Bishop Anatoly (Apostolov)

Bishop Anatoly (Apostolov) (1893-1976)

Ilia may be written Ilya, Elias, Elijah.

Anatoly may be spelt Anatole, Anatoliy, Anatolios.

Apostolov may be spelt Apostolidi, Apostolidis.

Early life of Ilia Georgievich Apostolov

On 18 July, 1893 (or 1895), Ilia Georgievich Apostolov was born in Feodosia (i.e. Theodosia) in Crimea, in the Russian Empire. At that time, Crimea was part of Russia.

His mother, Maria Apostolova, was Russian-born. His father, George Apostolov, was of a Pontic Greek family that had moved to the north side of the Black Sea. The family had 6 sons and 2 daughters.

This family of Orthodox Christians raised their children within the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Ilia Georgievich completed his primary education in his home village. He then went to Simferopol for secondary education.

In 1910, he graduated from the Simferopol Theological School in Simferopol, Crimea. This school provided education at the gymnasium level.

Higher education

In 1914, Ilia Georgievich graduated from the Tauride Theological Seminary in Simferopol.

Military Service, 1915

In December, 1915, Ilia Georgievich was conscripted into military service.

In January, 1916, he graduated from the Accelerated Chuguevsk Military School. He served in the Imperial Army during World War I.

After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, he was a member of the White Movement Army.

In the battle with the Bolsheviks, he was injured, and he was not able to evacuate from Crimea together with the Volunteer Army in 1920.

Marriage

At some time during these years, Ilia Georgievich was married.

Widowhood, 1922

In 1922, Ilia's wife reposed. Especially at that time, it was too common that a woman might not live through childbirth, and also that the child not survive.

Ordinations, 1922

On 6 August, 1922, Archbishop Nikodim (Krotkov) of Tauride and Simferopol ordained Ilia Georgievich Apostolov to the Holy Diaconate in Simferopol.

On 7 August, 1922, Archbishop Nikodim (Krotkov) of Tauride and Simferopol ordained Deacon Ilia Georgievich Apostolov to the Holy Priesthood.

Pastoral service

For some time, the Priest Ilia Apostolov served as the rector of the Church of the Presentation in the Temple in Feodosia, where he was born.

From 1922 until 1927, because of his refusal to co-operate with the so-called "Living Church", Priest Ilia I Apostolov was 4 times arrested by the Soviet authorities, exiled and sentenced to death. In each exile, he was sent to a forced-labour camp.

However, due to the intervention of Nakos Panourias, the Greek Ambassador to the USSR, the death sentence was never enforced.

Interior exile, 1925

In 1925, Father Ilia Apostolov was exiled to the Kursk province in southwest Russia, where he served as the rector of the Temple of Saint Nicholas in the village Tomarovka (now in Belgorod province).

Exile to Greece, 1927

In 1927, thanks to the request of the Greek ambassador in Moscow, Father Ilia was sent to Greece. Thus, the exile progressed from interior to exterior.

At first, upon arrival in Greece, Father Ilia Apostolov was assigned to serve in Kastanitsa, in Leonídion in the Peloponnesus, and then in Peristeri near Athens.

After this service, in 1932, Priest Ilia Apostolov was assigned to serve as rector of the parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Athens.

At the same time, he served as a chaplain in the 1st Military Corps of the Hellenic Army.

During his time as the pastor of the parish, a construction project was undertaken for the erection of a new Temple. This project took a long time to complete (1978). However, Father Ilia was responsible for the initiation of the project, and for the blessing of the foundation-stone on 27 February, 1949.

Laying of the foundation-stone with the Minister of Education, Konstantinos Tsatsos

In February, 1953, Father Ilia was assigned to be the rector of the Russian (former Ambassadorial) Temple of the Holy Trinity in Athens.

He wrote and published a history of this Temple, and he also served as chairman of the Union of Russian Military Invalids in Greece.

In 1955, Father Ilia graduated from the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens.

Transfer to North America, 1961

In 1961, at the invitation of the First Hierarch of the Russian “North American Metropolia” Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), Priest Ilia G Apostolov was transferred to North America.

At the same time, he was transferred from the Church of Greece to the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (ROGCCNA).

Monastic tonsure, 1961

In New York, Priest Ilia Apostolov was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Anatoly.

Very soon afterwards, Hieromonk Anatoly (Apostolov) was chosen and elected by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America to become a bishop.

