“The main thing during Lent is not to eat each other” - Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan).
Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan is a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and a permanent member of the Holy Synod.
Victor Sabodan is the secular name of Metropolitan Vladimir
The title “His Beatitude” was granted only within Ukraine. The Charter of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from 2007 states: “The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has the title of His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine” (Chapter V, paragraph 3 of the Charter of the UOC).
Vladimir Sabodan was born in the Khmelnitsky region, in an Orthodox family.
Vladimir Sabodan was born on November 23, 1935 in the village of Markivtsi, Khmelnitsky region. His family was Orthodox. In addition to Vladimir, the family had three more sons. One of Vladimir’s brothers was taken to Germany, where he died in a mine. Vladimir's uncle and brother worked underground.
As a child, Vladimir and his mother came to the Monk Lawrence of Chernigov. It was he who then blessed the boy to serve in the temple of God.
Lavrentiy of Chernigov then blessed the boy Victor to serve in the temple of God
Junior
Since childhood, Vladimir had a love and special interest in the church. They lived amicably, the whole family went to church and observed fasts. In the evening, if the mother was not too tired, she read the Gospel to her sons. And my father even worked as a church elder at one time. While in the 4th grade, Vladimir Sabodan began to become a sexton. Then there was a priest in the church, the old Archpriest Sylvester, and it was he who taught Vladimir the Church Slavonic language, and then instilled in him a love of poetry and many other things that were useful to him in his priestly life.
It was predicted to him that he would become a priest as a child. On the other bank of the Bug stood the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, where Vladimir was baptized. In 1943, when his mother brought him to church, one old woman, the blind nun Archilaia, put her hand on the boy’s head, and then took his mother by the hand, and said that her son would be smart and would become a priest.
In 1954, Vladimir entered the Odessa Theological Seminary
In 1954, Vladimir decides to enter the Odessa Theological Seminary. And in 1958 he left to study at the Leningrad Theological Academy. He graduated from the Academy in 1962 with a candidate of theology degree.
After graduation, he acts as a senior assistant inspector at the Odessa Theological Seminary. Also at the same time he acts as secretary in the diocesan administration.
In 1962 he was ordained a deacon, and the very next day a priest. Soon he decides to take monastic vows. His dream comes true on August 26, 1962. The Monk Kuksha of Odessa then becomes his successor.
Reverend Confessor Kuksha of Odessa becomes the successor of Vladimir Sabodan
In 1965, Vladimir graduated from graduate school at the Moscow Theological Academy. Here he is appointed rector. In the same year he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
In 1966, Vladimir Sabodan was appointed deputy head of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem.
Literature
- ZhMP
