Leonid (Polyakov)

Born on February 19 ( March 4 ), 1913 in St. Petersburg , in a Jewish family that converted to Orthodoxy ^[1] . Father was a doctor. He received religious education, as a teenager he was a member of the Alexander Nevsky Brotherhood, together with the future Metropolitan John (Wendland), Archbishop Nikon (Fomichev) and other future clergy.

In 1939 he graduated from the Leningrad Medical Institute , worked as a general practitioner. Member of the Finnish and World War II, awarded the Order of the Patriotic War II degree, medals "For military merits" , "For the defense of Leningrad" , "For participation in the Great Patriotic War".

During the Patriotic War, he worked in a hospital near Leningrad, and regularly transferred provisions (part of his increased rations) to Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) (future Patriarch) of Leningrad, who shared all the burdens of the blockade with his flock. At the end of the war, he was sent to a hospital where prisoners of concentration camps underwent treatment and rehabilitation. Before him, several doctors had already succeeded there, who received a lot of complaints, so he was instructed to figure out what was the matter. Vladyka liked to recall how he almost immediately realized that people who had gone through the horror of imprisonment wanted to leave the hospital, not one at a time, but together. And he began to look closely, find out who was friends with whom, and began to write out such “comrades” at the same time (a little overexposure of some, and letting others out a little bit untreated). Complaints immediately ceased.

On November 13, 1949, he was ordained a deacon , and a week later he was ordained a priest by Metropolitan Grigory (Chukov) of Leningrad. In 1952 he graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy as an external student. On September 1, 1952, he received monastic tonsure. Since 1953 - Associate Professor of the Leningrad Theological Academy.

From 1957 to 1959, in the rank of archimandrite, he was an inspector of Moscow theological seminaries and academies, and taught homiletics . Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov , who entered the seminary in 1957, recalled the conversation with him: “He began to talk with me. “My dear, dear, and from what time in the Komsomol?” - “I'm not in the Komsomol.” - "How?! Why did you come here ?! So, you were considered unworthy of the Komsomol? Why are you here ?! And what do you feel about the Komsomol, tell me? Who raises the construction site of the North? Komsomol! Who is BAM building? Komsomol! Why did you come here ?! ”I was just taken aback, I was very confused. And I say: “All the same, there must be unbelievers in the Komsomol ...” ” ^[2]

In January 1959 he defended his master's thesis "Schiarchimandrite Paisiy Velichkovsky and his literary activity", then he was awarded the title of professor. He introduced the obligatory daily sermon in the Intercession Academic Church (and not only students, but also teachers preached). In addition, he replaced the dictation in the entrance exam with the passage of the passage from the Gospel, which allowed us to “screen out” those who were incompetent in church matters who were sent to the seminary by the authorities. He was elected an honorary member of the Moscow Theological Academy . Doctor of Church History ( 1964 ).

On June 11, 1959 he was elevated to the rank of bishop of Kursk and Belgorod.

On April 9, 1962, at the suggestion of Patriarch Alexy I, he was appointed Bishop of Mozhaisk , Vicar of the Moscow Diocese , as well as Chairman of the Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate and Rector of the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral . According to the decree of Patriarch Alexy I of April 29 of the same year, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop ^on Easter ^[3] . An initiative, active bishop, speaking brilliant sermons and knowing how to attract young people, was immediately noticed by the authorities, and a year later he was transferred from Moscow.

Since August 5, 1963 - Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov .

Since May 20, 1964 - Archbishop of Perm and Solikamsk . He played a large role in providing the parishes of the Perm diocese with liturgical literature, when the need for it was very acute. On July 7, 1966, he was appointed temporary administrator of the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk diocese (until October of that year).

October 8, 1966 transferred to the Riga and Latvian departments . He invited educated people from Moscow and St. Petersburg to his diocese for possible ordination as priests and further service. He was respected by the parishioners. On September 7, 1979, Patriarch Pimen was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan ^[4] . He provided patronage to the popular among believers, Archimandrite Tavrion (Batoz) , who during his administration of the diocese became the confessor of the Transfiguration Desert of the Riga Nunnery near Jelgava .

• Hieroschimonhos Ambrose of Optina and its significance in the history of Russian monasticism.
• Textbook of Moral Theology as applied to the standard program of theological seminary.
• A course of lectures on the history of the Russian Church, delivered at the Leningrad Theological Academy in 1953-1957.
• Schiarchimandrite Paisiy Velichkovsky and his literary activity (Master's thesis).

• Shkarovsky M.V. Alexander Nevsky Brotherhood 1918-1932 . SPb., 2003.

• Order of Friendship of Peoples ( June 3, 1988 ) - for active peacekeeping and in connection with the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Russia ^[5] .

• Leonid (Polyakov) on the site "Russian Orthodoxy"