Archbishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov)

Archbishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) of Aleutian Islands and Alaska (1852-1931)

Vasily may be spelt Vasiliy, Basil.

Vladimir may be spelt Volodymyr, Valdemar, Walter.

Early life of Vasily Gregorievich Sokolvsky-Avtonomov

Vasily Grigorievich Sokolovsky-Avtonomov was born in the village of Senkovka in the Poltava Governorate (province) of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) on 31 December, 1852. His father was a priest in that village.

Vasily Grigorievich completed his primary and secondary education in the Poltava diocese.

Higher education

Vasily Grigorievich then entered the Poltava Theological Seminary, from which he graduated. Afterwards, he entered the Kazan Spiritual Academy, from which he graduated in 1878 with the degree of Candidate of Divinity. His studies in Kazan developed his gift for linguistics and music. The Kazan Academy was the 4th academy in the Russian Empire, and it was a centre for developing missionary methodology.

Kazan Theological Seminary and Academy

On 26 July, 1878, after his graduation from the academy, Vasili was appointed to be Assistant Inspector (supervisor) of the Poltava Ecclesiastical School.

Poltava Missionary Seminary

Monastic tonsure, 1878

On 29 September, 1878, Vasily Grigorievich was tonsured to be a monk in the Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra in Saint Petersburg, and he was given the name Vladimir.

Holy Trinity Catholicon, Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Diaconal ordination, 1878

On 1 October, 1878, the Monk Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Bishop Nathaniel (Leandrov) of Sarapul.

Priestly ordination, 1878

On 3 October, 1878, the Hierodeacon Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Isidor (Nikolsky) of Novgorod and Saint Petersburg, Exarch of Finland.

Pastoral service

As a monk, the Hieromonk Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) led a highly ascetical life. He followed a very strict and sparse vegetarian diet.

Service in Japan 1879-1884

On 3 November, 1878, Priestmonk Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was assigned to be a temporary member of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Japan.

On 14 January, 1879 he was confirmed in the mission assignment.

On 17 March, 1879, he arrived in Tokyo and he took up his responsibilities as a member of the Japanese Spiritual Mission, as an assistant to Father Nicholas Kasatkin (the future Saint Nicholas (Kasatkin), Enlightener of Japan). He received training and educational techniques in the seminary at the mission. He also learnt to speak the Japanese language. Because of Father Vladimir's proficiency in languages, he was assigned to be the dean of the Russian Language School in Tokyo. This language school would later become part of the Tokyo Seminary, which was to produce many Japanese linguists and scholars. Because of his linguistic ability, the Hieromonk Vladimir was able to teach and to preach in Japanese, and travelled around the country on various missionary assignments.

Archbishop-Vladimir-(Sokolovsky-Avtonomov)-1882.jpg

Hieromonk Vladimir in Japan

Return to Russia, 1884

In 1884, the Hieromonk Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was recalled to Russia.

Upon his return, he was elevated to the dignity of igumen.

On 9 June, 1886, Igumen Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was assigned to the Orthodox Christian Seminary in Chełm (Kholm), Southeastern Poland, where he taught in the Faculty of Church History.

On 13 August, 1887, the Igumen Vladimir was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

He was assigned to be the Inspector (supervisor) of the Orthodox Christian Seminary in Chełm.

Episcopal ordination, 1887

On 20 December, 1887, Archimandrite Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Episcopal service ; transfer to the USA, 1888

Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was then assigned to be the ruling hierarch of the Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska.

Bishop Vladimir arrived in San Francisco, California, in March, 1888. He had brought with him his Japanese cell-attendant, 18 students and 5 faculty members from the Chełm Seminary in order to assist in missionary work in California. They all were eager to help him in the work of the mission. Therefore, en route, Bishop Vladimir used the travel time to organise and train the volunteers to sing well as a choir. Upon Bishop Vladimir's arrival, the diocese once again had a ruling hierarch who was resident in North America. The previous ruling bishop, Bishop Nestor (Zakkis), had not been immediately replaced after his death at sea in 1882. During the intervening 6 years, the diocese had been administered from Saint Petersburg in the Russian Empire.

