Maykop and Adyghe diocese

For the first time, Christian dogma in the western part of the North Caucasus appeared in the 1st century thanks to the works of Andrew the First-Called and Simon Kananit .

Ancient times

According to church tradition, the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the year 40 from the Nativity of Christ preached Christianity among the mountain peoples: Alans , Abazgs and Zikhs . Here the apostle Simon Kananit also preached, whose grave, according to church tradition, is located in the city of Nikopsis (n. Novomykhailovsky of the Krasnodar Territory or the city of New Athos ), located between Abkhazia and Dzhigeti. At the beginning of the 1st century AD e. they preached in Mingrelia and on the territory of the Kuban near the Black Sea zikhs and Bosporyans. Moreover, according to legend, most of the Narts were Christians. In total, five holy apostles visited the Caucasus with a sermon: Andrew the First-Called, Matthew , Judas Thaddeus (nicknamed Levi), Bartholomew and an apostle from seventy Thaddeus .

In the first centuries AD e. Adyghe tribes had close trade ties with the Bosporus , Byzantium , Iberia , Albania . The Great Silk Road route passed through the North Caucasus . In the era of the emperor Justinian ( 525 - 527 ), the position of Byzantium in the North Caucasus was further strengthened: in particular, the former Bosporus kingdom became its province. The beginning of the Circassian conversion to Christianity and the appearance of Greek missionaries in the Caucasus dates back to this time. Byzantium made great efforts to spread Christianity in the Northwest Caucasus. The Adygs Christian priests - “Shogeni” (“Sheujen”) and bishops (“Shekhnik”), mentioned in many Adyghe legends - took measures to spread the Christianity of the Greek rite.

Saint John Chrysostom was exiled here, who in 407 in the city of Comany near Sukhum found his blessed death. The territory occupied by the Circassians was spiritually subordinate to 4 dioceses, the bishops of which were appointed by Byzantium. In Zikhia, these diocesan centers were located in Fanagoria , Metraha (Tamatarha) , and Nikopsis . The documents of the Tsaregrad Cathedral in 518 bear the signature of the Bishop of Phanagorius John, and in the materials of the Council of Constantinople the name of the Zikhi bishop Damian is found. Great influence on the process of Christianization of the North Caucasus during this period begins to have Georgia , which managed to subordinate the Circassians in the church respect. The 6th Ecumenical Council subordinated Ossetia and Circassia to the Georgian Patriarchal Throne . The charter of the emperor Leo the Wise ( 849 - 911 ) refers to the existence of the Tamatarch and Nicopsian archdioceses and mentions the Alan metropolis . Soon, Greek influence in the North Caucasus was replaced by the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church , whose educational activities began immediately after the baptism of Russia . By the end of the 10th century, the Greeks ceded their influence in this region to the Russians. Prince Mstislav the Brave in 1022 erected a church here in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, in memory of the victory over the Prince of Kazozh Rededey. Together with the founding of the Principality of Tmutarakan in the North Caucasus, the first Russian diocese arose, which lasted about a hundred years. The first Russian bishop Nikolai was appointed here in 1008 . Rev. Nikon, future abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery , founded a monastery in Tmutarakan where he spent 10 years of his life. Among the Caucasian peoples, Christianity was most common among the Alans . The Alanian Metropolitanate took the 61st place in the Constantinople Patriarchate after the Russian Metropolitan. It is known that Maximus the Confessor was imprisoned in the Alanian fortress of Shimamr, the current Khumar. The arrival of the Mongols in the 13th century shocked the Alanian state and led to the abolition of the Alanian metropolis. At the same time, the role of the Zikhi- Matrakh diocese, elevated to the rank of metropolis, increased in the North Caucasus. In the XIII century in the North Caucasus appeared the Genoese , professing Catholicism. In 1346, the Zikhi Catholic Diocese was organized here and a bishop, Franciscan John, was appointed. However, the success of Catholics among the local population was insignificant. Speaking about this period, Schiltberger wrote: "The land of the Circassians is inhabited by Christians professing the Greek faith." Back in 1396, Metropolitan Joseph of Zikhia-Matrakh had his residence in Matrakh ( Taman ). With the arrival of the Turks in the Caucasus in the 15th century , Islam was planted among the Caucasian peoples with fire and sword. With the strengthening of the Russian state, ambassadors of Circassian Circassians repeatedly came to Moscow asking for help. They expressed a desire to restore Christianity among their people, but the tragic events of the troubled times in the Russian state prevented the provision of assistance to the mountain peoples.

