Filaret Denysenko

2.1. Birth and Childhood

Mykhailo Denysenko was born on January 23, 1929, into a worker's family in the village of Blahodatne within the Amvrosiivsky Raion (district), located in what is now the Donetsk Oblast (province) in Eastern Ukraine. His parents were Anton and Melania Denysenko.

2.2. Theological Education and Monastic Vows

He pursued his theological education at the Odesa Theological Seminary (Moscow Patriarchate) and subsequently at the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary. During his studies at the Moscow Theological Academy, he developed a close association with Patriarch Alexius I of Moscow, who would later become a significant figure in his early career.

In 1950, Mykhailo Denysenko took monastic vows, adopting the monastic name Filaret (Филарет_Filaret^Russian). He was ordained as a hierodeacon in January 1950 and as a hieromonk (priest) in June 1951. After his graduation, he remained at the Moscow Theological Academy, serving as a professor from 1952 and as Senior Assistant to the Academy inspector. His administrative career advanced quickly: in 1956, he was appointed Inspector of the Theological Seminary in Saratov and elevated to the rank of hegumen. The following year, in 1957, he was appointed Inspector of the Kyiv Theological Seminary. By July 1958, he was further elevated to the rank of Archimandrite and appointed rector of the seminary.

3.1. Career Progression

From 1960, Filaret effectively served as the Patriarchal Exarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, ministering at St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv. In 1961, he served in the Russian Orthodox Church's mission to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. In January 1962, Filaret was elected vicar Bishop of the Leningrad Eparchy (now Saint Petersburg Eparchy) and, in February, was ordained bishop in Leningrad by Metropolitan Pimen (who later became Patriarch of Moscow) and other bishops.

Filaret was entrusted with several diplomatic missions for the Russian Orthodox Church. From 1962 to 1964, he served as the Russian Orthodox Church's Bishop of Vienna and Austria. In 1964, he returned to Moscow to serve as the Bishop of Dmitrov and rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.

By 1966, he had become Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych, a position that marked him as one of the most influential hierarchs within the Russian Orthodox Church, given the high regard for the office of the Kyiv Metropolitan. At this time, he also became a permanent member of the Holy Synod, the highest collegiate body of the Russian Orthodox Church responsible for electing the Patriarch of Moscow. In 1968, Filaret was elevated to Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia. Notably, he was the first ethnic Ukrainian in 150 years to hold the position of Metropolitan of Kyiv. As the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Filaret publicly supported the suppression of Ukrainian churches that refused to align with the Russian Orthodox Church, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. As late as October 1989, Filaret explicitly stated that "The Uniates will never be legalized in our country."

As Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow's health declined, Filaret took direct charge of the preparations and celebrations for the Millennium of the Christianization of Rus' in 1988. This celebration served as a turning point in the relationship between the Soviet Union and the Russian Orthodox Church, leading to the return of numerous church buildings to the Russian Orthodox Church by the Soviet government.

3.2. Metropolitan of Kyiv and Locum Tenens

On May 3, 1990, upon the death of Patriarch Pimen I, Filaret became the locum tenens of the Russian Orthodox Church, making him a leading candidate for the next Patriarch of Moscow. However, on June 6, 1990, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Alexei (secular name Alexei Ridiger), Metropolitan of Leningrad and Veliky Novgorod, who was subsequently enthroned as Patriarch Alexy II. Retrospectively, in 2019, Filaret stated that his not being elected was not by chance, believing that "The Lord prepared me for Ukraine."

On October 27, 1990, at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Patriarch Alexy II ceremonially handed Metropolitan Filaret a tomos which granted "independence in self-government" to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Notably, this tomos did not use the terms "autonomy" or "autocephaly". Filaret, previously "Metropolitan of Kyiv," was then enthroned as "Metropolitan of Kyiv and All-Ukraine."

3.3. Allegations of KGB Cooperation

In 1992, the Russian Orthodox priest and Soviet dissident Gleb Yakunin publicly accused Exarch Filaret of having served as an informer for the KGB, stating that he had seen KGB files which identified Filaret's codename as Antonov. This claim was also mentioned by people's deputies of Ukraine in an official statement on January 20, 1992.

According to internal KGB documents, tasks assigned to Filaret as an agent included promoting Soviet positions and candidates within international religious organizations such as the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Christian Peace Conference (CPC). By the 1980s, he was reportedly tasked with supporting Soviet authorities' efforts to prevent the long-suppressed Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from openly re-establishing itself and to thwart religious believers from demanding their rights as glasnost and perestroika introduced greater public debate.

