Archbishop
Saint Meletius, Archbishop of Kharkiv and Akhtyrka, was born on November 17, 1784, in the village of Staryi Sandzhary in the Poltava region. From an early age, he was educated in reading and grammar, graduated from the Poltava parish school and the Ekaterinoslav seminary. In 1814, he graduated from the Alexander Nevsky Academy and became an adjunct professor of Greek language.
In 1820, he was tonsured into monasticism with the name Meletius and soon became an hieromonk. In 1821, he was appointed rector of the Mogilev Theological Seminary, then rector of the Pskov Seminary and the Kyiv Theological Academy. On November 21, 1826, he was consecrated as Bishop of Chyhyryn.
The saint cared for the poor, widows, and orphans, visited prisoners, and served in prison churches. In 1828, he was appointed to the Perm diocese, where he began missionary work among the Old Believers. In 1831, he was transferred to the Irkutsk diocese, where he fought against Lamaism and established churches among the small peoples.
In 1835, he was transferred to the Sloboda-Ukraine diocese, where he continued to care for spiritual educational institutions and the restoration of monasteries. He led an ascetic life, prayed a lot, and served. He died on March 12, 1840, leaving behind a memory of piety and humility.
He was buried on March 17, 1840, in the Pokrovsky Monastery. From the first days after his death, believers turned to the saint for help and healing. In 1948, his relics were transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral in Kharkiv. On February 21, 1978, the Holy Synod approved the service and akathist to Saint Meletius.
