Nizhny Novgorod (and Arzamas) Diocese is the church administrative structure of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The head of the diocese is Metropolitan Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas George (Danilov).

The cathedral city (the seat of the bishop) is Nizhny Novgorod.

Cathedrals: since September 12, 2009 — the Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Word in Arzamas.

Until September 2009, the cathedral in Nizhny Novgorod was the Spaso-Preobrazhensky (Staroyarmarochny) Cathedral; until 1930, it was the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

Early Years of the Metropolitan See on Nizhny Novgorod Land

The decision to create a separate Nizhny Novgorod Diocese was made as early as 1589 at the 28th Moscow Council. The decision was hastened by the dangerous growth in the number of Old Believers in the "Nizovaya Land" (the Lower Land), where Moscow Old Believers, as well as Razin's followers — participants in the peasant war (1670—1671) — found refuge in great numbers.

On 24 March (3 April) 1672, the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese was established. The newly opened diocese needed an experienced and reliable man to govern it. The choice fell on Filaret, archimandrite of the Pechersky Ascension Monastery. He served as Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod and Alatyr for more than 9 years, from 2 July 1672 to 7 March 1682.

From its establishment in 1672 until the end of the 18th century, the residence of the bishops was located in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin; under Bishop Damaskin the residence was moved to a new building constructed on the grounds of the abolished Ivanovsky Monastery.

Gorky Diocese

See also: History of the Russian Church after 1941

Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Gorky Diocese was close to destruction: almost all churches had been closed or no longer existed, and in Gorky all the churches had been closed.

According to 1943 estimates, of the diocese's 1,126 church buildings, 892 were used as clubs, schools, and warehouses, while 228 stood empty and were falling into ruin. In 1945, 13 churches were opened, in 1946 — 6, in 1947 — 3, and in 1948 — 2 churches.

In 1950 the diocese had 47 registered churches, including 3 in Gorky. In addition, there were about 60 unregistered houses of prayer, where services were conducted by retired priests and laypeople. In particular, in Vorsma the house of prayer of Nikolay Bratanov was designed for 20–25 people, yet according to the commissioner, at the Easter service there were 200–250 worshippers outside the house. Between 1950 and 1956 the number of parishes in the diocese did not change, while the number of parishes across the country dropped noticeably. In 1956 the Kazan Church was opened in Vorsma.

In Modern Russia

In 1996 the diocese's website was launched, becoming the first Orthodox website in Russia. A modern version of the site appeared in 2003. In October 2008 an English version appeared, reproducing the daily news feed of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese. By 2010 the site was visited by about 30,000 people a month. On 16 July 2005 an Orthodox helpline began operating. Over five years of operation it received 63,000 calls.

By the beginning of 2007 the diocese had 414 active churches.

In 2009 the Feodorovsky Monastery was reopened in the diocese, 8 new parishes were opened, and 9 churches and 3 chapels were consecrated. From 9 to 12 September 2009, Patriarch Kirill visited Nizhny Novgorod land, during which the Cathedral in honor of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky in Nizhny Novgorod was granted cathedral status.

In December 2009 a delegation of 118 people, led by Archbishop George of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas and Bishop Veniamin of Lyubertsy, made a five-day pilgrimage to the holy sites of Sinai, Cairo, and Alexandria.[20] At the Monastery of St. Catherine an exception was made for the Nizhny Novgorod pilgrims — they were permitted to hold a service. At the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church held in Moscow from 3 to 8 October 2004, a decision was made to glorify the Diveevo blessed ones Pelagia, Paraskeva, and Maria among the saints of the whole Church; following the council, Bishop George of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas announced that, once reliquaries had been made, the relics of the blessed ones that had been found would be placed in the Kazan Church of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery.[1]

Bishops

Over 330 years, the Nizhny Novgorod see has been governed by 48 bishops.

1937–1941 — the see was vacant.