In a 2018 interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Filaret acknowledged that, like all bishops under communism, he "had to have contacts with the KGB." In 2019, he further elaborated that every bishop of the Moscow Patriarchate had to maintain contact with the KGB, even for the appointment of a bishop. He controversially added that he had been "trained by the Politburo" and Patriarch Alexy by the KGB, emphasizing the pervasive influence of state security services on the church during the Soviet era.

4.1. Push for Autocephaly

Following Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, a national sobor (council) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was convened from November 1 to 3. At this sobor, voting delegates, comprising all UOC bishops, clergy, lay delegates from each diocese, and representatives from monasteries and seminaries, unanimously passed a resolution declaring that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church would henceforth operate as an autocephalous church. A separate resolution, also unanimous, affirmed the church's desire for Metropolitan Filaret to become its Primate.

In January 1992, Filaret convened an assembly at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra that formally adopted a request for autocephaly for Ukrainians, addressed to the Moscow Patriarchate.

4.2. Break with the Russian Orthodox Church

In March-April 1992, the Hierarchical Council of the Russian Orthodox Church convened with the sole agenda item of considering the resolution passed by the UOC Sobor four months prior. Although the autocephaly issue itself was not extensively discussed, Filaret was pressed to resign from his position. On the second day of the meeting, Metropolitan Filaret agreed to submit his resignation to the UOC Synod, leading the ROC Synod to pass a resolution acknowledging his statement and expressing gratitude for his service.

However, upon his return to Kyiv, Filaret promptly recanted his resignation. On April 14, he held a press conference, asserting that undue pressure had been exerted at the ROC Synod in Moscow, both directly and through threats made by FSK (a predecessor to the modern FSB) personnel who, he claimed, were present at the gathering. Filaret declared his retraction on the grounds that his resignation "would not bring peace to the Church, would contradict the will of the believers, and would be uncanonical."

4.3. Suspension and Anathematization

Shortly after Filaret's recantation, the Russian Orthodox Church, aiming to prevent the establishment of what it perceived as a schismatic church in independent Ukraine, supported the organization of a rival synod in Kharkiv in May 1992. This synod elected Bishop Volodymyr (Sabodan), a Russian Orthodox Church bishop, as Metropolitan of Kyiv, and his church received recognition from Moscow as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

Filaret was formally suspended by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) on May 27, 1992. In response, bishops loyal to Metropolitan Filaret, along with a similar group from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (another church that had recently revived in Ukraine), organized a unifying sobor on June 25, 1992. The delegates agreed to form a combined church named the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) under Patriarch Mstyslav, whom they elected as its head.

The Russian Orthodox Church defrocked Filaret on July 11, 1992. The UOC-KP, under Filaret's effective leadership, was not recognized by other Orthodox churches and was largely considered schismatic. Filaret was further anathematized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1997. Russian Orthodox Church officials claimed that this anathematization was "recognized by all the Local Orthodox Churches including the Church of Constantinople." Indeed, the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in a July 1992 letter to Patriarch Alexy II, recognized Filaret's defrocking by the ROC, and the Ecumenical Patriarch also acknowledged his anathematization in an April 1997 letter to Patriarch Alexy II. The Russian Orthodox Church also accused Filaret of having a wife and three children, although these claims were "never proved."

5.1. Establishment and Election as Patriarch

After the death of Patriarch Mstyslav in 1993, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate was briefly headed by Patriarch Volodymyr. In July 1995, upon Volodymyr's death, Filaret was elected head of the UOC-KP by a decisive vote of 160 to 5, officially becoming its Patriarch. He spearheaded efforts to establish his church as the sole national church of Ukraine, a pursuit that eventually led to the formation of the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine in December 2018, though this also marked his departure from the Patriarchal office.

5.2. Episcopal Ordinations and Expansion

Under Filaret's leadership, the UOC-KP significantly expanded its structure and influence. He played a crucial role in consecrating a substantial number of bishops, personally consecrating at least 85 bishops, thereby building the ecclesiastical hierarchy necessary for the growing church. This expansion contributed to the UOC-KP becoming a significant religious entity in Ukraine.

On October 11, 2018, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople announced that Filaret Denisenko, along with the Primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, had been "restored to communion with the Church." This decision by the Ecumenical Patriarchate also abolished the Moscow Patriarchate's jurisdiction over the Kyiv diocese, implying that all concerned bishops were now considered to be under Constantinople's jurisdiction.

