril Congratulates Gorbachev on Birthday

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow has sent Mikhail S. Gorbachev congratulations on the occasion of the latter's 80th birthday, attributing the development of warm Church-State relations in Russia to the former leader of the USSR. More here.

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!

Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland

On this Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland, originally a Soviet holiday to commemorate the soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War/World War II, commemorative services and events have taken place throughout the former USSR and at monuments to the Great Patriotic War abroad. More here (for Russia), here (for Ukraine), here (for Belarus), here (for Armenia), and here (for Bulgaria).

Russians Affirm Recognition of Palestinian Independence

During his ongoing state visit to the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank President Dmitriy A. Medvedev of Russia has reaffirmed Russia's acceptance of the 1988 recognition of Palestinian independence by the Soviet Union. The USSR was one of the first nations to recognize an independent Palestine. More here.

Pictured is President Medvedev with President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine.

Notes on the Life of St. Seraphim of Sitka

A good review of the life of another relatively unknown American Orthodox saint, St. Seraphim of Sitka and Uglich, can be found here. He was born and educated in Russia, but was tonsured to the little schema and ordained to the priesthood here in North America during his service in Alaska. Like many of our lesser known saints, he later returned to Russia, becoming prominent in the resistance to the Bolsheviks within the hierarchy and being martyred for this.

In the dark times after St. Tikhon's death (the same St. Tikhon who made St. Seraphim a monk and later Bishop of Uglich) his nominated successors were one by one arrested, as were the successors they nominated for themselves. When this happened to St. Seraphim he was asked by the Soviets who he would nominate to lead the Russian Orthodox Church in his absence (so that they could arrest these nominees as well) and he, knowing their plans, commended the Church of Rus' to the care of the Lord Himself, in which I'm sure it remains.

May God save and protect us through the prayers of our Holy Father Seraphim! His blessings and prayers be with us all.

Pictured is St. Seraphim after his consecration to the episcopacy.

Majority of Russians Now Celebrate Nativity Holiday

In a poll a majority of Russians (83%) said that they celebrated the Lord's Nativity as a major holiday. In the past the Soviet regime sought to remove the memory of church holy days from the minds of the Soviet Union's peoples, replacing Nativity celebrations with the new style New Year holiday. More on the poll's findings can be found here.

Lukashenko Denies Existence of Human Rights Issues

In a recent address to the Belorussian National Assembly President Alexander Lukashenko denied the existence of problems for ethnic, sexual, or religious minorities in Belarus. Belarus has been criticized for years for its maintenance of a Soviet-style dictatorship since the 1991 collapse of the USSR and its suppression of the human rights of its ethnic minorities, particularly those of the Polish population in western Belarus. More here.

Remains of 5,000 Purge Victims Uncovered in Tatarstan

The Russian Orthodox Church's Diocese of Kazan' has called upon the government of the Republic of Tatarstan (a member state of the Russian Federation) to establish a memorial to victims of Stalin's purges at Holy Dormition Monastery in Sviyazhsk following the discovery there of the remains of some 5,000 people killed between the 1920s and the 1940s when the site was used as an NKVD (later KGB) camp. The victims' remains were found during work to restore the monastery, which prior to its return to the Church in 1997 had been used as a mental institution and boarding school for delinquent boys (as well as the above). More here.