Background
GRIGORIY, Nikolay was born in 1870 in Olonets Province.
Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod
GRIGORIY, Nikolay was born in 1870 in Olonets Province.
1889 graduate theological seminary. 1895 graduate Philological Department, Saint St. Petersburg Theological Academy.
1889-1891 supervisor and custodian, Petrozavodsk Theological College. From 1895 taught theology. From 1897 priest and eparchic inspektor of church parish schools.
1907 elevated to archpriest. In the course of his rural work established some 300 libraries, organized ’’Sunday readings” for adults and campaigned against ”pan-Finnish and Lutheran influences”. From 1911 rector, Petrozavodsk Theological Seminary.
1914 as chairman, Petrozavodsk Department, League of Cities, supervised the establishment of field hospitals and organiszed aid for soldiers’ families. 1918 named dean Petrograd University Church, then dean, Kazan’ Cathedral and rector, Kazan’ Divinity Institute. 1922 arrested and sentenced to death in connection with the case of Metropolitan Veniamin of Petrograd, who was charged with opposing the confiscation of Church property.
After receiving a pardon adopted a conciliatory attitude to the Soviet regime and soon advanced to high Church office. During this period organized Higher Divinity Courses in Leningrad. 1926 defended master's thesis on ’’The Messianic Concepts of the Judeans According to the Targum of Jonathan Ben-Uriel”.
1939 became a widower. 1942 entered monkhood and assumed the name Grigoriy, after which he was appointed Bishop of Saratov and Stalingrad. After appointment of Patriarch served as business mang, Moscow Patriarchy.
1944 transferred to See of Pskov and Porokhovsk and also appointed temporary business mang, Leningrad, Novgorod and Olonets Eparchies. Simultaneously elected to Holy Synod. 1945 founded divinity courses in Leningrad, which were expanded into a theological seminary in 1946, when the Theological Academy was re-opened.
1948 organized correspondence-course sections at both the seminary and the Academy. 1945 appointed Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod with autority over the Baltic parishes. Simultaneously permanent member, Holy Synod and chairman of its Education Committee.
Also undertook several diplomatic missions. 1945 broke the autonomy of the Orthodox Churches of Latin and Established Helped to heal the split between the ’’oldstyle” and ”new-style” factions on Valaam island and in the Orthodox parishes of Finland, uniting them with the Moscow Patriarchy.
1946 accompanied Patriarch Aleksiy on trips to Bulgaria and Rumania. Attended the funeral of Metropolitan Yevlogiy in Paris. Visited the heads of the Eastern Orthodox churches.
Visited United States of America.
Permanent member, Most Holy Synod, Russian Orthodox Church.