XVII — XVIII centuries

In 1602, the Astrakhan diocese was founded, which for a long time extended its jurisdiction to the parishes of the North Caucasus. The first Astrakhan bishop Theodosius had the title "Astrakhan and Tersky" by the name of the two main cities of the diocese. Since the middle of the XVII century. Terki is the main center of Orthodoxy in the North Caucasus. In 1664 there were already two churches and a monastery. By decree of Peter I in 1723 , the name " Stavropol " is introduced in the title of Astrakhan Bishops. In 1745 , the Ossetian Spiritual Commission was created in Kizlyar , which laid the foundation for missionary activity among the Caucasian peoples. In 1703 , the Mozdok -Madzhar vicar diocese was organized and the Ossetian Spiritual Commission was simultaneously abolished. The choice of the Holy Synod fell on Archimandrite Gaia (Baratashvili - Tokaev), who was ordained bishop . In 1799 , this diocese was abolished due to the small number of churches, as stated in the report of the Holy Synod. By this time, the Mozdok diocese consisted of 75 churches and 73 houses of worship, its staff consisted of 160 priests. Since 1792 , the Black Sea Cossacks moved to the Kuban . Their spiritual feeding is entrusted to the bishop of Theodosia and Mariupol Job (1794).

XIX century

In 1799, the new bishop of Theodosius Christopher visited the Kuban. And in 1824, the opening of the spiritual school in Stavropol. In 1829, the Don Diocese was formed. The first bishop Athanasius received the title of "Novocherkassk and St. George." All Orthodox parishes of the North Caucasus began to become subordinate to the Don Diocese.

April 4, 1842 establishes a new diocese, called the Caucasus and Black Sea , whose cathedral city is determined by Stavropol. The first bishop of the Caucasus was Bishop Jeremiah (Soloviev , 1843 - 1849 ), who was distinguished by a deep theological education and an ascetic life. To develop theological education on July 20, 1846, the Stavropol Theological Seminary was established. In the incomplete 7 years during which Bishop Jeremiah was at the head of the Stavropol diocese , it achieved great development, and all subsequent pre-revolutionary Caucasian archpastors followed the path trodden by Bishop Jeremiah. Since 1863, the title of the Caucasian bishop has changed to "Caucasian and Ekaterinodar."

The indigenous population of the region - Adygs , the remnants of Christianity remained until the end of the Caucasian War , leaving its mark in some rites and modern vocabulary, for example, in the names of the days of the week: Wednesday - “bereskyazhy”, Friday - “beresheshyu”, descending on behalf of Paraskeva Friday and Sunday - Thaumafe, or "Divine Day." From Georgian into the Adyghe language, the word "jore" (from "jvari") - cross.

In 1885, the Caucasian diocese was divided into the Stavropol , Vladikavkaz and Sukhum dioceses (the parishes from Anapa to Sochi were transferred to the latter). The first bishop of Stavropol and Yekaterinodar was Bishop Vladimir (Petrov , 1886-1889). At this time, there is a rapid increase in the number of parishes, monasteries and theological schools of the diocese. In 1887, 350 acres of land were allocated in the yurt of the village of Kamennomostskaya to create a monastery - the St. Michael's Athos Zakuban Desert .

XX — XXI centuries

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Caucasian diocese numbered 425 churches, of which 113 were in the Stavropol province , 220 in the Kuban region , 77 in the Terek region , 15 in the Black Sea district . Given the difficulties in administering the vast diocese, the Holy Synod in 1907 opened the Yeisk Vicariate , appointing Bishop John (Levitsky) there .

In 1919, already during the civil war, a church cathedral was held in Stavropol, one of the solutions of which was the formation of the Ekaterinodar diocese . During the period of revolutionary upheavals and during the years of Soviet power, the Orthodox Church in the North Caucasus is in a difficult situation. In the 1920s, the Maikop Vicariate of the Ekaterinodar diocese existed. In 1920 the lands of St. Michael's Monastery were confiscated, and in 1926 the GPU rest house began to work on the territory of the monastery. In 1928 the monastery was finally closed.

In the late 20-30s of the XX century, most churches in the territory of the modern diocese were closed. In the 70-80s, temples operated only in Maykop , Natyrbovo and Giaginskaya .

On May 28, 1991, the Maikop deanery of the Krasnodar diocese with the center in Maykop was established within the borders of the Adygea Autonomous Region . The modern Orthodox diocese in Adygea was established by the decision of the Holy Synod of February 26, 1994 as "Maykop and Armavir." She was subordinate to the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Adygea and the southern part of the Krasnodar Territory , and on October 5, 1994, 4 parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Armenia . The new diocese included 72 parishes. Since July 1995, Bishop Filaret (Karagodin) (1995-2000) was appointed Bishop of Maykop and Armavir. In 1996, an important event took place in the life of the diocese - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II visited Adygea. During the existence of the Maykop-Armavir diocese, the number of parishes has steadily increased. As of December 1998, the Maykop-Armavir diocese consisted of 111 parishes, which were divided into 7 deaneries.

By the decision of the Synod of December 28, 2000, the parishes of the diocese on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory were transferred “to the archpastoral ministry of the archbishop of Krasnodar and Novorossiysk Isidor ” ^[1] ; The diocese was limited only to parishes in the Republic of Adygea .

On April 12, 2001, part of the monastery buildings of the former St. Michael's Monastery were transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. In September 2001, Hieromonk Martyriy (Pyantin) was appointed rector of the monastery. The monastery resumed its activities. Since the beginning of the 2000s, the de facto Orthodox clergy of Abkhazia have been in charge of the Maykop diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 27, 2009 , the bishop of Yeisk, Tikhon (Lobkovsky) , vicar of the Ekaterinodar diocese, was appointed the ruling bishop of the Maikop and Adygea diocese .

