The former rector of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of Moscow Patriarchate (MP) in Korostyshiv, Zhytomyr Region, Archimandrite Iakov Shumov, was recently seen serving at the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, LB.ua editor-in-chief Sonya Koshkina reported on her telegram channel.
According to LB.ua, Archimandrite Iakov (Yevhen Shumov) has Russian citizenship and has served in the Korostyshiv Cathedral since 2000. According to preliminary information, he left Ukraine on 6 December 2022 and is not going to return, having been placed out of the staff by the Zhytomyr Eparchy.
Interestingly, on 4 December 2022, according to the Zhytomyr Eparchy, Metropolitan Iakov (Shumov) was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called for his services to the UOC - "the construction of churches, the cathedral in Korostyshiv, active participation in the life of the Zhytomyr Eparchy, and the development of parish life."
At least three high-ranking representatives of the UOC-MP have so far fled to Russia - Metropolitan Yelisey of Izyum and Kupyansk, Metropolitan Iosif (Maslennikov) of Romny and Buryn (who were dismissed from the UOC-MP after their escape), and Archbishop Arkadiy of Rovenky and Sverdlovsk. The citizenship of the latter two representatives of the UOC was suspended by a decree of President Vladimir Zelenskyy.