Bishop Vladimir and the San Francisco Pastoral School, about 1890

Upon his arrival, Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) focussed his attention on the mission to the continental USA. A talented musician, Vladyka Vladimir translated the common chants of the Russian Church into the English language, so as to help make Orthodoxy more intelligible to American parishioners. He assigned Father (Saint) Sebastian Dabovich, the first Orthodox priest to have been born in the USA, to be the “English Preacher” for the cathedral. As a result of these efforts, a new, larger cathedral, dedicated to Saint Nicholas {now Holy Trinity on Green Street) was built in San Francisco in 1888.

 In 1872, the Right Reverend Bishop John (Mitropolsky), returned to Russia in 1876, transferred the 
 headquarters of the ruling hierarch of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska to San Francisco. Since then, it 
 has been a cathedral church, consecrated at different times in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky, St. 
 Nicholas, St. Basil the Great, and finally, after the Most Holy and Life-giving Trinity. This episcopal 
 See was occupied by many hierarchs, some amongst whom were outstanding archpastors and missionaries.

His arrival also meant that there was a ruling hierarch in the USA at the time when many Uniat immigrants to the USA began to return to the Orthodox Church. In addition to encouraging the use of English in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco, he travelled widely throughout the USA.

 Bishop Vladimir celebrated services and preached in English, commemorating the President of the United 
 States instead of the Russian imperial family.  He insisted that his priests learn and serve in English as 
 well.  Veniaminov’s goal of providing translations of Orthodox services in English was partially realised 
 with the publication of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in 1876. In fact, Bishop Vladimir was able to 
 carry out much of Veniaminov’s programme, visiting immigrant communities in New York, Chicago, Detroit, New 
 Orleans and San Francisco, as well as touring the Alaskan diocese three times and re-establishing a 
 pastoral school at San Francisco where Alaskan clergy were trained. During a visit to the capital, Bishop 
 Vladimir was received by the President of the United States, and reported to him directly on conditions 
 in Alaska.

Using his gifts for languages and music, Bishop Vladimir produced musical arrangements for his translations into English of the liturgical texts that the San Francisco cathedral choir sang during the church services. The liturgical services thus attracted many people. This resulted in the need for a larger cathedral building in San Francisco.

As the decade ended, Bishop Vladimir became aware of the tensions that had developed amongst the Slavic immigrants who had arrived from the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as members of the Unia. In late 1890, he met with a group of people from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were led by Father Alexis Toth (the future Saint Alexis of Wilkes-Barre). On 25 March, 1891, Father Alexis and his parish of Saint Mary in Minneapolis were received back into the Orthodox Church by Bishop Vladimir. This reception initiated a movement which would continue for several decades.

In his search for Orthodox communities to lead back to Orthodoxy, Bishop Vladimir travelled widely ; and in his efforts, he crossed the continent 3 times. At that time, this was a substantial undertaking.

Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich) would later refer to him as "The Meteor". These missionary labours would later have an influence in Canada, particularly in the western prairie areas around Winnipeg, Manitoba, and in areas to the west of this city.

Transfer to Russia, 1891

On 8 June, 1891, Bishop Vladimir’s tenure as the bishop of the North American diocese was cut short when he was assigned to be Bishop of Ostrogozhsk, and Vicar of the Voronezh Diocese. However, it was 2 October before he was able to depart from North America for his new position.

The bishop did considerable work in favour of the Alekseievo-Akatov Monastery. In early 1896, he established a school for choir-leaders, and with this school, he quickly organised a wonderful choir.

On 22 December, 1896, Bishop Vladimir was assigned to be the ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Orenburg and the Ural Mountains. Because of his expertise in church singing, during the time of his service in Orenburg, Bishop Vladimir raised the quality of ecclesiastical singing there to new heights.

