History and current situation of the Voronezh Metropolis

According to church statutes, metropolis means a territory that serves the Lord under the command of a bishop - the main person in the Christian hierarchy. The diocesan administration of the Voronezh Metropolis unites under its authority all parishes and churches within the Voronezh region. This religious association was founded in 1682, and it received its current name in December 2013.

The churches of the Voronezh diocese exist under the leadership of Father Sergius (Vitaly Fomin), who was born in the mid-20th century in Krasnozavodsk. The saint became a monk after graduating from the theological academy, and as a metropolitan, he was appointed to the post of head of the diocesan administration.

Read about the churches and monasteries of Voronezh:

• Intercession Cathedral
• Divnogorsk Assumption Monastery
• Seraphim-Sarov Monastery

Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh

History of the formation of the Voronezh Metropolis

Before the establishment of the Voronezh Metropolis, the area was used by the Ryazan and Krutitsa dioceses. The first was founded in 1667 after the Great Moscow Council. The Tambov diocese was placed within the Ryazan metropolis, and with it the Voronezh diocese, the need for the formation of which was confirmed at a church meeting. The structure of the latter initially included seven cities.

• In 1692, construction was completed on the territory of Voronezh
• Saint Mitrofan wisely disposed of the metropolis and strove to build a large number of churches; he arranged suitable living conditions for the monks and encouraged all kinds of charity.
• The borders of the diocese itself expanded to the Sea of ​​Azov after Russian troops under the leadership of Peter I took the Azov fortress. On the conquered territory there were newly built cities that in the future had the right to enter the metropolis - Taganrog and Pavlovsk.
• On this basis, a dispute arose between the Ryazan church association and the Voronezh diocese; it was resolved by a decree of Tsar Peter the Great. The latter received at its disposal Usman, Belokolodsk, the village of Nikolskoye (Demshinsk), as well as the village of Mokry Buerak. After a while, the city of Ostrogozhsk also joined here.
• At the beginning of the 18th century, Saint Stephen tried to abolish the Voronezh diocese and return the territory of the Ryazan metropolis that belonged to it. However, this desire had the opposite effect. The Voronezh department acquired some areas of the Don and Khopra lands.
• Bishop Pachomius ordered great construction and restoration, and Metropolitan Joachim sought to exalt spiritual education by organizing church schools in Voronezh and Ostrogozhsk. Since 1742, a theological seminary and a Slavic-Latin school were opened on the territory of the diocese. In 1765, the metropolis again expanded its borders to include nearby lands, and Tikhon of Zadonsky strengthened moral motives among believers.

On a note!
The number of church institutions in the territory of the diocese gradually increased from 210 from the moment of its formation to 1096 in 1909. In 1945, only 19 parishes were in working order, today there are 372 of them. In 1775, part of the Moscow diocese was transferred to the administration of the Voronezh Metropolis, and the lands of the Azov region were given to the Slavic diocese. Over the course of 25 years, the territory of the first decreased somewhat; in 1799 there was not a single parish outside the province. In 1926, the Tambov Metropolitanate and Borisoglebsk were annexed to the diocese.

From 1954 to 1957, territorial changes continued to occur. In 2003, the Lipetsk Diocese was separated from the metropolis.

Iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral

Decrees of the diocesan administration

The latest decrees are dated March 2022:

1. By Decree No. 85 of 03/23/2017, G.S. Avetisov is appointed chairman of the Parish Council of the church consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Unbreakable Wall”. The term of appointment is 3 years.
2. By Decree No. 82 of 03/22/2017, clergyman Pavel Nikolaevich Nebolsin is relieved of the post of chairman of the Parish Council of the temple, consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
3. Decree No. 80 of March 15, 2017 to Deacon Baranov N.V. Priesthood is prohibited for up to 3 months. With the blessing of the metropolis, he must carry out choir obedience every day in the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity.

Note! Each decree is considered by the diocesan administration and adopted with the consent of Metropolitan Sergius of Voronezh.

Current state

The territory of the Voronezh Metropolitanate was finally established in 2013.

It includes the following dioceses:

1. Voronezhskaya.
2. Rossoshanskaya.
3. Borisoglebskaya.

On the territory of the region there are churches of the Voronezh Metropolitanate and churches of the Voronezh Diocese.

The Diocesan Administration of the Voronezh Metropolis is located at the address: Russia, Voronezh, st. Liberation of Labor, 20.

Currently there are 10 deaneries in the diocese:

1. All Saints.
2. Levoberezhnoe.
3. Monastyrskoe.
4. Nikolskoye.
5. Kashirskoe.
6. Liskinskoe.
7. Nizhnedevitskoe.
8. Novousmanskoe.
9. Ramonskoe.
10. Semilukskoe.