On October 20, 2018, the UOC-KP modified the title of its head to "His Holiness and Beatitude (name), Archbishop and Metropolitan of Kyiv - Mother of the Rus Cities and of Galicia, Patriarch of All Rus-Ukraine, Holy Archimandrite of the Holy Assumption Kyiv-Pechersk and Pochaev Lavras." The abbreviated form became "His Holiness (name), Patriarch of Kyiv and All Russia-Ukraine," while for interchurch relations, the title was "Archbishop, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus'-Ukraine." This combination of titles, specifically including "archbishop" and "metropolitan" in the full and interchurch forms while the abbreviated form only mentioned "patriarch," created some confusion. The Russian Orthodox Church reacted by dismissing this new title as a "farce," reiterating their stance that for them, Filaret "was and remains a schismatic."

6.1. Reinstatement by the Ecumenical Patriarchate

On October 11, 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople issued a pivotal decision, announcing the reinstatement of Filaret Denisenko into church communion, along with the primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. This act canonically restored him to his hierarchical rank. However, the Ecumenical Patriarchate's perspective was that while restored to the episcopate, he was recognized as the "former Metropolitan of Kyiv" and not as a Patriarch. This distinction meant that from Constantinople's viewpoint, his previous anathematization and defrocking by the Russian Orthodox Church were nullified, but his patriarchal title within the UOC-KP was not acknowledged.

6.2. Role in the Formation of the OCU

On December 15, 2018, in a landmark move, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) officially decided to dissolve themselves. This dissolution was a prerequisite for their unification, alongside some members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), into the newly established Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) at a unification council. Upon the formation of the OCU, Filaret was granted the title of "honorary patriarch."

Volodymyr Burega, a professor and vice-rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy, explained that this designation was a pragmatic decision made during the December 2018 council to avoid exacerbating relations with Patriarch Filaret. The immediate priority was to hold the council and secure the autocephaly-granting tomos. As such, the council did not fully clarify Filaret's new status, and the term "honorary patriarch" was used despite not being stipulated in the OCU's charter adopted on December 15. On January 18, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) voted to commemorate Filaret's 90th birthday, January 23, 2019, as a day of national celebration for the year.

6.3. Subsequent Conflicts and Attempts to Restore UOC-KP

Following the formation of the OCU, disagreements and conflicts arose between Filaret and the new leadership, particularly Metropolitan Epiphanius, concerning the model of governance, management of the diaspora, and the name and statute of the OCU. Filaret contended that an agreement reached at the unification council stipulated that while the primate (Epiphanius) would handle external representation, the patriarch (Filaret) would manage internal church life in Ukraine, cooperating with the primate, and chairing meetings of the Holy Synod and UOC meetings to preserve unity. He asserted that this agreement had not been fulfilled.

Filaret continued to sign documents, such as a request on January 16, 2019, to be commemorated before Epiphanius during Divine Liturgy, as "Filaret, Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine." In an interview on January 20, 2019, when asked about his role in the OCU, he declared, "I am a patriarch, I have been and I remain a patriarch. Today, the Head of the Local Church is Metropolitan Epifaniy, but I do not refuse to participate in the development of the Ukrainian Church. I am an unrecognized patriarch for world Orthodoxy, but for Ukraine I am a patriarch and I remain a patriarch."

On February 5, 2019, the Holy Synod of the OCU appointed Filaret as the diocesan bishop of Kyiv, with the exception of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. Metropolitan Epiphanius, in a March 1, 2019 interview with BBC Ukraine, explained the delicate situation: he acknowledged Filaret's quarter-century effort in building the Kyiv Patriarchate and stated that Filaret "remains a diocesan bishop, and he will continue to work towards the building of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. There is a leader, but he (Filaret) remains honorary Patriarch. He will continue to have his diocese - the city of Kyiv, but will not generally manage the whole church."

However, this understanding did not prevent further conflict. On June 19, 2019, Filaret unilaterally declared the "restoration" of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate by convening a "council." He argued that the UOC-KP's dissolution on December 15, 2018, was merely a formal step required to obtain the tomos of autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and that this dissolution could now be nullified. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine immediately responded, stating that Filaret's convened "council" was "meaningless" and lacked any legal force. In response, on June 24, the OCU decided to strip Filaret of his right to administer the Kyiv diocese, while retaining him as a member of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

7.1. Stance on Ukrainian Sovereignty and Russian Aggression

In March 2014, Filaret publicly and strongly condemned the annexation of Crimea by Russia, asserting Ukraine's sovereignty. On September 5, 2014, amidst the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, he held a service to consecrate a memorial cross to the Heavenly Hundred, those who died during the Euromaidan protests.

