DEATH OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE’S HIERARCHES DURING THE NAZI OCCUPATION
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Abstract
The article analyzes the circumstances of the death of the bishops who remained in the canonical subordination of the Moscow Patriarchate during the Nazi occupation, namely, Metropolitan Oleksii (Hromadskii) and Metropolitan Serhii (Voskresenskii). This paper addresses the main results of their activities as leaders of large Orthodox denominations, which arose as a result of religious and ecclesiastical revival on the occupied territories of the USSR. It is noted that being the head of the Autonomous Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Metropolitan Oleksii (Hromadskii) and the Exarch of Latvia and Estonia Metropolitan Serhii (Voskresenskii) of Vilnius and Lithuania did not allow separation of the Orthodox parishes of Ukraine and the Baltics from the Moscow Religious and Church Center despite the danger and pressure from the occupiers and the national Resistance Movement. It is stated that this direction of the bishops’ activity fully corresponded to the Soviet interests and significantly leveled in the eyes of Moscow their forced participation in the propaganda campaigns of the occupation administration. The article emphasizes that both bishops were connected with the Soviet secret services, which closely monitored their activities. The article substantiates the version of the Soviet special services’ involvement in the terrorist attacks against the metropolitans. It is noted that the bishops died due to excessive deviation from the church policy required by the Soviet regime on the occupied lands.
How to Cite
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religious and ecclesiastical revival, Metropolitan Oleksii (Hromadskii), Metropolitan Serhii (Voskresenskii), Autonomous Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Exarchate of Latvia and Estonia, “Moscow Concordat”
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