Serafim (Glagolevsky) (1757-1843), Metropolitan of Novgorod and St. Petersburg in 1821-1843

Categories / Religion. Church/Personalia
SERAFIM (born Stefan Vasilievich Glagolevsky) (1757-1843, St. Petersburg), religious figure, honorary member of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1841). He studied at Moscow Theological Academy from 1782 and simultaneously attended lectures at Moscow University. Later he taught at the Theological Seminary of the Holy Trinity, and was professor (since 1787) and director (since 1790) of the Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy. In 1787, he took monastic vows under the name of Serafim. He was appointed a censor of printed theological books in 1791. In 1795, he was made Archimandrite of Mozhaisky Luzhetsky Monastery and member of Moscow Ecclesiastical Consistory. Since 1799, he held the post of president of Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy and later the same year he was appointed Bishop of Dmitrov and Vicar of Moscow Eparchy. He served as Bishop of Vyatka in 1804, and Bishop of Smolensk from 1805. He was appointed Archbishop of Minsk and member of the Synod in 1812. Later Serafim was appointed Archbishop of Tver and member of the Board of Theological Academies in 1814, and Metropolitan of Moscow in 1819. From 1821, Serafim served as Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Eastland and Finland, and as Prior of Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Serafim paid considerable attention to education and printing service books, being at the same time an active opponent of Masonic ideas and mystical sects. He also gave large donations to churches, monasteries and seminaries of various Eparchies. Serafim laid St. Petersburg Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (also known as Izmaylovsky Cathedral) in 1828, and consecrated Cathedral of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Holy Resurrection Temple (Smolny Cathedral) in 1835. Serafim wrote a number of theological works. In 1824, he was elected Chairman of the Biblical Society, which was closed down the same year following his own recommendations. During the Decembrists' Uprising of 14 December 1825, he appeared before the troops and attempted to persuade them to cease the mutiny, but to no avail. Serafim was buried at Alexander Nevsky Lavra in the Descent of the Holy Spirit Church .

Reference: Здравомыслов К. Я. Иерархи Новгородской епархии от древнейших времен до настоящего времени: Крат. биогр. очерки. Новгород, 1897. С. 161-171.

A. I. Razdorsky. Serafim (Stefan Vasilievich Glagolevsky), Metropolitan
Здравомыслов К. Я. Иерархи Новгородской епархии от древнейших времен до настоящего времени: Крат. биогр. очерки. Новгород, 1897 Synod
Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment
Cathedral of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Holy Resurrection Temple
Cathedral of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Holy Resurrection Temple
Biblical Society