1966, № 7, 2; № 9, 30-10; № 11, 2; 1967, № 1, 9-19; № 6, 13-17; № 7, 45; № 10, 3, 65-66; № 11, 6; 1968, № 1, 15; № 2, 29; № 5, 3; № 8, 2; № 9, 25; № 10, 33-34; 1969, № 1, 3; № 4, 3, 6; № 6, 9, 19; № 8, 19; 1970, № 1, 18, 21; № 3, 4; № 4, 31; № 5, 6; № 6, 22; № 8, 9; № 9, 1, 20; № 10, 6, № 11, 4-5; 1971, № 1, 30; № 2, 30; № 4, 30; № 5, 17, 19; № 6, 2, 40, 42; № 8, 45; № 10, 27; № 12, 23; 1972, № 8, 4; № 9, 32-33; № 10, 3-4, 7, 28-30; № 11, 27; № 12, 24; 1973, № 1, 34; № 2, 8-11; № 4, 29, 31; № 5, 4; № 7, 13, 34-36; № 8, 20; № 9, 11; № 10, 1, 21; № 11, 9, 16-17, 26, 35, 66-73; 1974, № 1, 15; № 2, 2, 5, 40; № 5, 4, 38, 48-52; № 8, 67; № 9, 9-10; № 11, 9; № 12, 5, 7; 1975, № 1, 19-20; № 3, 18; № 4, 3, 11; № 5, 6-7, 32; № 6, 15; № 8, 30; № 9, 2, 5, 7; № 10, 2; 1976, № 4, 5-6; № 9, 5; № 12, 10; 1977, № 1, 28; № 5, 4; № 10, 9; № 11, 3; 1978, № 1, 29, 36; № 2, 7; № 6, 4; № 12, 10; 1979, № 5, 12; № 6, 3; № 8, 4, 6, 13, 17; № 9, 8; № 12, 6; 1980, № 2, 8-9; № 3, 3; № 5, 8, 17; № 6, 50; № 8, 10; № 9, 12, 34; № 11, 2; № 12, 28, 32; 1981, № 2, 4, 14; № 5, 4, 7; № 8, 21; № 9, 3; № 12, 6; 1982, № 1, 9, 20; № 3, 30; № 8, 6, 46; № 9, 12; № 10, 2, 34; № 12, 6-7; 1983, № 1, 11; № 2, 44, 47; № 4, 41; № 8, 8; № 10, 69; № 11, 22; № 12, 9, 59; 1984, № 1, 12-13; № 2, 42; № 4, 48; № 5, 6, 9; № 11, 19; № 12, 18; 1985, № 2, 3, 5, 26; № 3, 28; № 8, 35, 50; 1986, № 2, 7; № 5, 12-14, 20-21, № 6, 26-27; № 7, 15; № 8, 13-14; 1988, № 10, 7; № 4, 10; № 4; 11.
In 1996, the Holy Synod appointed Vladimir Bishop of Zvenigorod
In 1996, the Holy Synod appointed Vladimir Sabodan to the role of Bishop of Zvenigorod. And also - vicar of the Moscow diocese. In the same year he was named bishop.
On July 9, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Vladimir was consecrated Bishop of Zvenigorod. Many metropolitans also performed consecration on this day.
In 1968, he was appointed Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky, vicar of Metropolitan Philaret of Kyiv and Galicia.
His Beatitude Vladimir (Sabodan), Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine
The next year he was transferred to the Chernigov and Nizhyn departments, and was also temporarily appointed manager of the Sumy diocese.
Disease
In the fall of 2011, Metropolitan Vladimir became very ill. First he was tormented by Parkinson's disease, then, in 2013, stomach cancer was discovered in the last stage. He underwent emergency surgery in France, where doctors stated that the diagnosis was made too late. In February, the Holy Synod of the UOC, for health reasons, removed the metropolitan from fulfilling his duties and Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovsky) was appointed locum tenens of the Kyiv see.
On July 5, 2013, Vladimir Sabodan rested in peace. His Beatitude the Metropolitan lamented all his life that he never learned to play the violin or speak a foreign language. However, like a real archpastor, he knew how to give people real consolation, wise advice, help and fervent prayer.
In 1970, Vladimir became editor of the Orthodox Bulletin magazine.
In December 1970, Vladimir became editor of the Orthodox Messenger magazine.
On April 18 , 1973, Vladimir was appointed Bishop of Dmitrov. That same year he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
In 1975, Vladimir became a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy.
In 1982, he was transferred to the Rostov and Novocherkassk Sees, after which he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. The Rostov and Novocherkassk dioceses received this news very well.
In 1987 , Vladimir became the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate and a permanent member of the Holy Synod.
In 1987, Vladimir became the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate and a permanent member of the Holy Synod
On May 27, 1992, the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church elected Vladimir Sabodan as Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine.
In the report of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Alexy II wrote in 2008 that the Baptism of Rus', which was celebrated then, awakened them all to talk about Kyiv as the land in which the Christian enlightenment of the entire Russian people began. The Metropolitan also said that it is on this land that His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, serves.