Vladyka Vladimir

On 26 November, 1903, Bishop Vladimir was assigned to be the ruling hierarch of the Diocese of Yekaterinberg and Irbit (now in the Sverdlovsk Province).

Retirement, 1910

Because of illness, Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) was granted retirement from active episcopal duties on 18 March, 1910. Nevertheless, he was assigned to serve as the Abbot of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery in Moscow.

Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, Moscow

Revolution, 1917 ; return to active service, 1921

In 1921, Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) elevated Bishop Vladimir to the dignity of archbishop.

Archbishop of Yekaterinoslav, 1921

At the same time, Archbishop Vladimir was appointed by Patriarch Tikhon to be the ruling hierarch of Yekaterinoslav (later Dnipropetrovsk, and then Dnipro, Ukraine). However, the turmoil following the Bolshevik takeover of Russia blocked him from reaching his diocese, and he remained in Moscow.

Archbishop Vladimir

Imprisonment, 1925

On 29 April, 1925, shortly after the funeral of Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin), Archbishop Vladimir was incarcerated in the Butyrka Prison. He was charged with "spreading unverified rumours of oppression by the Soviet government of the Tikhon church".

In January, 1926, during the post-revolutionary turmoil and confusion, and after the death of Patriarch Tikhon, Archbishop Vladimir became associated briefly with the ”Gregorian schism” in the Russian Church. (The Gregorian schism, named after its founding bishop, Gregory (Yatskovsky), was a new schism that was fostered by the Soviet authorities after the failure of the "renovationists". It was essentially a council of bishops, submissive to and therefore legalised by the Soviet authorities. These bishops claimed to govern the Church after the death of Patriarch Tikhon, since the Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsa, was imprisoned. They differed from the renovationists in that they recognized both the reposed Patriarch Tikhon and the Locum Tenens (since he was in prison, and therefore could not interfere), and they were overtly traditionalist). However, he quickly repented, and he returned to the canonical Church.

In June of the same year, he brought his repentance to the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky).

Destitution

In Soviet Russia, Archbishop Vladimir came to be completely isolated, and he suffered from utter poverty.

For several years, he served in the Temple of All Saints in the village of All Saints.

Temple of All Saints, All Saints Village, Moscow

Since 1917, the village has been included within the city of Moscow, and it currently covers the same territory as the Moscow districts "Airport" and "Sokol". The cultural layer of the village of All Saints ("Vsekhsvyatsky") is one of the valuable cultural heritage sites of regional significance.

During this period, Pavel Korin painted the portrait of Archbishop Vladimir in preparation for the much larger painting "The Departure of Rus'" (which was never completed).

Portrait

Repose, 1931

Archbishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov) reposed in the Lord on 27 November, 1931.

The Funeral Services for the Burial of a Hierarch were led by Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), together with the Vicar-Bishops of the Moscow Diocese : Bishop Innokenty (Letyaev) of Podolsk, Bishop Ioann (Shirokov) of Volokolamsk, and Bishop Pitirim (Krylov) of Dmitrov.

Archbishop Vladimir's body was interred in the cemetery, next to the Altar of the Temple of All Saints in All Saints Village, Moscow, where he had been serving. However, the grave has not been preserved.

Reflections

Throughout his life, Archbishop Vladimir sought to improve the quality of liturgical singing in every place where he served. In his many writings, he concentrated on the missionary activities of the Russian Orthodox Church, with emphasis on the mission to Japan. He also wrote refutations of Roman Catholic teachings. While in North America, his fame was centred on his cultural refinement and musical accomplishments. In Moscow, Archbishop Vladimir was and is esteemed as an ascetical spiritual elder.

— Bishop of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska 1888-1891. Preceded by : Bishop Nestor (Zakkis). Succeeded by : Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov).

— Bishop of Ostrogozhsk, Vicar of Voronezh Diocese 1891-1896. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

— Bishop of Orenburg and the Urals 1896-1903. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

— Bishop of Yekaterinberg and Irbit 1903-1910. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

— Retirement 1910. (Abbot of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery in Moscow.)

