In 1992, after the declaration of state independence of the Republic of Latvia, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to grant self-government to the Latvian Orthodox Church. Serious work was ahead of her leadership. One of those whose merits in the development of the Orthodox Church of independent Latvia is difficult to overestimate is Alexander Kudryashov, whose article is dedicated to the biographies and achievements of this article.
early years
The future Metropolitan of Riga and All Latvia, Alexander (Kudryashov) was born in 1939 in the village of Rudzaty, Preili district, in a religious family.
In 1964, he received a diploma from the Pedagogical Institute of the city of Daugavpils, where he studied at the Faculty of History and Philology. Then, for several years, Vladyka taught at Russian secondary schools, teaching the Russian language and literature.
The hard way to calling
In the late 1970s, Alexander Kudryashov decided to fulfill his long-standing desire and become an Orthodox priest.
In the Soviet period, although the church was officially separated from the state, it was under its most severe control. In this regard, the then Metropolitan of Riga and Latvia Leonid had to turn to the Council for Religious Affairs, acting under the Council of Ministers of the Latvian SSR with the question of the possibility of the ordination of Kudryashov to the holy dignity. The response to the request was negative, because officials considered the unacceptable ordination of a school teacher. However, the future metropolitan of the Church of Latvia was not one of those who could be forced to change his mind.
Ordination
Seeing the desire of Alexander Kudryashov to devote himself to church service, Metropolitan Leonid blessed him to resign from his previous place of work and temporarily leave the Latvian SSR. As it turned out later, such a decision was correct. Kudryashov Alexander left for Moscow and entered the theological seminary.
After studying in 1982, he was ordained a deacon, and a few months later - as a presbyter at the St. Elias Church located in the village of Ust-Sons of the Perm Diocese.
Homecoming
At that time, there was a great shortage of priests in the Orthodox churches of the Riga diocese. In 1983, Metropolitan Leonid addressed the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the LSSR. This time he managed to get permission to appoint Alexander Kudryashov as rector of the Transfiguration Church of Riga with the elevation to the rank of archpriest.
A year later, the priest became dean in the temples of Madona and Valmiera districts.
Further Church Activities
In 1985, Alexander Kudryashov was appointed editor of the Orthodox Church Calendar, which was published in Russian and Latvian.
Since 1986, he was a member of the diocesan council. In addition, since 1989, Vladyka has been obedient as the editor of the Bulletin of the Riga-Latvia Diocese, and also dealt with issues related to the publication of the Russian-Latvian church calendar for the flock of the Latvian diocese. Among his achievements in the secular period is the publication of the first Orthodox bilingual prayer book in post-war Latvia.
Despite being very busy, Kudryashov constantly improved his theological knowledge. To this end, he enrolled in extramural studies at the Moscow Theological Seminary, whose diploma he received in 1989.
Consecration to the rank of bishop
In 1989, Metropolitan Leonid filed a petition with the Holy Synod and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. In it, he referred to his advanced age and asked to identify Alexander Ivanovich Kudryashov as bishop of Daugavpils and vicar of the Riga diocese. The application was accepted and granted.
On July 10 of the same year, A. Kudryashov was tonsured a monk, and the next day he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
At the end of July 1989, ordination took place in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral of the Russian capital. It was headed by Metropolitan Juvenal. The solemn service was attended by the metropolitans of Rostov and Novocherkassk, Novosibirsk and Barnaul, Tula and Belevsky, the archbishop of Chuvash and Cheboksary, bishops of Kaluga and Borovsky, Tashkent and Central Asia, Oryol and Bryansk, Kalininsky and Kashinsky, Chisinau and Moldova.
After the granting of self-government to the Latvian Orthodox Church
On September 8, 1990, Metropolitan Leonid passed away. In connection with this woeful event, Alexander Kudryashov was appointed interim manager of the diocese, and after the due time he became bishop of Riga and Latvia.
In August 1992, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church made a historic decision. According to Tomos, signed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, the name of the Latvian Orthodox Church (LPRC) was restored, and it became independent. The municipality concerned administrative, educational and business matters, relations with the state power of Latvia, etc. At the same time, the Church of Latvia on canonical issues remained in the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. At the same time, Alexander Kudryashov remained the head of the LPRC and received the title “Riga and All Latvia”.