During this service, Filaret delivered a powerful sermon, declaring that a "new Cain" had emerged among the world's rulers who "calls himself a brother to the Ukrainian people, but in fact according to his deeds... really became the new Cain, shedding the brotherly blood and entangling the whole world with lies." He further stated that "Satan went into him, as into Judas Iscariot." This statement, published on the official website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate in English, Russian, and Ukrainian, was widely interpreted by publications such as Church Times, Cogwriter, and Ecumenical News as identifying the "new Cain" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also stated that the local population in Donbas "must pay for their guilt [in rejecting Kyiv's authority] through suffering and blood," a comment that drew further scrutiny.

7.2. Controversial Social Statements

In March 2020, during a televised interview, Filaret controversially asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic was a "divine punishment" for same-sex marriage. These remarks prompted a strong reaction, leading the Kyiv-based LGBT-rights group Insight to file a lawsuit against him, seeking an apology and retraction.

In an ironic turn of events, it was announced in early September 2020 that Filaret himself had tested positive for COVID-19 and had been admitted to the hospital. Despite this, in a separate interview released in March 2020 to Ukraine Channel 4, he claimed that the Holy Eucharist could be administered from a single spoon, arguing that it is impossible to contract viruses from the "gloriously resurrected Body of Jesus Christ God."

8.1. State awards

9.1. Contributions and Positive Appraisal

Filaret is widely recognized for his unwavering and persistent efforts over decades to establish and develop an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, free from Moscow's ecclesiastical influence. His long work in building the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) from its inception made it a significant spiritual force for Ukrainian national identity. Even those who later conflicted with him, such as Metropolitan Epiphanius, acknowledged his crucial role in paving the way for the eventual unification of Ukrainian Orthodox churches and the granting of autocephaly. His leadership provided a spiritual foundation for Ukrainian sovereignty during periods of significant political transition, fostering a distinct national church.

9.2. Criticisms and Controversies

Despite his contributions, Filaret's career has been subject to continuous criticism and controversy. His unilateral break from the Russian Orthodox Church and subsequent anathematization by Moscow led to the UOC-KP being largely unrecognized by the broader Orthodox world for decades, creating a period of ecclesiastical isolation.

Allegations of his cooperation with the KGB during the Soviet era, though contextualized by Filaret as a necessity for all bishops at the time, remain a contentious aspect of his biography, raising questions about the compromises made under communist rule. Furthermore, his strong and often polarizing public statements on social issues, such as linking the COVID-19 pandemic to same-sex marriage, drew widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and segments of civil society. His remarks on the conflict in Donbas, suggesting the local population "must pay for their guilt through suffering and blood," also generated significant criticism. Unproven accusations by the Russian Orthodox Church of him having a wife and three children further complicated his image as a monastic figure. These criticisms highlight the challenging and often contradictory dimensions of his extensive ecclesiastical career.

10.1. As a supporting archiereus

• Vladimir (Kotlyarov) on December 30, 1962, as Bishop of Zvenigorod
• Antonius (Vakaryk) on February 12, 1965, as Bishop of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh
• Boris (Skvortsov) on February 21, 1965, as Bishop of Ryazan and Kasimov
• Melchizedek (Lebedev) on June 17, 1965, as Bishop of Vologda and Velikiy Ustyug
• Philaret (Vakhromeyev) on October 24, 1965, as Bishop of Tikhvin
• Joanathan (Kopylovych) on November 28, 1965, as Bishop of Tegel
• John (Snychov) on December 12, 1965, as Bishop of Syzran
• Juvenal (Poyarkov) on December 26, 1965, as Bishop of Zaraisk
• Irenaeus (Susemihl) on January 30, 1966, as Bishop of Munich
• Dionysius (Lukin) on March 20, 1966, as Bishop of Rotterdam
• Volodymyr (Sabodan) on July 9, 1966, as Bishop of Zvenigorod
• Hermogenes (Orekhov) on November 25, 1966, as Bishop of Podolsk
• Theodosius (Dykun) on June 4, 1967, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Sabbas (Babynets) on March 30, 1969, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Macarius (Svystun) on June 7, 1970, as Bishop of Uman
• Maximus (Krokha) on March 26, 1972, as Bishop of Argentina and South America
• Victorinus (Belyaev) on June 3, 1973, as Bishop of Perm and Solikamsk
• Platon (Udovenko) on December 16, 1973, as Bishop of Argentina and South America
• Job (Tivonyuk) on January 3, 1975, as Bishop of Zaraisk
• Kirill (Gundyayev) on March 14, 1976, as Bishop of Vyborg
• Gleb (Smirnov) on May 9, 1976, as Bishop of Oryol and Bryansk
• Valentine (Mishchuk) on July 25, 1976, as Bishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak
• Nicanor (Yukhymyuk) on November 30, 1979, as Bishop of Podolsk