Episcopal ordination, 1961

On 10 September, 1961, the Hieromonk Anatoly (Apostolov) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate in the Holy Protection Cathedral in New York City.

The ordination was led by Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich) of New York and All America. He was assisted by Archbishop Iriney (Bekish) of Boston and New England, and by Archbishop Benjamin (Basalyga) of Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

Episcopal service

Bishop Anatoly (Apostolov) was assigned to serve as the Bishop of Montréal and Canada. He then moved to Montréal, Québec.

It happened that he was accompanied there as he travelled by rail, by a seminarian who later became Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky.

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Montréal, Québec

Return to Greece, 1961

However, already in December, 1961, for health reasons due to the harsh climate of Canada, Bishop Anatoly decided to return to Greece, and he asked and received the blessing. Vladyka Anatoly was at that time 68 years old.

In March, 1962, Bishop Anatoly (Apostolov) was officially released from the Canadian diocese. However, from New York, he briefly returned to Canada to lead the diocese again on 7 July, 1962. During that month of service in Canada, he blessed the Cemetery Cross in the Russian Orthodox Saint Seraphim Cemetery in Rawdon.

Then, on 20 July, 1962, Bishop Anatoly left Canada finally and forever, and he went back to Greece.

Archbishop Ireney (Bekish) was assigned to serve as the administrator of the Canadian diocese.

In October of the same year, at his own petition, Bishop Anatoly was released from the clergy of the “North American Metropolia”.

After his return to Greece, from 1962 to 1966, Bishop Anatoly (Apostolov) again served and nurtured the Russian Temple of the Holy Trinity in Athens.

Holy Trinity "Russian" Temple, Athens

Repose, 1976

On 26 June, 1976, Bishop Anatoly (Apostolov) reposed in Christ in Athens, Greece.

— Bishop of Montréal and Canada 1961-1962. Preceded by : Bishop Antony (Tereshchenko). Succeeded by : Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns).

Reflections

References

Biography, Russian

Russian Wikipedia biography

Russian Religious Persons Abroad biography

'Obituary' in "Orthodox Rus", no. 14 (15/18 July, 1976). [in Russian : 'Некролог' "Православная Русь". 1976. 15/18 июля. № 14.]

Additional information :

Aleksandrov, E A, "Russians in North America: A Biographical Dictionary" (Hamden ; San Francisco ; St. Petersburg, 2005), p. 23. [in Russian : Александров Е.А. "Русские в Северной Америке: Биографический словарь" (Хэмден; Сан-Франциско; СПб., 2005). - С. 23]

Archdiocese of Canada — Orthodox Church in America, “The Orthodox Church in Canada : A Chronology” (Ottawa : Archdiocese of Canada, 1988).

Bouras, Charalambos, “The Soteira Lykodemou at Athens : Architecture”, 2004 (Online in English)

Bovkalo, A A, "Graduates of the Simferopol Theological School 1876-1881, 1883-1886, 1888, 1889, 1910-1916".

Chuvakov, V N, ed., 'Unforgettable Graves' in "Russian Foreign Countries: Obituaries 1917-1997", vol. 1, (Moscow, 1999). [in Russian : 'Незабытые могилы': "Российское зарубежье: Некрологи 1917-1997" / Сост. В. Н. Чуваков. Т. 1. - Москва, 1999]

Nivier, A, 'Orthodox Clergy, Theologians and Church Leaders of the Russian Emigration in Western and Central Europe. 1920-1995: A Biographical Directory' in "Russian way" (Paris : YMCA-Press, 2007), p. 66. [in Russian : Нивьер, А., Православные священнослужители, богословы и церковные деятели русской эмиграции в Западной и Центральной Европе. 1920-1995: Биографический справочник, М.: Русский путь; Париж: YMCA-Press, 2007, 66]

Talalay, M G, "Russian Community in A. (Holy Trinity Church), article about Athens in "Orthodox Encyclopedia", vol. 4, pp. 92-103. [in Russian : Талалай, М. Г., "Русская община в А. (ц. Пресв. Троицы)," статья "АФИНЫ," Православная энциклопедия, т. 4, 92-103)]

Church of the Presentation in the Temple in Feodosia, Crimea

Temple of the Holy Trinity in Athens, Greece

History of The Orthodox Church in America

Orthodox Research Institute History of the Archdiocese of Canada

Feodosia, Crimea

Crimea

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Montréal, Québec

Québec

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