Herman of Kazan and Svyazhsk

German of Kazan

Metropolitan German born Grigory Sadyrev-Polev; died November 6, 1568, Moscow was an archbishop of Kazan and later candidate Metropolitan of Moscow.

Biography

Gherman took monastic vows in Volokolamsk Monastery. Here he served under Hegumen Guriy (who would become archbishop of Kazan), and was engaged in copying books. Upon organizing his congregation in Kazan, St. Guriy called for Gherman and appointed him head of Bogoroditsky Monastery in Sviyazhsk. The Russian Orthodox Church attached great importance to this monastery in terms of spreading Christianity among the non-Russians in the Kazan region. Upon Guriy's death in 1564, Gherman was elected his successor. At the insistence of Ivan the Terrible and against Gherman's will, he was appointed Metropolitan of Moscow in 1566. Soon, Gherman demanded from the Tsar to abolish the Oprichnina when the Tsar seized land from the aristocrats and imposed repression in a policy called the Oprichnina, Gherman demanded the Tsar to abolish it. Gherman was banished from Moscow disgracefully for this opposition.

Gherman died in Moscow in 1568. His relics were then transported to Sviyazhsk, where they are resting to this day in Bogoroditsky Monastery. The Russian Church celebrates his memory on November, 6 and July, 23 (the day his relics were transferred from Moscow to Sviyazhsk).