Bishop Gerasim of Vladikavkaz and Alanya

Roadmap to Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region

Key Persons

Gerasim (Vitaly Shevtsov) was born on September 8, 1971 in Moscow, RSFSR, Soviet Union.
In 1988-93 - studied at the Sergo Ordzhonikidze Russian State University for Geological Prospecting.
In 1993-97 - studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary, and in 1997-2001 - at the Moscow Theological Academy.

Clerical Career

On April 17, 1997, Gerasim was ordained as a monk.
On December 19, 1997 - he was ordained a hierodeacon.
On June 18, 2000, at the the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia ordained him as a hieromonk.
In 2001-2005, he taught the military faculty of the Orthodox St. Tikhon University of the Humanities.
On July 16, 2005, by a decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Gerasim was sent to Japan for assistance in the revival of a monastic brotherhood under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church. Gerasim headed the monastic brotherhood which operated at the Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo, in 2006-2019.
On August 25, 2020, he was appointed as the Treasurer of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.
On November 20, 2020, by a decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Financial-Economic Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.
On November 25, 2020, by an order of Patriarch Kirill I, he was appointed as a pastor of the Church of Holy Martyr Blasius.
On September 23-24, 2021, by a decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed as a vicar of the Diocese of Vladikavkaz and Alania and replaced Bishop Leonid.
On October 13, 2021, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Patriarch Kirill I consecrated him as a bishop. On October 23, Gerasim arrived in the Diocese of Vladikavkaz and Alanya. He was personally met by Sergey Menyaylo, the Head of the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania.

Relations with the Tskhinvali Region

On January 6, 2023, Gerasim congratulated Alan Gagloev, de facto President on Christmas.
On May 26, 2023, Gerasim, at the invitation of Dzambolat Tedeev, paid a visit to the de facto republic. He inspected the ongoing construction of a religious complex in the village of Tsorbis. The construction is financed by Tedeev, who is originally from this village.
On August 26, 2023, Gerasime congratulated Alan Gagloyev, the de facto President of the Tskhinvali region, on the Day of Recognition of the Independence of the Tskhinvali region by Russia (August 26, 2008).