Naum (Ilievsky)

After completing secondary education, he entered the Law Institute “Justinian I” at the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Skopje ^[1] . He was fond of motor sports , chasing the streets of Skopje ^[2] . He graduated from the Theological Institute of St. Clement of Ohrid in Skopje. Actively speaks Greek, English and Russian.

In May 1987 he went to Mount Athos , where he entered into the fraternity of the monastery of Gregoryat on Mount Athos , where in 1991 archimandrite George (Kapsanis) was tonsured a great schema ^[3] with the name Naum in part of Saint Naum of Ohria ^[4] .

In 1993, Metropolitan Alexei of Trikk and Stagon (Michalopoulos) (Hellas Orthodox Church) was ordained to the rank of Hierodeacon .

In 1994, outside Athos, he met with the hierarch of the non-canonical Macedonian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Peter of Prespansko-Pelagonisky (Karevsky) , whom, on behalf of the Synod, the MPC invited Hieromonk Naum to return from Mount Athos and be rector of the monastery in Macedonia. Nahum, after eight years of monastic life on Athos, agrees to go and work hard to revive monasticism in his country, provided that he is ordained bishop ^[4] .

On August 15, 1995, Metropolitan Arzhesky Kallinik (Argatu) (Romanian Orthodox Church) was ordained hieromonk ^[3] .

At the invitation of Metropolitan Peter, he returned to Macedonia and transferred to the non-canonical Macedonian Orthodox Church, where he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite ^[2] and appointed rector of the Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Eleusa in Strumica ^[1] .

On August 27, 1995, he was elected Metropolitan Strumishsky as the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. On August 28, in Strumica, he was ordained bishop of Strumish with the elevation to the rank of Metropolitan . The consecration was headed by the primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Mikhail (Gogov) ^[2] . On August 28 of the same year, the Holy Bishops Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church was enthroned as the ruling Bishop of the Strumitsa diocese with the title of Metropolitan Strumitsky.

He is fond of shooting sports and enjoys a shooting range, which is located near the Strumis Monastery. Interior Minister Luba Boszkowski of the Ministry of the Interior presented Naum with a crossbow during a police festival ^[2] .

On his initiative in 2000, the Orthodox periodical journal Premin began to appear. On his initiative and his labors, the official website of the Macedonian Orthodox Church was launched and maintained ^[5] .

In 2008 he defended his doctoral dissertation "Hesychasm in Athos monasticism of the 20th century" at the Theological Institute at the University of St. Clement of Ohrid in Sofia .

Since 2010, she has been an assistant professor at the Pedagogical Institute at the University of St. Clement of Ohrid in Bitola. In 2015, he completed a course in clinical psychology at the International Slavic University named after Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin in the city of Saint Nicholas and defended his thesis on the “Psychological aspects of loss, longing and overcoming the feeling of losing a family member”.

Member of the Commission of the Macedonian Orthodox Church on negotiations with the Serbian Orthodox Church and other local Orthodox Churches.

Translation from Russian into Greek

• ΑΓΙΟΣ ΜΑΞΙΜΟΣ Ο ΓΡΑΙΚΟΣ Ο ΦΩΤΙΣΤΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΡΩΣΩΝ ("St. Maxim the Greek, Enlightener of Russia"), ΙΕΡΑ ΜΟΝΗ ΟΣΙΟΥ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΟΡΟΥΣ, 1991.

translation from Greek into Macedonian

• “From the mask to the personality” of the Pergamon Metropolitan John D. Zizioulas, 1998
• “On the Spirit and Life” of Elder Sofroniy (Sakharov), 1999
• “Introduction to Monastic Life” by Elder Paisius, 1999
• "Hesychast Testimonies" by Elder Joseph Spileot, 1999
• "St. Gregory Palamas and Orthodox Mysticism" by John Mayendorf, 2001
• “Teachings in Jesus Prayer” by Elder Ephraim of Philotheos, 2001

In 2000, he received the “Archbishop Gavril” award for translating the book “Hesychast Testimonies” from the Greek language at the publishing house of St. Leontius Monastery p. Vodka The award is established by the Union of Literary Translators of Macedonia for the most successful translation of spiritual literature. Honorary member of the Society of Writers R. Macedonia.

