Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov), Metropolitan of Leningrad

The Hieromartyr Seraphim was born on January 9/21, 1856, in St. Petersburg into a noble military family. He served as an artillery officer, participating in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. After his wife's death he was ordained a priest, and later took monastic vows. He compiled the famous "Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery," which he personally presented to Emperor Nicholas II — this work played a decisive role in the decision to canonize St. Seraphim of Sarov in 1903.

He served as bishop in various sees; from February 1928 to October 1933 he was Metropolitan of Leningrad and Gdov (by this period the name "Petrograd diocese" no longer existed — the city had been renamed Leningrad in 1924).

He was arrested on November 30, 1937, a gravely ill elder over 80 years old — according to testimony, he was carried out on a stretcher straight from his hospital bed. He was sentenced to death on charges of participating in an alleged "counter-revolutionary monarchist organization"; he was shot on December 11, 1937, at the Butovo firing range near Moscow.

He was canonized by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on February 23, 1997; he is venerated as one of the first glorified Butovo new martyrs (over 180 who suffered at the Butovo range have now been canonized). He is also included in the Synaxes of saints of St. Petersburg and other dioceses where he served.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE SEE'S NAME: the designation "of Petrograd" in the entry's name is anachronistic — the entire period of Metropolitan Seraphim's episcopal service in this city (1928-1933) fell within the already-renamed "Leningrad" era (the city was renamed in 1924); his official title was "Metropolitan of Leningrad and Gdov."