For reference!
Deaneries are church districts that unite a number of nearby parishes (they are governed by archpriests). On the territory of the metropolis there are one male and two female monasteries. Male: Holy Dormition Divnogorsk, near the town of Liski. Women's: Alexievo-Akatov and Preobrazhensky Tolshevsky.

Every week the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in churches.

The churches of the Voronezh Metropolitanate and other prayer rooms number 372. They are served by 382 clergy, of which 346 are priests, and 36 are deacons. On the territory of the diocese there is a theological seminary (rector - Abbot Innokenty), a traditional gymnasium of St. Mitrofan and a methodological department of moral education.

In the central city of the region, in Voronezh, there is an educational institution for training spiritual ministers - the Voronezh Orthodox Theological Seminary. This institution has its own official website on the Internet https://www.vob-eparhia.ru/, which is constantly updated with current information. On the website you can learn about the latest events in the life of the brotherhood and the decrees of the bishop.

There are also many printed publications - spiritual newspapers and magazines. Servants write articles on Internet portals and in newspapers (Orthodox Voronezh, Image of Life, as well as about 20 newspapers on religious topics). Within this church association, due attention is paid to working with young people.

An Orthodox magazine called “Way of Life” is officially considered a student magazine: on its pages the Church answers well-known questions of spiritual practice. The magazine combines ancient traditions and the opinions of modern Christians.

Metropolitan of Voronezh and Liskinsky Sergius

Every year, with the permission of Bishop Sergius, the Intercession Fair is held on Children's Square. Church items created in churches in Russia and the CIS countries are displayed here. The Voronezh diocese holds a festival of spiritual chants, as well as educational events and competitions among creative groups.

On a note! On the territory of the metropolis there is a special warehouse with church utensils and religious works of literature. Here Orthodox believers can buy candlesticks, stands for colored eggs, lamps, oil of oil and incense. Among the books are collections of biblical stories, prayer books, and lives of holy people.

News of the Orthodox world

Latest Orthodox news from Voronezh:

• On June 25, 2022, a service was held in the Cathedral, conducted by Metropolitan Sergius. After its completion, diplomas were awarded to graduates of the Voronezh Theological Seminary. This was the 111th graduation at the school, which brought together not only students and graduates of the religious educational institution, but also the entire teaching staff, as well as honored guests.
• On June 22, 2022, the Orthodox sports movement was created at the Tikhvin-Onufrievsky Cathedral. Any person who adheres to a healthy lifestyle, including sports and following God’s commandments, can become a participant in the movement. On Sundays in the church, clergy read prayers for the participants in the movement. After the service, conversations are held on spiritual and patriotic topics.
• On June 22, 2022, Metropolitan Sergius performed a litany for the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for the Voronezh region. The service took place at mass grave No. 6 in the city of Voronezh. This event was attended by not only priests, but also representatives of the regional government, the Veterans Council, and the city administration.

Monasteries[ | ]

current

• Divnogorsk Assumption Monastery (male; Divnogorye village)
• Alekseevo-Akatov Monastery (women; Voronezh)
• Tolshevsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery (women; Grafskaya village)

inactive

• Annunciation Mitrofan Monastery (male; Voronezh)
• Donetsk Forerunner Monastery (male; Dubrava village)
• Shatrishchegorsk Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery (male; village of Vyazniki, Liskinsky district)

lost

• Voronezh Intercession Monastery (women; Voronezh)[3]

Bishops[ | ]

