Sergiy (Stragorodsky) was a prominent hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church who held the Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky) see in the 1920s–1930s and subsequently became Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. During his Nizhny Novgorod period he bore the title of Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod and simultaneously served as Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens, making him the de facto head of the entire Russian Orthodox Church while residing permanently in Moscow.
The Nizhny Novgorod See
As Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod, Sergiy (Stragorodsky) headed the diocese de jure but remained continuously in Moscow owing to his all-church duties as Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens. The practical administration of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Diocese during this period was carried out by Bishop Alexander (Pokhvalinsky) of Bogorodsk, who served as acting head until 11 February 1934.
The Declaration of 1927 and Church Disputes
In 1927 Sergiy (Stragorodsky) issued a declaration proclaiming the Church's loyalty to Soviet Power. The document provoked sharp disagreements within church circles and led to the formation of an opposition among the clergy. In particular, Bishop Zinoviy (Drozdov), arrested in September 1927 and held in Arzamas (disambiguation), joined the opposition after his release: during an OGPU interrogation in 1932 he characterized Metropolitan Sergiy as a man who had fundamentally misunderstood the relationship between the Church and the state.
Chairmanship of the Holy Synod
Sergiy (Stragorodsky) chaired the Holy Synod and signed its resolutions on clerical matters. On 19 October 1933, for instance, the Synod under his chairmanship passed a resolution depriving the former Nizhny Novgorod cleric Leontiy (Ustinov) of holy orders, monasticism, and membership of the clergy, following his conviction by a civil court for a criminal offence.
Sources
Based on materials from articles (3)
Zinovy (Drozdov), Leontiy (Ustinov), Alexander (Pokhvalinsky)