— Archbishop of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk/Dnipro, Ukraine) 1921. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.

Writings :

 • ‘The Nature of Latin Propaganda in the Japanese Empire and Its Fate from 16-17 Table until our Time’, 
 (Warsaw, 1887). [in Russian : [Характер латинской пропаганды в Японской империи и судьба её с 16-17 стол. 
 до наст. времени. Варшава, 1887]. 
 
 • ‘On Out-of-Church Readings on 2 March, 1887’. [in Russian : О внецерковных чтениях 2-го марта 1887 г.]. 
 
 • ‘From the Letters of Archbishop Vladimir, Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska : Addition to Church 
 Payroll’, no. 10(1888), pp. 261-267. [in Russian : Из писем преосв. Владимира, еп. Алеутского и 
 Аляскинского // Прибавление к Церковным Ведомостям 1888. № 10. С. 261—267]. 
 
 • ‘The Lzheisidorovsky Decretals or Forged Canonical Rights of the Latin Papal Church’ in the “Kholm-Warsaw 
 Diocesan Messenger” (1887) ; ‘Church Gazette’ no. 96 (1888), p. 713 ; no. 10 (1889), pp. 262-267 ; 
 ‘Russian Pilgrim’, no. 1 (1889), p. 15. [in Russian : «Лжеисидоровские декреталии или подложное 
 каноническое право латино-папской церкви».  Холмско-Варшавский епархиальный вестник 1887. «Церковные 
 ведомости». 1888. № 96, с. 713; 1889. № 10.  с. 262—267; «Русский паломник». 1889. № 1. с. 15].
 
 • ‘The Bad Deeds of the Jesuits in the Japanese Empire in the 16th and 17th Centuries, and until our Time’ 
 (Voronezh, 1892). [in Russian : Недобрые деяния иезуитов в Японской империи в 16-м и 17-м вв. и до наст. 
 вр. Воронеж, 1892].
 
 • ‘Substitution Laws that gave Rise to Papal Authority, or the Lzheisidorovskie Decree’ (Voronezh, 1892). 
 [in Russian : Подложные законы, породившие папскую власть, или Лжеисидоровские декреталии. Воронеж, 
 1892]. 
 
 • "Words on the Sunday of the Cross" (Orenburg, 1898). [in Russian : Слово в Неделю крестопоклонную. 
 Оренбург, 1898].
 
 • ‘Words before the Singing of the Moleben on the Occasion of the Beginning of Teaching in the Orenburg 
 Theological Seminary’ (Orenburg, 1898). [in Russian : Слово пред молебным пением по случаю начала учения 
 в Оренбургской ДС. Оренбург, 1898].

More writings :

 "ЦВ" 1891, № 38, с. 308.
 -"- 1896, № 38, с. 352.
 -"- 1897, № 1, с. 2.
 -"- 1903, № 49, с. 388.
 -"- 1910, № 14, с. 77.
 "Приб. к "ЦВ" 1888, № 4, с. 88, 96-97.
 -"- 1888, № 26, с. 709.
 -"- 1889, № 10, с. 261-271.
 -"- 1903, № 45, с. 1937.
 -"- 1913, № 13, с. 620.
 "Рус. Палом." 1893, № 16, с. 252.
 "Прав. Собес." 1897, август, с. 218.
 -"- 1899, январь, с. 52 отчет.
 -"- 1900, март, с. 10, 28 отчет.
 -"- 1901, март, с. 3.
 -"- 1914, февраль, с. 4 отчет.
 "ЖМП" 1932, № 9-10, с. 9.
 "Мисс. Календарь" 1907, с. 130.
 "Церк. Вестн." 1891, № 39, с. 619.
 "Странник" 1891, май, с. 187.
 "Отд. Христ." 1908, VIII-IX, с. 58-59.
 Браил. "Церковные вопросы и России или Рус. Дух. Вед." 1896, с. 194.
 Чернавский Н. "Оренбургские епископы", Вып. II. Оренбург, 1901-1902, с. 14.
 "Состав Св. Прав. Всер. Син. и Рос. Церк. Иерархии на 1917 г.", с. 344-345.
 Анатолий, архм. "Американский очерки". Одесса, 1907, с. 23-27.
 Д-р Николай Руссель "Житие Преос. Владимира еп. Алеутского и Аляскинского, ныне вик. Еп. Воронежского. 
 Москва, 1895.
 Заметки и дополнения Е. М. № 51.
 Списки архиереев Иерархии Всероссийской. СПб, 1896, № 505, с. 76.
 Губонин.
 F. Heyer Die orthodoxe Kirche 125 (7).
 Orthodox America 1794-1976 (Syosset New York 1975) p. 30.
 Гневушев М.В. Преосвященный Владимир (Соколовский), еп. Алеутский и Аляскинский и состояние Православной 
 Русской церкви в Америке. Киев, 1890. 125 с.
 Библиографический указатель русских духовных писателей из монашествующих за 18-й, 19-й века и половину 
 20-го столетия. / Составил В. Волков… Загорск, 1961. Ч. 1.