  • Filaret (June 2, 1672 — March 7, 1686)
  • Pavel (March 7, 1686 — September 26, 1696)
  • Trifily (Inikhov) (1696 — July 20, 1699)
  • Isaiah (July 23, 1699 — June 1708)
  • Silvestr (Volynsky) (September 14, 1708 — March 5, 1719)
  • Pitirim (March 23, 1719 — May 8, 1738)
  • Ioann (Dubinsky) (February 25, 1739 — September 1, 1742)
  • Dimitry (Sechenov) (September 12, 1742 — August 9, 1748)
  • Veniamin (Putsek-Grigorovich) (August 14, 1748 — February 28, 1753)
  • Feofan (Charnutsky) (March 14, 1753 — June 1, 1773)
  • Antony (Gerasimov-Zybelin) (July 9, 1773 — April 25, 1782)
  • Ioasaf (Zabolotsky) (May 16, 1782 — September 22, 1783)
  • Damaskin (Rudnev) (September 22, 1783 — January 12, 1794)
  • Pavel (Ponomarev) (February 12, 1794 — October 26, 1798)
  • Veniamin (Krasnopevkov) (October 26, 1798 — March 16, 1811)
  • Moisey (Bliznetsov-Platonov) (May 28, 1811 — January 10, 1825)
  • Samuil (Zapolsky-Platonov) (1825—1826), acting administrator
  • Mefody (Sokolov) (February 28 — October 19, 1826)
  • Afanasy (Protopopov) (October 13, 1826 — January 24, 1832)
  • Amvrosy (Morev) (February 1, 1832 — January 19, 1835)
  • Ioann (Dobrozrakov) (January 19, 1835 — January 13, 1847)
  • Iakov (Vecherkov) from 1847 to 1850.
  • Ieremia (Solovyov) from 1851 to June 11, 1857.)
  • Antony (Pavlinsky) (July 20, 1857 — September 29, 1860
  • Nektary (Nadezhdin) (September 22, 1860 — January 21, 1869)
  • Filaret (Malyshevsky) (February 28, 1869 — February 7, 1873)
  • Ioannikiy (Rudnev) (June 13, 1873 — December 8, 1877)
  • Khrisanf (Retivtsev) (December 8, 1877 — May 23, 1879)
  • Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Makary (Mirolyubov) (May 23, 1879 — June 7, 1885)
  • Modest (Strelbitsky) (June 7, 1885 — November 25, 1889)
  • Vladimir (Petrov) (November 25, 1889 — May 7, 1892)
  • Vladimir (Nikolsky) (May 7, 1892 — December 29, 1900)
  • Nazary (Kirillov) (January 20, 1901 — August 13, 1910)
  • Ioakim (Levitsky) from 1910 to 1918.
  • Lavrenty (Knyazev), Bishop of Balakhna, vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, served as acting administrator from 1917 to 1918.
  • Evdokim (Meshchersky) from 1918 to 1924.
  • Sergy (Stragorodsky) from March 31, 1924 to April 27, 1934.
  • Evgeny (Zernov) (May 1934 — May 1935)
  • Feofan (Tulyakov) (November 12, 1935 — October 4, 1937). On September 21, 1937, Metropolitan Feofan was sentenced to death by the NKVD Special Troika for Gorky Region. On October 4 of the same year, the sentence was carried out.
  • 1937—1941: no bishops were appointed
  • Sergy (Grishin) (November/December 1941 — May 20, 1942)
  • Andrey (Komarov) (May 28 — July 13, 1942)
  • Sergy (Grishin) (July 13, 1942 — October 14, 1943)
  • Zinovy (Krasovsky) (1944 — November 18, 1948)
  • Kornily (Popov) (November 18, 1948 — August 14, 1961)
  • Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Nikolay (Kutepov)
  • Ioann (Alekseev) (August 14, 1961 — May 1965)
  • Mstislav (Volonsevich) (May 25, 1965 — January 14, 1966)
  • Flavian (Dmitriyuk) (July 7, 1966 — March 3, 1977)
  • Nikolay (Kutepov) from June 11, 1977 to June 21, 2001. In memory of Metropolitan Nikolay (Kutepov), who headed the Nizhny Novgorod see from 1977 to 2001, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Public Foundation "In Memory of Metropolitan Nikolay of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas" was established; its standing council includes six board members, among them the secretary of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, Archpriest Nikolay Bykov. The Foundation in memory of Metropolitan Nikolay organized photo exhibitions devoted to the bishop's pastoral ministry, engaged in publishing, and also assisted in the construction and restoration of churches of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese. The tomb of Metropolitan Nikolay (Kutepov) is located behind the altar of the Savior-Transfiguration (Old Yarmarka) Cathedral in Nizhny Novgorod; every year on the day of his memory the Divine Liturgy and a memorial service are held there.[2]
  • Evgeny (Zhdan) (acting from June 21, 2001) from March 2002 to October 11, 2002.
  • Georgy (Danilov) (since December 26, 2002)

Interesting Facts

  • The website (archive) of the Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Diocese, launched in 1996, became the first Orthodox Christian website in Russia.
  • Metropolitan Feofan (Tulyakov) of Gorky and Arzamas was arrested on 25 July 1937, placed in the special block of the Nizhny Novgorod prison, and subjected to torture — among other things, he was held in a basement cell that was flooded with water. Feofan's case file contains virtually no handwritten records (apart from standard questionnaires). The only typewritten record, dated 31 August 1937, is signed by the bishop (although doubts about the authenticity of the signature also exist). In it, the prelate admitted his guilt "in creating a fascist organization on the territory of Gorky Region." In the indictment, the 73-year-old metropolitan was also charged with other crimes — arranging a fire at a tallow-rendering plant and spying for England. On 4 October the metropolitan was shot. The place where the bishop was shot and buried remains unknown to this day.[3]
  • On Epiphany Eve, 18 January 2010, pre-revolutionary church vestments were donated to the Church Archaeological Museum of the History of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese from the holdings of the Gorky Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Drama Theatre. The vestments had been used as theatrical props and had been kept in the theatre's costume workshop since before the war.

Contacts

See Also

The education system of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese includes six Orthodox kindergartens (820 pupils), nine Orthodox gymnasiums and the Diveevo Monastery School (4,462 students in total), as well as the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary and the "Pokrov" Center for the Training of Church Specialists named after Metropolitan Nikolay (Kutepov); the diocese's parishes run 130 Sunday schools, including 45 for adults.[4]

Since 2010, the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese has had an Association of Choir Directors; mandatory accreditation was introduced for Nizhny Novgorod choir directors in 2025, and from 2026 accreditation also extends to the diocese's deaneries.[4]

The diocese's annual cultural and educational events include the Christmas Choral Assembly at the Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, the International Festival and Competition of Orthodox and Patriotic Song "Arzamas Domes" in Arzamas, and the International Folklore Festival "Crystal Spring" in the selo of Sartakovo.[4]

Sources

  1. nne.ru — At the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in Moscow from 3 to 8 October 2004, a decision was made to glorify as saints of the whole Church (archive)
  2. nne.ru — In memory of Metropolitan Nikolay (Kutepov), who headed the Nizhny Novgorod See from 1977 to 2001, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Public Foundation "Mem (archive)
  3. drevo-info.ru — Feofan (Tulyakov) // The "Drevo" Open Orthodox Encyclopedia
  4. nne.ru — As of the end of 2025, the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese had 412 active churches and 330 clergymen. The diocese has 9 monasteries — 5 men's (archive)