Oryol-Sevsk, Oryol-Bryansk, Oryol-Livensky dioceses are historical milestones preceding the formation of the Oryol Metropolis. From the year of its foundation, this large diocese has undergone many changes, spiritually nurtured many saints known throughout Russia, ascetic hierarchs, bishops, and missionaries. Her story is closely connected with the events of the Oryol region.
Diocese in the years 1788-1820
The birthday of the Oryol Metropolis can be considered May 6, 1788, when Catherine II issued a personal decree on the division of the dioceses of the Russian Church, taking into account the new territorial division. A few days later, on the basis of the Sevsk-Bryansk Vicariate, the Oryol Metropolis was created with all the monasteries and churches. At that time it was called Oryol governorship, and the lords were called Orlovsky - after the name of the main city of the province, and Sevsky - out of respect for all the bishops who shone in Sevsk.
The Oryol diocese included 824 churches from eight large cities with their counties from the Sevsky, Krutitsky and Voronezh dioceses. His Grace Apollos became the first bishop of Oryol-Sevsky. With the beginning of his ministry, almost all old and dilapidated churches began to be rebuilt and replaced by more extensive new ones.
Oryol metropolis until the middle of the XIX century
For many years, the Oryol diocese was in Sevsk due to the presence of a seminary in it. In 1822, at the request of Bishop Jonah Orlovsky, the construction of the seminary building in Orel was begun, which lasted 5 years.
The construction of new monasteries was also going on rapidly until the mid-19th century, and women's communities and monasteries were founded. During this period, a large number of miraculous icons appear, for example, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God Balykinskaya or the image of the Mother of God the Three Handwives from the Mother of God-All Saints Monastery in Bolkhov.
Oryol diocese of the late XIX century
The future Oryol Metropolis at the end of the 19th century became a place of worship for a large number of saints, ascetics and missionaries, such as Bishop Polycarp, the creator of the Oryol spiritual orphanage. Of the world-famous saints, the Oryol land was visited by St. Seraphim of Sarov and Archimandrite Optina of the monastery of Macarius.
Oryol diocese at the beginning of the twentieth century
At the end of the 19th century, the Oryol Metropolis had 998 churches of various architectural structures, 44,421 parish schools. By that time, an academic education was gaining strength, which contributed to the spiritual flourishing of the province at the beginning of the 20th century.
Another spiritual wealth that the Oryol Metropolis had was clergy. From the foundation year to the 20th century, the diocese was headed by 14 Bishops. There is evidence of a connection with the Oryol land of John of Kronstadt, known throughout Russia, who followed the events of the Oryol church and parish life and even made a well-known speech to many about freedom of conscience at a congress of clergy held in Orel in one of his visits.
On May 6, 1904, the whole city met Tsar Nicholas II. The emperor’s entire journey was filled with a demonstration of loyal feelings from students, representatives of estates and corporations.
Also in 1904, they visited the city and conducted the sponsored regiment, Princess Elizabeth Fedorovna Romanova and Prince Sergei Alexandrovich, during the Russo-Japanese War. In the future, the princess visited the Oryol Metropolis more than once and met with her father Mitrofan, who later became the confessor of the Moscow monastery, dedicated to the myrrh-bearing women Marfa and Mary.
Establishment of Vicarism
At the beginning of the 20th century, the question arose of the establishment of vicariate. The Oryol Metropolitanate of the Russian Orthodox Church by this time was comparable in size to the Greek, Serbian or Bulgarian, where not one bishop was in charge, but several, each of which was responsible for its direction. A large amount of work in the spiritual care of the entire clergy and flock of the whole diocese, lying on the head of the local church - the bishop, is not able to be performed by any person. Therefore, in 1906, Archimandrite Mitrofan was elevated to the rank of vicar of the Oryol diocese.
Monasteries of the Oryol region
At the beginning of the 20th century, 9 male and 6 female monasteries were erected on the land of the diocese. The first monasteries arose in the XIII-XV centuries: Bryansk Assumption, Bolkhovsky Trinity Optin, Bryansk Peter and Paul, etc.
In the XVI-XVII centuries, when the Oryol Metropolis expanded and strengthened more favorably, monasteries were built one after another: the Mtsensky Monastery, the Bogoroditskaya Desert, the Odrin-Nikolaevsky Monastery, etc. Favorable time for the monasteries was until the first Petrine reforms in 1715, when the monasteries were taxed and received a ban on tonsure of monasticism. During the time of Anna Ioannovna, under Elizabeth and Catherine II, the number of monasteries decreased.
By 1990, having survived the persecution, the destruction of temples and the killing of priests, the Oryol diocese had only 20 active churches out of 31 surviving. A total of 57 clergymen remained in this large region, including one bishop, 37 priests and 8 deacons, many of whom had no spiritual education.
At the end of the nineties, the activity of three monasteries was restored: the male Uspensky and the female Holy Vvedensky in Orel and the convent of Mary Magdalene in the Dolzhansky district. Many monasteries and churches are queued for restoration. In 2006, the Trinity Optin Monastery was restored.
Metropolis today
In 2014, the Oryol Metropolis was founded on the territory of the Oryol Region , which included the Diocese of Liven and Oryol. The first head of the metropolis was Anthony, Archbishop of Oryol and Bolkhovsky.
Today, the Oryol Metropolis has 5 monasteries, more than 200 active parishes, and a large number of restored and built churches. The address of the diocesan center where you can find out more information about the current affairs of the metropolitanate: Russia, Orel, ul. Normandy-Neman, house 47.