10.2. As a leading archiereus

• Nicholas (Bychkovsky) on July 28, 1971, as Bishop of Kursk and Belgorod
• Barlaam (Ilyuschenko) on October 22, 1972, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Agathangelos (Savvin) on November 16, 1975, as Bishop of Vinnytsia and Bratslav
• Sebastian (Pylypchuk) on October 16, 1978, as Bishop of Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv
• Ioann (Bodnarchuk) on October 23, 1978, as Bishop of Zhytomyr and Ovruch
• Lazar (Shvets) on April 18, 1980, as Bishop of Argentina and South America
• Antonius (Moskalenko) on October 13, 1986, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Palladius (Shyman) on February 8, 1987, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Marcus (Petrovtsy) on July 28, 1988, as Bishop of Kremenets
• Joannicius (Kobzyev) on December 13, 1988, as Bishop of Slovyansk
• Joanathan (Yeletskikh) on April 22, 1989, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Euthymius (Shutak) on July 28, 1989, as Bishop of Mukachevo and Uzhhorod
• Basilius (Vasyltsev) on October 1, 1989, as Bishop of Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv
• Bartholomeus (Vashchuk) on February 24, 1990, as Bishop of Volhynia and Rivne
• Niphont (Solodukha) on March 31, 1990, as Bishop of Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi
• Andrew (Horak) on April 18, 1990, as Bishop of Lviv and Drohobych
• Gleb (Savin) on August 2, 1990, as Bishop of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia
• Basilius (Zlatolinsky) on December 2, 1990, as Bishop of Simferopol and Crimea
• Onuphrius (Berezovsky) on December 9, 1990, as Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bucovina
• Jacob (Panchuk) on December 14, 1990, as Bishop of Pochaiv
• Sergius (Hensytsky) on February 17, 1991, as Bishop of Kremenets
• Hilarion (Shukalo) on September 29, 1991, as Bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia
• Alypius (Pohribnyak) on October 6, 1991, as Bishop of Donetsk and Luhansk
• Spyrydon (Babskyi) on June 7, 1992, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Barsanuphius (Mazurak) on June 8, 1992, as Bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia
• Antonius (Masendych) on September 9, 1992, as Bishop of Pereyaslav and Sicheslav
• Volodymyr (Romaniuk) on September 10, 1992, as Bishop of Bila Tserkva
• Sophronius (Vlasov) on September 15, 1992, as Bishop of Vinnytsia and Bratslav
• Roman (Blashchuk) on September 16, 1992, as Bishop of Rivne and Ostroh
• Seraphim (Verzun) on September 25, 1992, as Bishop of Zhytomyr and Ovruch
• Nestor (Kulish) on November 15, 1992, as Bishop of Cherkasy and Chyhyryn
• Polycarp (Huts) on April 10, 1993, as Bishop of Donetsk and Luhansk
• Alexius (Tsaruk) on July 7, 1993, as Bishop of Mykolaiv
• Volodymyr (Ladyka) on March 13, 1993, as Bishop of Vinnytsia and Bratslav
• Alexander (Reshetnyak) on January 16, 1994, as Bishop of Bila Tserkva
• Daniel (Chokalyuk) on January 23, 1994, as Bishop of Vyshhorod
• Hadrian (Staryna) on February 6, 1994, as Bishop of Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk
• Izyaslav (Karha) on September 11, 1994, as Bishop of Nikopol
• Theodosius (Petsyna) on December 4, 1994, as Bishop of Drohobych and Sambir
• Barlaam (Pylypyshyn) on December 14, 1994, as Bishop of Chernihiv and Sumy
