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His Grace '''Seraphim (Melkonian)''' is the Bishop of the Baltiysk, Vicar of the Smolensk and Kaliningrad Diocese under the [[jurisdiction]] of the [[Church of Russia]].
==Life==
Vladimir Melkonian was born on [[December 29]], 1961, in the city of Adler in the Krasnodar Krai in south western Russia. After completing his secondary school education in 1979, Vladimir worked as a manual worker at a construction site before he was called to serve in the Soviet army during the period from 1980 to 1982. After completing his army service, Vladimir moved to the city of Ufa in the south eastern edge of European Russia. There, he worked as a watchman and boiler-man for the local diocesan administration and carried out the obedience of [[Reader]] at the Church of the Intercession of the Holy [[Theotokos]] in Ufa.
In 1984, Vladimir entered the Odessa Seminary with the blessing of Bishop Anatoly of Ufa and Sterlitamak. After graduating from the [[seminary]] in 1988, he entered the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Academy]], graduating in 1992.
In 1990, he entered the [[monasticism|monastic]] community of the [[St. Daniel Monastery (Moscow)|Monastery of St. Daniel]] in Moscow, Russia. In December 1990, Vladimir was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]], with the name Seraphim in honor of St. [[Seraphim of Sarov]], by [[Archimandrite]] Ippolit, the father [[superior]] of the monastery. In January 1991, he was [[ordination|ordained]] [[deacon]] and, in April 1990, [[hieromonk]] by [[Archbishop]] Valentin of Orenburg and Buzuluk.
In 1992, Father Seraphim was transferred to the [[Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem|Russian Orthodox Mission]] in Jerusalem where he served until late 1999. In 1995, [[Patriarch]] [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexei II]] awarded him a [[pectoral cross]]. In 1997, he was elevated to the dignity of [[Igumen|igumen]], at the Church of the Holy Trinity of the Jerusalem Mission. In 1999, Fr. Seraphim was recalled to Russia and assigned as head of the Orthodox pilgrimage section under the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations (DECR).
On [[April 3]], 2001, the [[Holy Synod]] of the Church of Russia elected Igumen Seraphim to the [[episcopate]] as Bishop of Baltiysk, [[Vicar]] of the [[Diocese]] of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. On [[April 18], Igumen Seraphim was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite by [[Metropolitan]] [[Kirill I of Moscow|Kirill]] of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the DECR, at the church of the Holy Trinity at Khorochevo. On [[May 19]], Archim. Seraphim was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Bishop of Baltiysk by Patr. Alexei II, assisted by nine other hierarchs at the [[Cathedral]] Church. After the liturgy, Patr. Alexei presented the newly-consecrated bishop with his bishop’s [[Crosier|crosier]].
{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=[[Panteleimon (Kutovoy) of Krasnoyarsk|Panteleimon (Kutovoy)|
title=Bishop of Baltiysk <br> Vicar of the Diocese of Smolensk|
years=2001 - Present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}
==Source==
*[http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/hierarchs/russia/bios/bio_seraphim_melkonian_bishop_baltics.htm ORI: Archimandrite Seraphim (Melkonian) Consecrated Bishop of the Baltics]
[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category: Bishops of Baltiysk]]
[[Category: 21st-century bishops]]
==Life==
Vladimir Melkonian was born on [[December 29]], 1961, in the city of Adler in the Krasnodar Krai in south western Russia. After completing his secondary school education in 1979, Vladimir worked as a manual worker at a construction site before he was called to serve in the Soviet army during the period from 1980 to 1982. After completing his army service, Vladimir moved to the city of Ufa in the south eastern edge of European Russia. There, he worked as a watchman and boiler-man for the local diocesan administration and carried out the obedience of [[Reader]] at the Church of the Intercession of the Holy [[Theotokos]] in Ufa.
In 1984, Vladimir entered the Odessa Seminary with the blessing of Bishop Anatoly of Ufa and Sterlitamak. After graduating from the [[seminary]] in 1988, he entered the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Academy]], graduating in 1992.
In 1990, he entered the [[monasticism|monastic]] community of the [[St. Daniel Monastery (Moscow)|Monastery of St. Daniel]] in Moscow, Russia. In December 1990, Vladimir was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]], with the name Seraphim in honor of St. [[Seraphim of Sarov]], by [[Archimandrite]] Ippolit, the father [[superior]] of the monastery. In January 1991, he was [[ordination|ordained]] [[deacon]] and, in April 1990, [[hieromonk]] by [[Archbishop]] Valentin of Orenburg and Buzuluk.
In 1992, Father Seraphim was transferred to the [[Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem|Russian Orthodox Mission]] in Jerusalem where he served until late 1999. In 1995, [[Patriarch]] [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexei II]] awarded him a [[pectoral cross]]. In 1997, he was elevated to the dignity of [[Igumen|igumen]], at the Church of the Holy Trinity of the Jerusalem Mission. In 1999, Fr. Seraphim was recalled to Russia and assigned as head of the Orthodox pilgrimage section under the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations (DECR).
On [[April 3]], 2001, the [[Holy Synod]] of the Church of Russia elected Igumen Seraphim to the [[episcopate]] as Bishop of Baltiysk, [[Vicar]] of the [[Diocese]] of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. On [[April 18], Igumen Seraphim was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite by [[Metropolitan]] [[Kirill I of Moscow|Kirill]] of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the DECR, at the church of the Holy Trinity at Khorochevo. On [[May 19]], Archim. Seraphim was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] Bishop of Baltiysk by Patr. Alexei II, assisted by nine other hierarchs at the [[Cathedral]] Church. After the liturgy, Patr. Alexei presented the newly-consecrated bishop with his bishop’s [[Crosier|crosier]].
{{start box}}
{{succession|
before=[[Panteleimon (Kutovoy) of Krasnoyarsk|Panteleimon (Kutovoy)|
title=Bishop of Baltiysk <br> Vicar of the Diocese of Smolensk|
years=2001 - Present|
after=—}}
{{end box}}
==Source==
*[http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/hierarchs/russia/bios/bio_seraphim_melkonian_bishop_baltics.htm ORI: Archimandrite Seraphim (Melkonian) Consecrated Bishop of the Baltics]
[[Category: Bishops]]
[[Category: Bishops of Baltiysk]]
[[Category: 21st-century bishops]]