Other writings :

 Алеутская епархия и ее новый архипастырь // ПрибЦВед. 1888. № 4. С. 95-98 
 Макарий (Гневушев), архим. Преосв. Владимир, еп. Алеутский и Аляскинский, и состояние Правосл. Русской
 Церкви в Америке. К., 1890 
 Руссель Н. К. Житие преосв. Владимира, бывш. еп. Алеутского и Аляскинского, ныне викарного еп. 
 Воронежского. М.: [Лондон], 1895 
 Чернавский Н. М. Оренбургская епархия в прошлом ее и настоящем. Вып. 1 // Тр. Оренбургской учен. арх. 
 комис. Оренбург, 1900. Вып. 7. С. 336-337 
 Преосв. Владимир, еп. Екатеринбургский и Ирбитский // Екатеринбургские ЕВ. 1903. № 24. С. 811-815 
 Последние дни пребывания преосв. Владимира в г. Оренбурге // Там же. 1904. № 1-2. С. 6-14 
 Иоанн (Снычёв), митр. Митр. Мануил (Лемешевский). СПб., 1993. С. 238 
 Ворошилин С. Шесть веков иерархии РПЦ на Урале // Уральская старина. Екатеринбург, 1994. Вып. 1. С. 148 
 Козлов В. Ф. Еп. Владимир (Соколовский) // Хоругвь. М., 2000. Вып. 5. С. 113-131 
 Лавринов В., прот. Екатеринбургская епархия: События. Люди. Храмы. Екатеринбург, 2001. С. 13-15, 135  
 Никифорова О. В. Последний настоятель Спасо-Андроникова мон-ря // Хоругвь. М., 2002. Вып. 6. С. 61-92 
 она же. Преосв. Владимир (Соколовский): Екатеринбургский период служения // Там же. Вып. 7. С. 101-143  
 она же. Последний настоятель Спасо-Андроникова мон-ря в Москве - архиеп. Владимир (Соколовский): 
 Оренбургский период служения (1896 -1903 гг.) // Там же. 2003. Вып. 8. С. 112-132 
 Фирсов С. Л. Русская Церковь накануне перемен (кон. 1890-х - 1918 гг.). М., 2002. С. 203-204

Vladyka Vladimir

References

Oleksa, Michael J, “Orthodox Alaska” (Crestwood, NY : SVS Press, 1992), p. 167.

“The Russian Mission in North America”

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Translated Outline Biography

Orthodoxwiki biography

Russian Wikipedia biography

Drevo Open Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography

Russian Academic Dictionary biography

OCA Biography

Additional information :

Biography in "Orthodox Encyclopaedia" (in Russian)

Brief biography in "Holy Rus' Archipelago" (in Russian)

Biography in "ortho-rus.ru" web-site (in Russian)

Orthodox Church of Japan

All Russian Church Council of 1917-1918