Basil

Bishop Basil , secular name Vladimir Mikhaylovich Rodzianko ( 22 May 1915 - 17 September 1999) was a bishop serving the Orthodox Church in America from 1980 to 1999.

As a priest, he was imprisoned by the Communist Party in Yugoslavia. With the help of friends in the United Kingdom, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Vladimir was released. Later, as a bishop, he became a spokesperson for Orthodox Christianity with an international radio audience. Rodzianko's 1996 book The Theory of the Big Bang and the Faith of the Holy Fathers (or Теория распада вселенной и вера Oтцов) defended a meta-historical fall and argued that the fall and exile of the first humans from paradise resulted in the Big Bang and the formation of our current universe.

Early life Vladimir Rodzianko in 1926 when he was 11 (Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia).

He was born on May 22, 1915, in the family estate of Otrada, which was located near the village of Popasnoye in Novomoskovsky Uyezd, Yekaterinoslav Governorate. His father, Mikhail Rodzianko (1884–1956), was a graduate of Moscow University, while his grandfather, Mikhail Rodzianko, was chairman of the 3rd and 4th State Duma of the Russian Empire. This relationship played an extremely important role in the fate of the future Bishop Basil. Vladimir's mother is Elizaveta Rodzianko, born Baroness Meyendorff (1883–1985). Protopresbyter John Meyendorff was his second cousin on his mother's side.

In 1920, Rodziankos were forced to leave Russia and settle in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, first in Pančevo, then in Beodra (now Novo Miloševo, Vojvodina), where his grandfather died. In 1925 to 1933 Vladimir studied at the 1st Russian-Serbian Classical Gymnasium in Belgrade; he enjoyed the special patronage of Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), with whom he was distantly related. In 1926, he met hieromonk John (Maximovich), who had a huge spiritual influence on him. In 1933 to 1937 he studied at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Belgrade and graduated with a PhD in Theology. At that time, he and his family members were being cared for by priests who were under the jurisdiction of Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. In August 1937, after completing his education at the Faculty of theology, he married Maria Kolyubaeva, the daughter of a priest who managed to leave the USSR illegally with his family.

Exile from Yugoslavia

Thanks to the personal petition of Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher of Canterbury to the Yugoslav authorities and the change in Tito's policy towards the West in 1951, Fr. Vladimir was released early from the camp and together with his family went to Paris, where his parents lived, who left Yugoslavia in 1946. In 1953, at the invitation of Bishop Nicholas (Velimirović), who was then living in London, Fr. Vladimir moved to the UK and became the second priest in the Cathedral of St. Sava of Serbia of the Western European Diocese of the SPC (Notting Hill district in London). He had friendly relations with the Serbian Royal House in exile. Fr. Vladimir was acquainted with many famous people, including Alexander Kerensky, whom he confessed during a serious illness. Yet his stature within world Orthodoxy only continued to grow.

Later life and retirement

After his retirement Bp. Basil returned to Washington, DC where he again began his religious broadcasts to the Soviet Union. As conditions changed in Russia with the fall of the Bolshevik government Bp. Basil was able to present his broadcasts directly over the Russian radio and television facilities. Then, in May 1991, Patriarch Alexius asked Bp. Basil to lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to bring back to Russia for a celebration commemorating Ss. Cyril and Methodius the Holy Fire from the tomb of Christ that ignites each Pascha. Bishop Basil and his pilgrims returned, first stopping in Constantinople for the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch, then traveling through the countries of southeastern Europe where Cyril and Methodius preached arriving at the Dormition Cathedral in the Kremlin. After the Liturgy, the Patriarch with Bishop Basil led through the streets of Moscow a procession that had not been seen in Moscow for over seventy years.

Rodzianko's 1996 book The Theory of the Big Bang and the Faith of the Holy Fathers was written after almost half a year of study at the Holy Trinity Sergius Monastery and published in Russian. It defends a meta-historical fall and argues that the fall and exile of the first humans from paradise resulted in the Big Bang and the formation of our current universe. A brief portion of the book called "Modern Cosmology and Ancient Theology" was translated into English by Marilyn Swezey.

Bishop Basil remained active among the Orthodox of Washington DC, especially among the new Russian immigrants, until his death on September 17, 1999. He was 84 years old. He was buried at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC.

Legacy

The Washington, DC–based Holy Archangels Foundation has held annual retreats focused on his legacy and commemorating his life and works, starting in 2010, and maintains a website about him.

The bestselling book Everyday Saints by Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov includes a chapter on him entitled "His Eminence the Novice."

Bp. Basil's apartment in Washington is maintained much as he left it, and faithful gather for services often at his home chapel there.