Own works

To date, 13 books have been announced with pastoral letters, letters, conversations, interviews, and the ascetic-hesychast essays of the Strumitsky Metropolitan Naum:

• “Orthodox Church and Union”, 1992
• The Word from Eleusa , 2001
• “A Word from Vodocha” , 2002
• Clash with the absurd, 2007
• “And I won’t tell you ...” , 2008
• “Hesychasm in Athos monasticism of the 20th century (Mindful prayer in harmony with the ascetic-hesychast feat)”, 2009
• "Do not know what your spirit" , 2010
• "School of Hesychasm - primary" , 2011
• Fruitful Virginity , 2012
• “One only needs” , 2013
• Overcoming Dualism , 2014
• “The transition from the spiritual to the spiritual,” 2015
• “New personal relationships”, 2016.

Books in electronic form in English have been announced: “And I won’t tell you ...” and “One only needs to be”

The book “And I Will Not Tell You ...” has been translated and announced in Romanian and Bulgarian.

Since 2000, on his initiative and his efforts, the Orthodox periodical Transition has been prepared and published. Preparation and functioning of the official web page of the Macedonian Orthodox Church - The Ohrid Archbishopric - his initiative and work.

The outpatient reception, treatment and long-term treatment center for St. Elizabeth’s addiction diseases in Strumica and the Pokrov therapeutic center in the village of Vodocha are also the result of his personal involvement and care.

Scientific Symposiums

• Scientific symposium on the 2000th anniversary of Christianity: “Christianity in the culture and art of the Strumitsa diocese”, in a monastery in Vodocha, in August 2000, at which he delivered the opening talk “Conversation in Vodocha”;
• The scientific symposium "Skopje between ancient and modern times", as part of the demonstration "Days of Justinian 1", Skopje, May 11-13, 2006, on the theme: "The role of Tsar Justinian the First in the continuity of organized spiritual life in Macedonia";
• IV Macedonian Psychiatric Congress with international participation, Ohrid, May 27-31, 2009, on the topic: "Fundamentals of Orthodox psychotherapy";
• International Symposium “The Trialogue between Abrahamic Religions: Judaism-Christianity-Islam (Reopening Open Traditions and Values)”, Sofia University, November 13-15, 2009, on the topic: “The Role and Function of the Religious Leader in the Orthodox Church;
• International scientific conference "1100th anniversary of the repose of St. Naum of Ohrid", Ohrid, October 3-5, 2010, in the organization of the MPTs-OA, on the theme: "Fatherly pushing - disclosing the inner spiritual life of St. Naum of Ohrid";
• International scientific conference “Saint Naum of Ohrid and Slavic spiritual, cultural and written traditions”, in Ohrid, November 4-7, 2010, in the organization of the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius Skopje, on the subject: “Saint Naum of Ohrid and the essential continuity of Christian tradition” ;
• Applications (Official Journal of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts), Macedonian Academy of Science and Art, Department of Medical Sciences, Skopje, on the subject: “Basics of the Ascetical (Christian) Psychotherapy”, ISSN 1857-9345, XXXVI 1, Skopje, 2015, pp. 165-173;
• 4th PAR International Leadership Conference: “Change Leadership: Key to Successful Growth”, Opatija, Croatia, March 13-14, 2015, on the topic: “Spiritual Crisis of Leadership”;
• The second international scientific conference "On the Soul" Skopje, June 1-3, 2016, in the organization of the Society of Comparative Literature of Macedonia, Skopje, on the topic: "The Orthodox aspect of the soul, with a special look at the differences between the mind and the mind";
• DGPPN Congress, Berlin, 2016, “Psyche-Mensch-Gesellschaft”, November 23-26, 2016, CityCube Berlin, on the topic: “Basics of Christian Psychotherapy - Integration of Psychology and Spirituality in the Psychotherapy”;
• DGPPN Congress, Berlin, 2016, “Psyche-Mensch-Gesellschaft”, November 23-26, 2016, CityCube Berlin, entitled “Therapeutic Community POKROV - Integrative Concept in the Treatment of Addictions and Hazard”;
• 13th International Conference on Social Sciences, Vienna, 6-7 October 2017, “Sociological Dimensions of the FCP Method according to Christian Psychotherapy in Coping with Stress and Suffering”, European Center for Science Education and Research, Conference Proceedings, Volume I, p. 183-188.

• Macedonian Orthodox Church - Ohrid Archdiocese
• Premin portal