Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan was buried on July 7, 2014 at the monastery cemetery of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra above the Far Caves, right behind the bell tower, opposite the entrance to the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. This cemetery is very ancient, and only those who have special merits before the church and state are buried there. Heroes and participants of the Patriotic War of 1812, icon painters, abbesses and archimandrites rest here. On this day, an endless stream of people with flowers rushed to say goodbye to their beloved archpastor. His Beatitude Vladyka passed away at the age of 79 from cancer.
Vladimir Sabodan: biography
Metropolitan Vladimir was called Victor Sabodan in the world. He was born on November 23, 1935 in the Ukrainian village of Markovtsy, in the Khmelnitsky region. In 1954, he went to study at the Odessa Theological Seminary, then, from 1958, he studied at the Leningrad Academy, from which he graduated with a degree in theology. In 1962 he received the priesthood and took the vows as a monk. Since 1965headed the Odessa Seminary, where he was rector.
In 1966 he was ordained a bishop and took the position of representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Since 1968, he served as a bishop in Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky, and a year later - at the Chernihiv cathedra. From 1973 to 1982 he was appointed rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, then - Metropolitan of Rostov and Novocherkassk. Since 1984, he has served as the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe. Then, from 1987, he became the manager for the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.
In 1992, the Council of Bishops of the UOC elected him to the high position of Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, primate of the UOC.
Sermon by Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan
After himself, he left a huge number of sermons that remained imprinted in his manuscripts and speeches to his flock, graduates of theological seminaries and academies.
Selected sermons by Vladimir Sabodan made up two volumes of a book called "The Word Dissolved by Love", which depicts the spiritual experience and instructions of his 30-year hierarchal ministry. The first volume includes selected sermons by Vladyka dedicated to the Twelfth Feasts, from which one can get a general idea of his preaching work.
The second contains selected holiday, Sunday and other sermons that Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan ever delivered to believers in his life. These sermons are intended for a wide range of readers: laity, clergy, for everyone whointerested in matters of spiritual life.
A little about his personal life
Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan was very fond of daisies, he dedicated poems to these snow-white flowers and composed a song. But this was preceded by a special story.
In his youth, he, still then Victor, twice wanted to get married. Raya became his first bride, he met her while studying at the Odessa Theological Seminary. No one then imagined that he would become a monk. He had a namesake friend, also Viktor, his last name was Petlyuchenko, now he is an archpriest of the Odessa Holy Trinity Cathedral. And interestingly, the brides of these two friends were called Rai. Then disaster struck, and the bride of the future metropolitan died for unknown reasons. When his friends were getting married in the church, he quietly cried, standing at the altar.
But after a while Vladimir Sabodan wanted to marry again and found himself a bride - a pretty priest's daughter. But after the marriage, she suddenly also suddenly died. At that time, he was already studying at the Leningrad Theological Academy and did not have time for the funeral, he arrived when the coffin with the body of his beloved was covered with earth at the cemetery. After this death, he wrote a very beautiful and touching song "White Chamomile".
The Elder Kuksha of Odessa, consoling him, told him: “Someone must be in Kyiv.” With these words, he predicted a great future for him.
Now, whenever Metropolitan Vladimir came to his native village, fellow villagers, former classmates and relatives always sang this song to him, it became their favorite.
Parent House
Vladimir Sabodan grew up in an ordinary rural family, and he had three more brothers: Mikhail, Alexander and Stepan. My father loved to fish and even had a boat. Mother mainly took care of the house, she married at the age of sixteen and was younger than her husband. It was very difficult for her to cope with five men, but, thank God, everyone was he althy. Saved the plot on which they grew potatoes, and fishing. Vladimir Sabodan was the youngest in the family, and his main task was cleaning the house.
Once Vladimir asked his father for an oarlock from a boat. The guys swam to the middle of the Bug River, swam, and drowned them by accident. In the evening, Vladimir received from his father cuffs on the back of the head and a “soft spot”. The mother cried, but the father brought up his boys in severity. A few years later, Vladimir Sabodan, already a seminarian, came home with friends for the holidays and caught a big fish, even a photograph remained as a memory of such a catch.
Junior
From childhood, Vladimir had a love and a special interest in the church. They lived together, the whole family went to church and observed fasts. In the evening, if the mother was not too tired, she would read the Gospel to her sons. And my father even at one time worked as a headman in the temple. Being in the 4th grade, Vladimir Sabodan became a sexton. Then there was a priest in the church, an old archpriest Sylvester, it was he who taught Vladimir the Church Slavonic language, and then instilled in him a love of poetry and many other things that came in handy in his priestly life.
That he will become a priest,he was predicted as a child. On the other side of the Bug stood the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, and Vladimir was baptized in it. In 1943, when his mother brought him to church, one old woman, a blind nun Archilaus, put her hand on the boy's head, and then taking his mother's hand, said that her son would be intelligent and become a priest.
Faith in God
Faith for Metropolitan Vladimir is something invisible, it helps to find guidelines in life, and one must rely on it. Followed by love and hope. After all, the relationship between God and man is very deep.
In 2009, when Patriarch Alexy II died, a new primate was elected at the local council in Moscow. His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kyiv won more votes, but he withdrew his candidacy in favor of Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.
He laughed it off and explained the refusal by saying that he wants to die in the Kyiv cathedra and stand before God as the 121st Metropolitan of Kyiv, and not just the 16th Patriarch of Moscow. But the real reason for the refusal was the state of his he alth.
Disease
In the fall of 2011, Metropolitan Vladimir fell very ill. First, he was tormented by Parkinson's disease, then, in 2013, stomach cancer was discovered in the last stage. He underwent emergency surgery in France, where doctors stated that the diagnosis was made too late. In February, the Holy Synod of the UOC for he alth reasons suspended the Metropolitan from performingMetropolitan Onufry (Berezovsky) was appointed as the locum tenens of the Kyiv cathedra.
July 5, 2013 Vladimir Sabodan rested in peace. His Beatitude Metropolitan lamented all his life that he never learned to play the violin and speak a foreign language. However, he, like a real archpastor, knew how to give people real comfort, wise advice, help and fervent prayer.
Awards
July 9, 2011 he was awarded the honorary title of Hero of Ukraine. On January 23, 2010, he received the Order of Freedom. Metropolitan Vladimir is a full cavalier of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. July 11, 2013 received the Order of Alexander Nevsky. This list of awards, orders and certificates of honor can go on and on, because it was an outstanding personality who left a bright trace in the hearts of people.
