President Vladimir Putin’s spiritual advisor has been appointed to the diocese of the annexed Ukrainian territory.
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on Wednesday decided to appoint Bishop Tikhon as head of the diocese of Crimea in the occupied territory of Ukraine.
Tikhon is known as a close ally of the Russian president and has been characterized by experts as “Putin’s confessor.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) listens to a speech by Orthodox Metropolitan Tikhon (left) at the opening ceremony of the monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky and his guards in the village of Samorva on the outskirts of Pskov, Russia. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
In many Christian churches, a “confessor” refers to a priest who hears an individual’s confession and offers forgiveness of sins.
Tikhon and Putin have been photographed together many times, including during a visit to Crimea in March to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea.
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Governor Sergei Aksyonov, installed by the Russian government after Russia’s annexation in 2014, called Tikhon “one of the most famous and influential prelates” of the Russian Orthodox Church, according to the Moscow Times.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left), Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (center right), and Metropolitan Archbishop Tikhon (center left) visit St. Vladimir’s Cathedral in the ancient city of Chersonesos on the outskirts of Sevastopol. (DMITRY ASTAKHOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite his close ties to President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, Tikhon has sought to strike a sympathetic stance with the Ukrainian people since the invasion began.
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“We have to talk about what we wake up with, what goes through our heads all day long, and what we go to bed with. It’s Ukraine,” Tikhon said in November 2022. “There is no doubt that we are experiencing an unprecedented tragedy. It is a fateful stage in the life of our people, our country and Ukraine.”
Heavily armed soldiers without identifying insignia stand guard at the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol, Ukraine, next to a sign that reads “Crimea-Russia.” (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
“How will it end?” the bishop continued. “Of course, we pray that it ends peacefully and safely. Everyone is looking for peace right now.”
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Tikhon — common name Georgy Alexandrovich Shevkunov —Currently serving as bishop of Pskov and Polkhov.
He will fill the position vacated by the retirement of Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol.