Maykop Vicarism of the Kuban Diocese

• Varlaam (Lazarenko) (fall 1925-1927)

Maykop and Armavir diocese

• Alexander (Timofeev) (February 26, 1994 - July 17, 1995)
• Filaret (Karagodin) (July 17, 1995 - December 28, 2000)

Maykop and Adyghe diocese

• Panteleimon (Kutovoi) (December 28, 2000 - May 27, 2009)
• Tikhon (Lobkovsky) (from May 27, 2009)

Adygean Deanery - p. Enem

• St. Seraphim of Sarov - p. Enem
• St. George the Victorious - Adygeisk
• St. Nicholas, Archbishop of the World of Lycian - n. Krasnensky
• St. Panteleimon the Healer - n. New
• St. George the Victorious - x. New Garden
• St. Ignatius Brianchaninov - a. New Adygea
• Blessed Xenia of Petersburg - p. Prikubansky
• Icons of the Mother of God "Akhtyrskaya" - x. Psekups
• Icons of the Mother of God of "All Who Sorrow Joy" - x. Supovsky
• Icons of the Mother of God “The Horny” - n. Tlyustenable
• St. Stephen the First Martyr - p. Chomuty
• Forty Martyrs of Sebaste - x. Shevchenko
• New Martyrs and Confessors in the Russian land shone - p. Yablonovsky
• St. Sergius of Radonezh - p. Yablonovsky

Giaginsky deanery - Art. Giaginskaya

• Holy Apostles Peter and Paul - p. Freestyle
• St. Michael the Archangel - Art. Giaginskaya
• Icons of the Mother of God "Smolenskaya" - p. Goncharka
• St. Elijah the Prophet - Art. Dondukovskaya
• St. Ignatius Brianchaninov - x. Ignatievsky
• Protection of the Mother of God - Art. Kelermes
• Life-giving Cross of the Lord - x. Kartsev
• Saints and Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena - a. Koshekhable
• Icons of the Mother of God "Sign" - p. Maisky
• Protection of the Mother of God - p. Sergievskoe
• Icons of the Mother of God "Iverskaya" - n. New
• Protection of the Mother of God - p. Natyrbovo

Dakhov Deanery - Art. Dakhovskaya

• St. George the Victorious - st. Dakhovskaya
• Protection of the Mother of God - Art. Abadzekh
• Assumption of the Mother of God - Art. Waterless
• Nativity of the Virgin - Art. Dagestan
• St. Michael the Archangel - Art. Kurdzhip
• St. Demetrius of Solunsky - p. Kamennomostsky
• Exaltation of the Holy Cross - p. May Day
• Nativity of the Virgin - Art. Sevastopol

The First Maykop Deanery - Maykop

• - Maykop
• Assumption Cathedral - Maykop
• St. Michael the Archangel - Maykop
• Resurrection of the Lord - Maykop
• Icons of the Mother of God "Sovereign" - Maykop
• St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Lycian World - Maykop
• St. Sergius of Radonezh - Maykop
• Assumption of the Mother of God - x. Haverdovsky
• Praises of the Blessed Virgin Mary - x. Red Ulka
• St. Alexander Nevsky - v. Krasnooktyabrsky
• St. Spyridon of Trimyphuntes - p. Rodnikovy
• Protection of the Mother of God - Art. Khansky

The second Maikop deanery - p. Tula

• St. Nicholas, Archbishop of the World of Lycian - n. Tula
• St. George the Victorious - Maykop
• Saint Tamara, Queen of Georgia - Maykop
• Icons of the Mother of God "Kazan" - Maykop
• Icons of the Mother of God "Kazan" - Art. Kuzhorskaya
• St. Panteleimon the Healer - n. Timiryazev

Nikolaev deanery - with. Krasnogvardeiskoe

• St. Nicholas, Archbishop of the World of Lycian - p. Krasnogvardeiskoe
• Of the Holy Martyr Tryphon - p. Bolshesidorovskoe
• St. Panteleimon the Healer - x. Dukmasov
• Saints and Equal to the Apostles Constantine and Helena - p. Elenovskoe
• Icons of the Mother of God "The Horny One" - a. Hatukai
• Icons of the Mother of God "Burning Cupid" - x. Chernyshev
• Protection of the Mother of God - p. White

St. Michael's Athos Zakuban male sociable desert

Temples - courtyards of the monastery:

• St. Nicholas, Archbishop of the World of Lycian - p. Beregovoe ( Gelendzhik , territorially located in the Yekaterinodar diocese is part of the Maikop and Adygea diocese.
• Of the Holy Prophet and Forerunner of the Lord John the Baptist - p. New cool
• Holy Martyrs Guria, Samon, Aviv - p. Hamishki
• Saint and Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir - s. Ust-Sahrai

Convent in the name of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God - Maykop

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• Maykop and Adyghe diocese
• Maykop and Adyghe diocese on the website of the Patriarchy.Ru