Parents' house
Vladimir Sabodan grew up in an ordinary rural family, and he had three more brothers: Mikhail, Alexander and Stepan. My father loved to fish and even had a boat. The mother mainly took care of the house; she got married at sixteen and was younger than her husband. It was very difficult for her to cope with five men, but, thank God, everyone was healthy. The plot where they grew potatoes was saved by fishing. Vladimir Sabodan was the youngest in the family, and his main task was cleaning the house.
One day Vladimir asked his father for rowlocks from the boat. The guys swam to the middle of the Bug River, swam, and accidentally drowned them. In the evening, Vladimir received a slap on the head and a “soft spot” from his father. The mother cried, but the father raised his boys in strictness. A few years later, Vladimir Sabodan, already a seminarian, came home with friends on vacation and caught a big fish, even a photograph remained as a memory of such a catch.
After the death of Alexy II, the episcopate turned to Vladimir to accept the candidacy
After the death of Alexy II, the Local Council of 2009 turned to Vladimir to nominate himself for the role of Patriarch. This is what was said to Metropolitan Vladimir regarding his candidacy for the patriarchal elections:
“We consider you a worthy candidate for the First Hierarchal Patriarchal Throne and assure that we will support your candidacy during the voting at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
But on January 17, at a meeting of the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Vladimir, one might say, abandoned his candidacy. Here's what he said about this:
Vladimir Sabodan
metropolitan
“Today there is a lot of talk about who will soon take the widowed patriarchal throne. Among the possible candidates, they are also talking about me, seeing in me the successor of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. However, sincerely thanking for such a great honor, I want to appear before God as the 121st Metropolitan of Kyiv. Let the sixteenth Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' be the one whom God and your choice indicate.”
After which his candidacy was not nominated by the Council of Bishops.
Also during the Local Council on January 27, Vladimir of Kiev, as the bishop of the oldest in the Russian Orthodox Church, turned to Patriarch Metropolitan Kirill with the question of whether he accepted the election:
“Your Eminence, Metropolitan Kirill, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church has elected you Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Do you accept this election?
Then Kirill accepted the offer and became Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'.
Vladimir, as the bishop of the oldest in the Russian Orthodox Church, turned to Patriarch Metropolitan Kirill with the question of whether he accepted the election to become Metropolitan of Moscow
events
- Church and Society (conference) (July 12, 1966)
- Informal Interviews on the Anglican Priesthood (10 November 1966)
- Ecumenical Prayer 1974 (January 12, 1974)
- Meeting of the Working Committee of the Christian Peace Conference in Prague. March 1974 (March 12, 1974)
- III theological conversation between representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (May 23, 1974)
- Arnoldshain-VII (25 May 1976)
- Interview between representatives of the Union of Evangelical Churches in the GDR and the Russian Orthodox Church, 1976 (September 13, 1976)
- Ecumenical Prayer 1978 (February 16, 1978)
- V All-Christian Peace Congress (June 22, 1978)
- Second meeting of the Mixed Theological Commission on Orthodox-Lutheran Dialogue (May 23, 1983)
- For a nuclear-free world, for the survival of humanity (forum) (February 14, 1987)
- Fourth meeting of the Mixed Theological Commission on Orthodox-Lutheran Dialogue (June 3, 1987)
- 40th session of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (July 17, 1989)
- Zagorsk-VII (June 5, 1990)
- Local Council 2009 (January 27, 2009)
Metropolitan Vladimir wrote the book “Christ is our Easter”
Metropolitan Vladimir wrote the book “Christ is our Easter.” This book includes Metropolitan Vladimir’s answers to questions about the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as his sermons and conversations.
The book “Christ is our Easter” on the website azbyka.ru
The sermons recorded in the book were delivered by him during Holy Easter. The book will be very interesting not only to the clergy, but also to ordinary laity.