• Joasaph (Shibayev) on February 19, 1995, as Bishop of Belgorod and Oboyan
• Baruch (Tischenkov) on February 23, 1994, as Bishop of Tobolsk and Yeniseysk
• Job (Pavlyshyn) on May 11, 1995, as Bishop of Kremenets and Zbarazh
• Gregorius (Kachan) on October 10, 1995, as Bishop of Melitopol
• Gerontius (Khovansky) on March 24, 1996, as Bishop of Sumy and Okhtyrka
• Ioann (Zinovyev) on July 18, 1996, as Bishop of Donetsk and Luhansk
• Antonius (Makhota) on July 21, 1996, as Bishop of Simferopol and Crimea
• Volodymyr (Polishchuk) on February 23, 1997, as Bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia
• Joasaph (Vasylykiv) on April 6, 1997, as Bishop of Donetsk and Luhansk
• Pancratius (Tarnavsky) on July 27, 1997, as Bishop of Vinnytsia and Bratslav
• Christophorus (Sitas) on October 2, 1997, as Bishop of Surozh
• Nikon (Kalember) on October 12, 1997, as Bishop of Kitsman and Zastavna
• Damian (Zamarayev) on October 19, 1997, as Bishop of Kherson and Taurida
• Peter (Petrus) on October 30, 1997, as Bishop of Lviv and Yavoriv
• Yuriy Yurchyk on May 14, 1999, as George, Bishop of Donetsk and Luhansk
• Timotheus (Koutalianos) on March 26, 2000, as Bishop of Korsun
• Demetrius (Rudyuk) on July 16, 2000, as Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi
• Clemence (Kushch) on July 23, 2000, as Bishop of Simferopol and Crimea
• Michael (Zinkevych) on October 22, 2000, as Bishop of Sumy and Okhtyrka
• Flavian (Pasichnyk) on November 5, 2000, as Bishop of Kharkiv and Bohodukhiv
• Paisius (Dmokhovsky) on September 30, 2001, as Bishop of Odesa and Balta
• Stephan (Bilyak) on May 19, 2002, as Bishop of Boryspil
• Eusebius (Politylo) on July 7, 2002, as Bishop of Poltava and Kremenchuk
• Sergius (Horobtsov) on December 14, 2002, as Bishop of Slovyansk
• Vsevolod (Matviyevsky) on March 28, 2003, as Bishop of Luhansk and Starobilsk
• Ioann (Yaremenko) on March 30, 2003, as Bishop of Cherkasy and Chyhyryn
• Cyril (Mykhailyuk) on August 3, 2003, as Bishop of Uzhhorod and Zakarpattia
• Methodius (Sribnyak) on June 6, 2004, as Bishop of Sumy and Okhtyrka
• Theodosius (Paikush) on July 28, 2004, as Bishop of Chernihiv and Nizhyn
• Chrysostom (Bakomitros) on May 14, 2005, as Bishop of Chersonesus
• Philaret (Pancu) on July 31, 2005, as Bishop of Făleşti and Eastern Moldova
• Onuphrius (Khavruk) on October 30, 2005, as Bishop of Derman
• Michael (Bondarchuk) on January 1, 2006, as Bishop of Poltava and Kremenchuk
• Nestor (Pysyk) on March 5, 2006, as Bishop of Ternopil and Buchach
• Theodore (Bubnyuk) on November 12, 2006, as Bishop of Poltava and Kremenchuk
• Sebastian (Voznyak) on December 14, 2006, as Bishop of Chernihiv and Nizhyn
• Matheus (Shevchuk) on December 17, 2006, as Bishop of Drohobych and Sambir
• Hilarion (Protsyk) on May 14, 2008, as Bishop of Chernihiv and Nizhyn
• Eustratius (Zorya) on May 25, 2008, as Bishop of Vasylkiv
• Peter (Moskalyov) on December 13, 2008, as Bishop of Valuiky
• Marcus (Levkiv) on February 1, 2009, as Bishop of Kirovohrad and Holovanivsk
• Paul (Kravchuk) on March 30, 2009, as Bishop of Ternopil and Terebovlia
• Epiphanius (Dumenko) on November 15, 2009, as Bishop of Vyshhorod
• Simeon (Zinkevych) on November 21, 2009, as Bishop of Dnipropetrovsk and Pavlohrad
• Tycho (Petranyuk) on November 22, 2009, as Bishop of Luhansk and Starobilsk