Veniamin of Petersburg

Veniamin (born Vasily Pavlovich Kazansky), Venerable Martyr (1874-1922), Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov in 1917-1922religious figure.

Kazansky took monastic vows under the name of Veniamin in 1895. After graduating from St. Petersburg Theological Academy in 1897. He spent some time teaching at Riga Theological Seminary, and then served as Inspector of Kholmsk Theological Seminary in 1898, and Inspector of St. Petersburg Theological Seminary from 1899. He became Rector of Samara Theological Seminary in 1902, before being appointed Rector of St. Petersburg Theological Seminary in 1905. From 1910 Veniamin served as Bishop of Gdov and Vicar of St. Petersburg Eparchy. Veniamin led the annual Easter and Christmas divine services at Putilovsky and Obukhovsky factories of St. Petersburg, and organised the charitable foundation of the Mother of God for the Care of Abandoned Women. From March 1917, he served as Archbishop of Petrograd and Ladoga, and as Metropolitan of Petrograd and Ladoga from August and as Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov since 1918. In 1922, he came into the conflict with the Renovated (Obnovlentsy) Supreme Ecclesiastical Administration, outlawed this institution in his epistle to the Petrograd congregation, and excommunicated the members of the board and their associates. The same year he was arrested for his stand against the requisitioning of church valuables, and executed by firing squad by the decision of Petrograd Provincial Revolutionary Tribunal. In 1992, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a Venerable Martyr; a cenotaph cross was placed in his memory at Nikolskoe cemetery of Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

References: "Дело" митрополита Вениамина (Петроград, 1922 г.). М., 1991; Очерки истории Санкт-Петербургской епархии. СПб., 1994. С. 237-238; Manuil (Lemeљevskij). Die russischen orthodoxen Bischцfe von 1893 bis 1965: Bio-Bibliogr. Erlangen, 1981. T. 2. S. 142-145.