The book “Christ is our Easter”, written by Metropolitan Vladimir
awards
state awards of Ukraine
- The title of Hero of Ukraine (July 9, 2011) with the award of the Order of the Power - for outstanding personal achievements in promoting spirituality, humanism and mercy in society, many years of conscientious service to the Ukrainian people, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the consecration and the 20th anniversary of the independence of Ukraine
[4] [5] - Order of Freedom (November 23, 2010) - for outstanding personal achievements in promoting peace and social harmony, many years of ascetic activity to revive the spirituality and national-cultural identity of the Ukrainian people
[6][7] - Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise: 1st degree (July 22, 2008) - for outstanding personal contribution to the promotion of spirituality, humanism and mercy, many years of fruitful church activity and on the occasion of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Kievan Rus
[8][9] - II degree (November 23, 2005) - for many years of church, charitable and charitable activities and on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of his birth
[10][11] - III degree (June 19, 2002) - for outstanding personal contribution to the establishment of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, the development of interfaith ties, and many years of fruitful church activity
[12] - IV degree (November 20, 2000) - for outstanding personal services to the Ukrainian state in the field of state-church relations, fruitful charitable and merciful activities and in connection with the 65th anniversary of his birth
[13] - V degree (July 28, 1999) - for many years of fruitful church activity aimed at establishing Orthodoxy in Ukraine
[14]
The first (at the same time as the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate [Filaret (Denisenko)]) in the history of the award system of independent Ukraine to be a full holder of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
state and departmental awards of Russia
- Order of Alexander Nevsky (Russia) (July 11, 2013) - for great contribution to the development of friendly relations between peoples and strengthening of spiritual traditions
[15] Consecration of the monument to Archimandrite of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Elisey Pletenetsky. - Order of Honor (Russia) (June 28, 2005) - for services in the development of spiritual and cultural traditions and strengthening Russian-Ukrainian relations
[16] - Order of Friendship (Russia) (January 19, 2004) - for his great contribution to the strengthening and development of spiritual ties, friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the Russian Federation and Ukraine
[17] - Certificate of Honor from the President of the Russian Federation (September 25, 2010) - for a significant contribution to strengthening the spiritual unity of Russia and Ukraine, the development of good neighborly relations and cooperation between the peoples of Russia and Ukraine
[18] - Badge of the Russian Foreign Ministry “For contribution to international cooperation” (2010)[19]
USSR state awards
- Order of Friendship of Peoples (1988)
Church awards
- Order of Glory and Honor (2010)[20]
- Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, 1st degree (1985)
- Order of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, 1st degree (2005)
- Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree (1979)
- Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, 1st degree (2012)[21]
- Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called with a diamond star (2000)
- Order of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, 1st degree, UOC
- Orders of Local Orthodox Churches
awards of Transnistria
- Order of Honor (November 18, 2005) - for his great contribution to strengthening friendship, cooperation, good neighborliness, in the revival and strengthening of Orthodoxy between the fraternal peoples of Ukraine and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and in connection with the 70th anniversary of his birth
[22]
Relationships with people and godless officials
– Did Vladyka “see” people?
“I cannot say that he was insightful, but I know for sure that one meeting was enough for him to give an assessment, to understand what kind of person stood in front of him. He didn’t tell anyone about this, but drew conclusions for himself. After all, he had to communicate with many people.
Take, for example, the Commissioners for Religious Affairs. Without their knowledge, the clergy could not take a single step: it was impossible to ordain a priest or nail a board to the temple. Everything was monitored by the “sovereign eye,” and everyone actually served in the KGB. There was such a representative in Chernigov, Kotenko, a terrible person. He called His Beatitude and, so that the latter would renounce the faith, he began to convince: “Why are you, so young, so smart, playing the fool? Let’s send you to college and make a career.” And Vladyka, who was then a bishop, replied that he had his own exams and institutes. But the commissioner did not let up and began to remember how he shot 72 people with his own hands in Western Ukraine. To which His Beatitude said: “If you had convinced them and they had become communists, I would have respected you more, but shooting them would not require any effort.”
