Grigory (Chukov) (1870-1955), Metropolitan

Categories / Religion. Church/Personalia
GRIGORY (born Nikolay Kirillovich Chukov) (1870-1955), religious figure. After graduating from St. Petersburg Theological Academy in 1895, he took the post of the eparchial superintendent for theological schools of Olonets Eparchy. In 1897, he became a priest of Petrozavodsk Metropolitan Cathedral, of which he was assigned to serve as archpriest in 1907. From 1911 to 1918, he held the post of the Rector of Olonets Theological Seminary. In 1918, he moved to Petrograd and from 1919 he served as prior of Ss. Peter and Paul church of Petrograd University, and as prior of Kazan Cathedral from 1921. In 1920-23, he served as President of Petrograd Theological Institute, and as Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of the Society of Orthodox Parishes of the City of Petrograd and Province. In 1922, the Petrograd Provincial Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced him to death by firing squad in association with the requisition of church valuables, however, Chukov was pardoned by Order of the Presidium of All-Russian Central Executive Committee and spent a year and a half in prison. In 1925, he established the Advanced Theological Courses in Leningrad. In 1924-35, he served as Prior of St. Nicholas' Naval Cathedral. In 1930, he was arrested again, this time in connection with the case of the All National Union of Struggle for the Revival of a Free Russia (the so-called Academic Platonov's Case, but was soon released due to a lack of evidence. In 1935, he was exiled to Saratov. In 1942б he took monastic vows under the name of Grigory and was created Archbishop of Saratov. From 1944, he served as Archbishop of Pskov and temporary administrator of Leningrad and Novgorod Eparchies. In 1945-55, he held the position of Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod. In 1945, he was also appointed administrator of Russian Orthodox communities and monasteries in Finland. Since 1946, he served as president of the Educational Committee of the Holy Synod. He died in Moscow, and was buried at the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Alexander Nevsky Lavra; in 1961 his remains were moved to the crypt under the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Lavra.

References: Очерки истории Санкт-Петербургской епархии. СПб., 1994. С. 267-269; Manuil (Lemeљevskij). Die russischen orthodoxen Bischцfe von 1893 bis 1965: Bio-Bibliogr. Erlangen, 1981. T. 2. S. 377-393.

A. I. Razdorsky. Grigory (Nikolay Kirillovich Chukov), Metropolitan
Platonov Sergey Fedorovich
Очерки истории Санкт-Петербургской епархии. СПб., 1994
Manuil (Lemesevskij) Die russischen orthodoxen Bischofe von 1893 bis 1965: Bio-Bibliogr. Erlangen, 1981 Theological Academy
Kazan Cathedral
St. Nicholas' Naval Cathedral
Synod
Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra