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Archbishop VasiliyBishop of the Ukrainian Exarchate and its successor, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Date of Birth: 23.05.1928
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
Birth and Early Life
Bishop Vasyl (Zaporozhets) was born on May 23, 1928, in the village of Mitske, Volyn Voivodeship, Poland (now Derazhnia Raion, Rivne Oblast, Ukraine). His father was a priest. He received his primary education in a Polish school.
In 1947, after completing school, Vasyl entered the third year of the Volyn Theological Seminary. In 1949, he enrolled in the Moscow Theological Academy, graduating in 1953 with a Candidate of Theology degree for his dissertation on Uniatism in Southwestern Russia during the time of Metropolitan Peter Mogila of Kyiv.
From 1953 to 1957, Vasyl taught New Testament, biblical history, and church singing at the Volyn Seminary. In 1957, he was ordained as a deacon by Bishop Sergius (Larin) of Astrakhan.
On October 18, 1964, Vasyl was ordained as a priest by Bishop Bartholomew (Gondarovsky) of Saratov and Volgograd. He served as the rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Saratov. In 1967, he was elevated to the rank of protoierei (archpriest).
In 1971, Vasyl became a widower. In the same year, he was removed from his position and deregistered as a priest due to negative press publications. However, Archbishop Pimen (Khmelevsky) of Saratov and Volgograd resolved the conflict, and Vasyl resumed his priesthood at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Saratov. From 1973 to 1988, he served again as the dean of the Saratov District.
In 1989, Protoierei Vasyl was ordained as Bishop of Kirovograd and Mykolaiv. His episcopal consecration took place on December 1, 1989, in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv.
Bishop Vasyl served as the archbishop of Kirovograd and Alexandriya until his death. He was known for his strong preaching and leadership skills.