• Mitrofan of Voronezh (January 2, 1682 - November 23, 1703)
• Arseny (Kostyurin) (July 2, 1704 - July 18, 1712)
• Stefan (Yavorsky) (1712—1714) v/u
• Pachomius (Ishpanovsky) (April 23, 1714 - September 23, 1723)
• Joseph (October 31, 1725 - December 27, 1726)
• Lev (Yurlov) (May 28, 1727 - June 8, 1730)
• Joachim (Strukov) (June 8, 1730 - September 26, 1742)
• Veniamin (Sakhnovsky) Serb (December 2, 1742 - March 28, 1743)
• Theophylact (Gubanov) (September 14, 1743 - November 30, 1757)
• Kirill (Lyashevetsky) (August 6, 1758 - October 19, 1761)
• Ioannikiy (Pavlutsky) (December 6, 1761 - January 2, 1763)
• Tikhon (Sokolov) (February 3, 1763 - December 17, 1767)
• Tikhon (Yakubovsky) (December 17, 1767 - May 19, 1775)
• Tikhon (Malinin) (May 19, 1775 - May 6, 1788)
• Innokenty (Polyansky) (June 29, 1788 - April 15, 1794)
• Methodius (Smirnov) (May 21, 1795 - April 10, 1799)
• Afanasy (Ivanov) (April 10, 1799 - October 1, 1799)
• Arseny (Moskvin) (October 1, 1799 - October 16, 1799, November 26, 1799 - May 6, 1810)
• Anthony (Sokolov) (September 23, 1810 - February 7, 1816)
• Epiphanius (Kanivetsky) (March 26, 1816 - May 24, 1825)
• Anthony (Smirnitsky) (January 31, 1826 - December 20, 1846)
• Ignatius (Semyonov) (January 13, 1847 - January 20, 1850)
• Parfeniy (Chertkov) (February 25, 1850 - August 5, 1853)
• Joseph (Bogoslovsky) (August 27, 1853 - November 14, 1864)
• Seraphim (Aretinsky) (January 4, 1865 - April 22, 1886)
• Veniamin (Smirnov) (May 1, 1886 - May 7, 1890)
• Anastasy (Dobradin) (June 3, 1890 - May 1, 1913)
• Tikhon (Nikanorov) (May 13, 1913 - February 27, 1920)
• Tikhon (Vasilevsky) (July 26, 1920 - 1922) fell into renovationism
• Vladimir (Shimkovich) (September 3, 1923 - January 6, 1926)
• Peter (Zverev) (January - November 28, 1926)
• Alexy (Buy)
  (February 28 - June 1927) v/u, bishop. Kozlovsky
• Nathanael (Troitsky)
  (August - end of 1927) high, Metropolitan. Kharkovsky
• Zachariah (Lobov) (May 7, 1929 - November 25, 1935)
• Alexander (Toropov)
  (November 13, 1935 - January 23, 1936) v/u, bishop. Lipetsky
• Peter (Sokolov)
  (November 25, 1935 - December 1936) supreme, archbishop.
• Seraphim (Protopopov)
  (October 1936 - March 6, 1937) v/u, archbishop. Yeletsky
• Apollos (Rzhanitsyn)
  (May 14 - August 1937) v/u, bishop. Morshansky
• Sergius (Stragorodsky)
  (November 1937 - February 1943) supreme, Metropolitan. Moscow
• Pitirim (Sviridov)
  (March 1943 - March 13, 1944) high school, ep. Kursk
• Jonah (Orlov) (March 19, 1944 - May 26, 1945)
• Pitirim (Sviridov)
  (May - September 1945) v/u, archbishop. Kursk
• Joseph (Orekhov) (September 9, 1945 - January 14, 1961)
• Sergius (Petrov) (March 16, 1961 - October 9, 1963)
• Nikon (Lysenko) (October 9, 1963 - March 30, 1964)
• Vladimir (Kotlyarov) (March 30, 1964 - February 5, 1965)
• Palladium (Kaminsky) (February 5, 1965 - February 8, 1968)
• Seraphim (Nikitin)
  (February 8 - 27, 1968) v/u, Archbishop of Kursk
• Mikhail (Chub) (February 27, 1968 - October 11, 1972)
• Platon (Lobankov) (October 11, 1972 - October 27, 1975)
• Yuvenaly (Tarasov) (November 16, 1975 - July 16, 1982)
• Methodius (Nemtsov) (July 16, 1982 - May 7, 2003)
• Sergiy (Fomin) (from May 7, 2003)

Titles[ | ]

• Voronezh (1682-1696)
• Voronezh and Azov (1696-1700)
• Voronezh (1700-1705)
• Voronezh and Yeletskaya (1705-1788)
• Voronezh (July 1788 - May 19, 1795)
• Voronezh and Cherkasy (May 19, 1795 - April 5, 1829)
• Voronezh and Zadonsk (April 5, 1829-1945)
• Voronezh and Ostrogozhskaya (1945-1954)
• Voronezh and Lipetsk (1954-2003)
• Voronezh and Borisoglebsk (2003-2013)
• Voronezhskaya and Liskinskaya (since December 26, 2013)

Vicariates[ | ]

• Bobrovsky Vicariate (inactive)
• Boguchar Vicariate (inactive)
• Buturlinovsky Vicariate (inactive)
• Valuysk Vicariate (now an independent diocese)
• Zadonsk Vicariate (inactive)
• Kalacheevskoye Vicariate (inactive)
• Novokhopyorsk Vicariate (inactive)
• Ostrogozh Vicariate (inactive)
• Pavlovsk Vicariate (inactive)
• Rossoshansky Vicariate (now an independent diocese)
• Semiluki Vicariate (inactive)
• Urazov Vicariate (inactive)