Hermogenes (Dolganyov)
| Hermogenes, Bishop of Tobolsk and Siberia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
April 25, 1858 Kherson Governorate |
| Died |
July 23, 1918 Tura River |
Saint martyr Hermogenes, Bishop of Tobolsk and Siberia (Russian: священномученик Гермоген, епископ Тобольский и Сибирский, born Georgiy Yefremovich Dolganyov (Георгий Ефремович Долганёв); 1858, Kherson Governorate – 1918) was a prominent Russian Orthodox religious figure with extreme right ideas. He had a seat in the Holy Synod and lived on Vasilievsky Island.
Life
Influenced by Nicanor, Bishop of Kherson, he chose the Orthodox ministry after finishing the Novorossiysk University. Following his education in Saint Petersburg Theological Seminary in 1892, Dolganyov accepted the name Hermogenes. In 1893 he became the inspector of the Tiflis Theological Seminary in Tbilisi, and in 1898 - its dean. In 1899 Hermogenes was responsible for expelling one of Seminary's most famous students, Joseph Dzhugashvili (Joseph Stalin), who had been reading Ninety-Three, a book on the French Revolution by Victor Hugo and lecturing students on Marxism.[1] In 1903 he became the Bishop of Saratov and Tsaritsyno. Hermogenes founded the Annunciation Convent and Saint Trinity Monastery in Khvalynsk, Volsk Town Church of Annunciation and several other institutions.[2]
Hermogenes was a friend of Rasputin from the times he arrived in the capital. However, they became bitter enemies. In the end of 1911 Hermogenes and Iliodor came into conflict with Grigori Rasputin, who had almost free access to the Imperial family. In early 1912 Hermogen started rumours that Rasputin had joined the Khlysty, an obscure Christian sect with strong Siberian roots. Because of his high-pitched voice, it was told Hermogenes himself was influenced by the ideas of the Skoptsy.[3] After beating Rasputin with a crucifix [4] the strannik complained at his friends, the Imperial couple, and without a trial Hermogenes and his assistant Mitya Kozelsky were expelled to a monastery in Lithuania.[5][6] In June 1916 Hermogenes was back in St Petersburg. In 1917 he was appointed as Archbishop of Tobolsk. He established contacts with the Imperial Family in Ekaterinburg.[7]
In April, 1918 Hermogenes was arrested by Bolsheviks and drowned in the Tura River, not far from the birthplace of his nemesis Rasputin. Following the decree of March 31, 1999 he was canonized.
Notes
- ↑ Isaac Deutscher (1949) "Stalin. A Political Biography"
- ↑ (Russian)"Гермоген, епископ Тобольский священномученик". Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- ↑ J.T. Fuhrmann (2013) "The Untold Story", p. 69.
- ↑ Out of My Past: Memoirs of Count Kokovtsov, p. 293.
- ↑ M. Nelipa (2010) "The Murder of Grigorii Rasputin. A Conspiracy That Brought Down the Russian Empire", p. 37-38.
- ↑ J.T. Fuhrmann (2013) "The Untold Story", p. 84.
- ↑ M. Nelipa (2010), p. 551.