Alexander Vvedensky (religious leader)

Alexandr Ivanovich Vvedensky (ru: Александр Ивановицч Введенский)(b. August 30, 1889 in Vitebsk — d. July 26, 1946 in Moscow) was one of the leaders of the Living Church (ru: Живая Церковь, also known as the Renovationist Church, ru: Обновленческая Церковь), a schism of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1923-1946. He should not be confused with the Russian poet of the same name.

Background

Vvedenskii graduated from the History faculty at St. Petersburg University. He received a diploma from the St. Petersburg Spiritual Academy in 1914 and served under the bishop of Grodno.

Vvedensky as head of the Living Church

Vvedensky was the essential head of the Living Church from the 1920s. Over the next two decades, he adopted a complex of titles: Metropolitan - Apologete- Evangelizer and Deputy First Hierarch. On October 10,1941, he was named "First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USSR" with the title of "Most Holy and Blessed Lord and Father" "Святейший и Блаженнейший Великий Господин и Отец." He attempted to have himself named Patriarch, but the attempt was rebuffed and by December of that year, he reverted back to his title of Metropolitan. [On Vvedensky, see http://www.krotov.info/history/20/1930/levitin_24.htm]

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