Crimea, January 20, 2026
Photo: rtvi.com
His Eminence Metropolitan Lazar, the former hierarch of Simferopol and Crimea, reposed in the Lord on January 17, at the age of 86, reports Patriarchia.ru.
He headed the Church in Crimea for more than 30 years, from 1992 to 2023.
His funeral was served in the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Simferopol yesterday.
May Met. Lazar’s memory be eternal!
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Met. Lazarus was born on April 22, 1939, in the village of Komarin, Ternopil Province, Ukraine, into a peasant family.
When he was 15, he became a novice at the Holy Spirit Skete of the Holy Dormition-Pochaev Lavra, then served at the Holy Dormition Monastery of Zhirovichi. From 1958 to 1961, he served in the Soviet Army.
In 1964, he graduated from Odessa Theological Seminary, and in 1968 from Leningrad Theological Academy with a PhD in theology. From 1968 to 1971, he studied in the graduate program at Moscow Theological Academy and carried out obediences in the Department for External Church Relations.
On March 5, 1971, he was ordained to the diaconate, and on March 12 of that year to the priesthood. He served at the Holy Protection Convent and St. Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev.
On July 25, 1975, he was assigned to the clergy of the Argentine Diocese, serving as secretary to the Archbishop of Argentina and South America.
In 1978, he was elevated to the rank of archpriest.
On April 1, 1980, he was tonsured a monk at the Pochaev Lavra, and on April 7 was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
On April 18, 1980, he was consecrated Bishop of Argentina and South America and appointed Patriarchal Exarch for Central and South America. On June 20, 1985, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
On April 10, 1989, he was appointed to the Ternopil Diocese. From February 11, 1991, he served as Archbishop of Odessa and Kherson.
From July 27, 1992, he served as Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea.
On November 25, 2000, he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan.
On May 6, 2012, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine granted him the right to wear a second Panagia.
On June 7, 2022, in response to appeals from Met. Lazar and the other Crimean hierarchs, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved to accept the Crimean dioceses into the direct jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod. Met. Lazarus was appointed head of the newly formed Crimean Metropolia.
By decision of the Holy Synod on October 11, 2023, he was retired with material support from the Simferopol Diocesan Administration.
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