Metropolitan Oleksander (Inozemtsev) papers

Metropolitan Oleksander was bishop of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and played a key role in the rebirth of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC). His papers contain correspondence and records related to the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Poland and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church during the periods of Soviet and Nazi occupation of what is now northwestern Ukraine and southern Belarus.

Summary Information

CreatorOleksander (Inozemtsev), Metropolitan
TitleMetropolitan Oleksander (Inozemtsev) papers
IDuaoc.8
Dates1939-1947
Quantity0.2 Linear Feet, 10 folders
LanguagesMultiple languages
LanguagesPrimarily Ukrainian and Russian, with some German, Polish and Belarusian.
RepositoryUkrainian History and Education Center Archives

Biographical / Historical

Metropolitan Oleksander was bishop of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and played a key role in the rebirth of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC).

He was born Mykola Inozemtsev in Tobol'sk, Russia in either 1882 or 1887. He studied in the Tobol'sk seminary, and then in the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. He received monastic tonsure in 1912, escaped Kharkiv in 1919 ahead of the Red Army and after traveling to Constantinople, he moved to within the borders of the Second Polish Republic in 1921.

He was ordained bishop in 1922 at the Pochaiv Lavra by Metr. Iurii (Iaroshvs'kyi) and Abp. Dionisii (Vlandens'kyi) and was assigned to the Pins'k-Polissya epharchy. He was a strong proponent of Polish Autocephaly, which became a reality in 1924. He was elevated to Archbishop in 1927.

After the 1939 annexation of the region by the Soviet Union, the local exarch of the Russian Orthodox Church demanded that all local bishops travel to Moscow to attest to their allegience to the Patriarch of Moscow. Abp. Oleksander was one of only two bishops who refused to do this. He adopted a very supportive stance toward Ukrainianization efforts and the creation of the UAOC in 1942. He presided over the February 1942 Sobor of Bishops in Pins'k, where he was elevated to Metropolitan, and where he participated in the ordinations of bishops Nikanor and Ihor for the UAOC.

In 1944 he left Pinsk for Munich. He was accepted the jurisdiction of Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), but in May 1946 the ROCOR Synod condemed the UAOC and rescinded his acceptance. He died suddenly in Munich in February 1948.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence and records related to the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Poland and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church during the periods of Soviet and Nazi occupation of what is now northwestern Ukraine and southern Belarus. In addition to letters to and from bishops and clergy, it has original minutes of bishop's conferences (Sobors), letters to the faithful, and ephemera.

Arrangement

Arranged in four series as follows:

  1. Correspondence
  2. Sobor records
  3. Articles, encyclicals, and ephemera
  4. Greetings on 25th anniversary of episcopacy

Administrative Information

Custodial History

Donation from Konstantyn Hromiv (Long Island City, NY) in 1971, who in turn acquired it from the estate of Abp. Ihor. Letter from donor to Metr. Mstyslav is at the end of the collection.

Processing Information

Some arrangement appears to have been done by a previous archivist, and some aspects of that arrangement have been retained, particularly in the separation of correspondence by individuals. Previous archivist's notes are included at the end of the collection.

Processing Information

Originally found in portfolio т180 in cabinet "И", shelf 4.

Controlled Access Headings

Organizations

  • Ukraïnsʹka avtokefalʹna pravoslavna t︠s︡erkva
  • Polski Autokefaliczny Kościół Prawosławny

Subjects

  • German Occupation of Ukraine (1941-1944)

Genres

  • Church records and registers
  • Business correspondence
  • Minutes (Records)

Status of materials

These materials belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, and are on deposit with the Ukrainian History and Education Center for processing, preservation, and access.

Container List

Series 1.  Correspondence, 1939-1945. 
Metr. Dionisii, 1941-1942.
  • box 1 folder 1
Abp. Nikolai, 1940-1941.
  • box 1 folder 2
Abp. Oleksii, 1939-1943.
  • box 1 folder 3
Metr. Panteleimon, 1939-1941.
  • box 1 folder 4
Bp. Venedykt, 1940-1941.
  • box 1 folder 5
Moscow Patriarchate, 1939-1941.

Scope and Contents

Directives and other correspondence from the Moscow Patriarchate, signed by the Patriarchal locum tenens Sergei.

  • box 1 folder 6
General correspondence, 1939-1945.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with a large variety of church hierarchs (including Dionisij, Ilarion, Polikarp, Palladij, Ihor, Aleksij, Mstyslav, Hryhorij and Serhij) and clergy. Letter with original signature from Metr. Andrey Sheptytsky.

  • box 1 folder 7
Series 2.  Sobor records, 1939-1942.

Scope and Contents

Minutes of Sobors of Bishops with original signatures, including minutes of sobors in Kyiv, 1942.

  • box 1 folder 8
Series 3.  Articles, encyclicals and ephemera, Circa 1940-1942.
  • box 1 folder 9
Series 4.  Greetings on 25th anniversary of episcopacy, 1947.
  • box 1 folder 10