Slavic and Gorlovka Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Gorlovka and Slavic diocese
of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

• Diocesan administration: Ukraine, 84626, Donetsk region. / “DPR”, Gorlovka, st. Kirova, 41
• Tel.: +38 (reception, office); +38 (066) 218-59-83 (press service), fax: +38
• Official site:
• Canonical territory: Gorlovka, Artyomovsky, Debaltsevo, Dzerzhinsky, Dobropolsky, Druzhkovsky, Enakievsky, Kirovsky, Konstantinovsky, Kramatorsk, Krasnoarmeysky, Krasnolimansky, Slavyansky and Shakhtyorsky city councils, as well as Aleksandrovsky, Artyomovsky, Dobropolsky, Konstantinovsky, Krasnoarmeysky, Krasnolimansky, Slavyansky, Shakhtyorsky district -ny Donetsk region.
• Cathedrals: Epiphany in Gorlovka, Alexander Nevsky in Slavyansk
• On the map: Yandex.Map, Google map

By the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the independent Gorlovka diocese was separated on July 29, 1994 from the Donetsk diocese within the northern regions of the Donetsk region. In 2004-2007, the Svyatogorsk Lavra, located within the diocese, was under the jurisdiction of the diocese.

Statistics

• 2000 - 150 parishes, 1 monastery [1].
• OK. 2004 - 176 parishes; 204 clergy (185 priests, 19 deacons) [2].
• beginning 2006 - 223 church communities, 2 monasteries, 229 clergy (207 priests, 22 deacons) [3].
• beginning 2007 - 223 church communities, 1 monastery, 204 clergy [4]
• September 2011 – 268 parishes [5]
• December 31, 2012 - 276 church communities, 2 monasteries, 198 clergy [6]
• January 2021 - 290 registered parishes, 20 deaneries, 2 monasteries, 222 clergy (including religious), 86 religious [7]

Geography of deaneries

• Blagoveshchenskoe:
• Gorlovka

• Slavyansk

• Bakhmut

• Debaltsevo

• Druzhkovka

• Enakievo, Korsun

• Gorlovka

• Konstantinovka

• Slavyansk

Main temples

Cathedrals are the main churches in the diocese.

In Gorlovka there is the Epiphany Cathedral, which is currently still under construction. The rector is Metropolitan Mitrofan. The building consists of lower and upper temples. There are baptismal, refectory, children's and adult Sunday schools, choirs, and other communities.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

In Slavyansk there is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which was built at the end of the 19th century. Its construction, among other things, pursued the goal of giving thanks to God for the abolition of serfdom by Emperor Alexander 2. The patron saint of the autocrat was Prince Alexander Nevsky, so the cathedral was dedicated to this saint. Under Soviet rule, the temple experienced difficult times from 1937 to 1944; it was closed, like many other churches in the diocese and throughout the country. The premises were used for secular purposes.

About other churches in honor of Alexander Nevsky:

• Temple of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky in Yalta
• Cathedral in Simferopol
• Temple at MGIMO in Moscow

During the war, the attitude of the authorities towards the Church softened, as it awakened patriotic feelings among the population and prayed for the victory of the domestic army. In 1944, the functioning of the cathedral was restored. There is a library, Sunday schools, and a baptismal center.

How the bishops changed in Gorlovka

The first bishop of Gorlovka is Bishop Alypiy (Pogrebnyak). From 1994 to 1997, he ruled the diocese, after which he retired due to old age and illness.

He was replaced by Metropolitan Hilarion (ruled from 1997 to 2007).

From 2007 to the present day, the post of ruling bishop has been occupied by the bishop, and then by Archbishop Mitrofan (Nikitin).

Metropolitan of Gorlovka and Slavic Mitrofan

Administrative departments of the diocese:

• on working with the executive service;
• on working with youth;
• religious education and introduction to Orthodoxy;
• missionary;
• on working with Sunday schools;
• on working with the media;
• social service and charity.

History of education

The Gorlovka and Slavic Diocesan Church appeared on July 29, 1994 as a result of the separation of its territories from the Donetsk diocese according to letter No. 68 dated April 11, 1997 from the head of the UOC, Metropolitan Vladimir.

The new diocesan territory includes the following districts and city councils of the Donetsk region:

• Districts: Slavyansky,
• Alexandrovsky,
• Krasnolimansky,
• Konstantinovsky,
• Artyomovsky,
• Shakhtyorsky,
• Dobropolsky;

An excerpt characterizing the Gorlovka and Slavic diocese

“Yes, the current event is an era, the greatest era in our history,” he concluded. Prince Andrei listened to the story about the opening of the State Council, which he expected with such impatience and to which he attributed such importance, and was surprised that this event, now that it had happened, not only did not touch him, but seemed to him more than insignificant. He listened to Bitsky's enthusiastic story with quiet mockery. The simplest thought came to his mind: “What does it matter to me and Bitsky, what do we care about what the sovereign was pleased to say in council! Can all this make me happier and better?” And this simple reasoning suddenly destroyed for Prince Andrei all the previous interest in the transformations being carried out. On the same day, Prince Andrei was supposed to dine at Speransky’s “en petit comite,” [in a small meeting], as the owner told him, inviting him. This dinner in the family and friendly circle of a man whom he admired so much had previously greatly interested Prince Andrei, especially since until now he had not seen Speransky in his home life; but now he didn’t want to go. At the appointed hour of lunch, however, Prince Andrei was already entering Speransky’s own small house near the Tauride Garden. In the parquet dining room of a small house, distinguished by its extraordinary cleanliness (reminiscent of monastic purity), Prince Andrei, who was somewhat late, already found at five o’clock the entire company of this petit comite, Speransky’s intimate acquaintances, gathered. There were no ladies except Speransky's little daughter (with a long face similar to her father) and her governess. The guests were Gervais, Magnitsky and Stolypin. From the hallway, Prince Andrei heard loud voices and clear, clear laughter - laughter similar to the one they laugh on stage. Someone in a voice similar to Speransky’s voice distinctly chimed: ha... ha... ha... Prince Andrei had never heard Speransky’s laughter, and this ringing, subtle laughter of a statesman strangely struck him. Prince Andrei entered the dining room. The whole company stood between two windows at a small table with snacks. Speransky, in a gray tailcoat with a star, obviously still wearing the white vest and high white tie he wore at the famous meeting of the State Council, stood at the table with a cheerful face. Guests surrounded him. Magnitsky, addressing Mikhail Mikhailovich, told an anecdote. Speransky listened, laughing ahead at what Magnitsky would say. As Prince Andrei entered the room, Magnitsky’s words were again drowned out by laughter. Stolypin boomed loudly, chewing a piece of bread with cheese; Gervais hissed with a quiet laugh, and Speransky laughed subtly, distinctly. Speransky, still laughing, gave Prince Andrei his white, tender hand. “I’m very glad to see you, prince,” he said. - Just a minute... he turned to Magnitsky, interrupting his story. “We have an agreement today: dinner of pleasure, and not a word about business.” - And he turned to the narrator again, and laughed again. Prince Andrei listened to his laughter with surprise and sadness of disappointment and looked at the laughing Speransky. It was not Speransky, but another person, it seemed to Prince Andrei. Everything that had previously seemed mysterious and attractive to Prince Andrei in Speransky suddenly became clear and unattractive to him. At the table the conversation did not stop for a moment and seemed to consist of a collection of funny anecdotes. Magnitsky had not yet finished his story when someone else declared his readiness to tell something that was even funnier. The anecdotes mostly concerned, if not the official world itself, then the official persons. It seemed that in this society the insignificance of these persons was so finally decided that the only attitude towards them could only be good-naturedly comic. Speransky told how at the council this morning, when asked by a deaf dignitary about his opinion, this dignitary answered that he was of the same opinion. Gervais told a whole story about the audit, remarkable for the nonsense of all the characters. Stolypin, stuttering, intervened in the conversation and began to speak passionately about the abuses of the previous order of things, threatening to turn the conversation into a serious one. Magnitsky began to mock Stolypin’s ardor, Gervais inserted a joke and the conversation again took its previous, cheerful direction. Obviously, after work, Speransky loved to relax and have fun in a circle of friends, and all his guests, understanding his desire, tried to amuse him and have fun themselves. But this fun seemed heavy and sad to Prince Andrei. The thin sound of Speransky's voice struck him unpleasantly, and the incessant laughter, with its false note, for some reason offended the feelings of Prince Andrei. Prince Andrei did not laugh and was afraid that he would be difficult for this society. But no one noticed his inconsistency with the general mood. Everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun.

Humanitarian assistance

The diocese also has a special Commission that receives and distributes humanitarian aid to people in need. Anyone who wants to help (with material things, money, food) and who needs help can come here.

And for low-income residents of Gorlovka, free food points are organized daily at churches:

• Epiphany Cathedral.
• Nicholas Cathedral.
• Kazan Temple.
• Annunciation parish.
• Church of All Sorrows.
• Nicholas Church.

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Cathedrals

Epiphany Cathedral

The Epiphany Cathedral , its photo is on the diocese website, in the city of Gorlovka consists of two churches. They are called upper and lower. At the moment, the cathedral is still under construction, and therefore connecting the temples with stairs and elevators is still only in the plans of the builders. Nevertheless, the cathedral is already equipped with modern equipment and is open to parishioners.

All services are held in the upper church. A wide, beautifully decorated staircase, as well as special entrances for people with disabilities, allow everyone to attend services.

The first services were held in the upper church on Palm Sunday, April 23, 24, 2021.

The lower temple of the cathedral has been in operation since June 23, 2013.

On this day, in the lower church, Bishop Mitrofan led the first Divine Liturgy, as well as Great Vespers, accompanied by the offering of kneeling prayers in the name of the New Martyrs, confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On September 18 of the same year, the lower church was consecrated by the head of the UOC, Metropolitan Vladimir.

The rector of the cathedral is Metropolitan Mitrofan himself.

The cathedral has a baptismal room, a refectory, a sacristy, as well as a prosphora and Sunday school.

The cathedral servants conduct classes with children's and youth choirs, a youth group, and a military-patriotic society named after the blessed Russian Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, canonized. In addition, the cathedral hosts biblical Orthodox readings.

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