| Metropolitan of Ulan-Ude and Buryatia | |
 | |
| Appointed | May 5, 2015 |
| Installed | May 24, 2015 |
| Other post(s) | Bishop ofUglich,vicarYaroslavl diocese (January 1999—October 2002) Archbishop ofBirobidzhan andKuldur (October 2002—May 2015) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | April 23, 1981 by Juvenal (Poyarkov) |
| Consecration | January 31, 1999 by Alexy II of Moscow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Igor Balabanov (1954-01-31)31 January 1954 (age 71) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Denomination | Orthodoxy |
| Residence | Kurgan |
| Parents | Anatoly Balabanov Nadezhda Balabanova |
| Profession | Theologian |
| Alma mater | Moscow Theological Seminary |
Metropolitan Joseph (Russian:Митрополит Иосиф,secular nameIgor Anatolievich Balabanov, Russian:Игорь Анатольевич Балабанов; born January 31, 1954) is aRussian Orthodoxbishop,metropolitan ofUlan-Ude and Buryatia. HisName Day is on the Monday ofHoly Week.
Igor Balabanov was born and spent his childhood in the old city ofKashira (Moscow region). His father, Anatoly Balabanov, died in 2001. His mother, Nadezhda Balabanova, died in 1999. According to the family tradition, 40 days after birth the child wasbaptized in the church of theHoly Martyrs Florus and Laurus in Kashira—the only church that was open in those days in the city. From his early childhood Igor served in this church under the guidance of nun Angelina—today Mother Macaria, the prioress of theMakarievo-Pisemsky monastery located in thediocese of Kostroma and Galich—a very strict and demanding woman taught an altar boy everything she knew about church services.
After ten years ofhigh school, he served in the military inSmolensk. In 1975, after leaving the army, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. After the first year of education he received only excellent grades, and thus was immediately transferred to the third class, and in 1978, after graduation from the seminary, he was admitted to theMoscow Theological Academy without sitting for entrance examinations.
On March 5, 1979Metropolitan Juvenaltonsured him with the name of Joseph after the righteousPatriarch Joseph in the Church of the Holy PrinceDaniel of Moscow inNovodevichy Convent. On March 9 that year, Metropolitan Juvenal ordainedmonk Joseph as adeacon and on July 26,Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Pimen assigned deacon Joseph to a full-time service position at the Church of the Assumption in Novodevichy Convent.
On April 23, 1981, onHoly Thursday, monk Joseph was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Juvenal. In 1982, on the feast of theAnnunciation, he was awarded apectoral cross.
On September 15, 1982, by the directive of Pimen he was placed at the service of Metropolitan of Krutitsa and Kolomna Juvenal. Two weeks later on September 30, Metropolitan Juvenal appointed Josephpastor of theIlyinsky temple in the city ofSerpukhov, Moscow region.
The following year on July 13,hieromonk Joseph was assigned as thedean ofSerpukhov circuit, consisting of Serpukhovsky, Chekhovsky and Narofominsky districts. He held this position until 1999. The revival of traditional styles of worship; the construction of new churches and monasteries or the restoration of existing places of worship; and development of religious life in all its forms, became the main objectives of the new dean.
On March 19, 1984, hieromonk Joseph becamehegumen of the Ilinsky Church. Under his guidance the church underwent extensive external and internal restoration. The restoration included the construction of a new two-story brick building, replacement of plumbing systems and placement of an iron fence around theprecinct. But most importantly the new hegumen turned out to be the firstbishop who was able to end longstanding conflicts and unite all the clergy and believers around the parish. On November 22, 1987, hieromonk Joseph received four awards and was elevated to the rank ofarchimandrite by Patriarch Pimen.
In early June 1990, he took part in theLocal Council of the Russian Orthodox Church as delegate from the diocesan clergy of the city of Moscow, when the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia was electedMetropolitan of LeningradAlexis (Ridiger). The same year Archimandrite Joseph was elected as a member of theCity Council of Serpukhov. As a member of the city council he has done everything possible to return to theChurch all its monasteries and churches, including theVysotsky monastery located right in the centre of Serpukhov.
On February 28, 1991, Alexy II and theHoly Synod made Archimandrite Joseph hegumen of the Vysotsky Monastery, with the right to deliver services withcrozier. He worked to revive this ancient monastery, founded bySergius of Radonezh in 1374.
At the initiative of the hegumen there was continued the veneration of the miraculous icon of theMother of God "The Inexhaustible Cup", venerated in many parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, withakathist to the Mother of God read daily before this icon. The first edition of the akathist to theTheotokos "The Inexhaustible Cup" was made by Bishop Joseph based on the only copy of the akathist left by an unknown old woman.
In 1993 Archimandrite Joseph was elected as a member of the Diocesan Council of the Moscow diocese. On September 25, 1995, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, during his visit to the Vysotsky Monastery, awarded Joseph with theOrder of St. Sergius. On March 28, 1996, Alexy bestowed on him the right to celebrateDivine Liturgy with open royal gates.
On December 28, 1998, Alexy II and the Holy Synod elected Joseph as Bishop ofUglich, vicar of theDiocese of Yaroslavl. His episcopal ordination took place in theEpiphany Cathedral at Yelokhovo on January 31, 1999.
From February 1999, Bishop Joseph carried out his episcopal duties in the old city of Yaroslavl. By the directive of Alexy II, Bishop Joseph served also as vicar of the diocese, where he worked to build new churches and monasteries and to revive abandoned temples. A temple of theEpiphany built in the 17th century was renovated and finally transferred to the Diocese of Yaroslavl and Rostov. For a long time the temple building was closed for worships and was used as a museum. TheGreat Consecration of the temple was the final point of his episcopal ministry in the city of Yaroslavl.
Alexy II and the Holy Synod made Joseph bishop of a newly foundeddiocese located within the borders of theJewish Autonomous Oblast in theRussian Far East on October 7, 2002.
In 2003-2005 Bishop Joseph led construction work on the first cathedral in history of Birobidzhan. On September 21, 2005, the cathedral in honor of the Annunciation was completed. The day of the consecration of the cathedral, Joseph was awarded theOrder of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna (second class). In 2006, a Socio-Educational Center was built at the east side of the cathedral precinct. In ten years dozens of churches were built all over the region, including the Convent ofSaint Innocent in Razdolnoye and two temples in correctional facilities.
Throughout his career Bishop Joseph received non-Church awards. An order of theMinister of Justice on January 22, 2002, awarded Joseph the medal"For strengthening of the penal system" (second class). Adecree of the President of the Russian FederationVladimir Putin on August 8, 2005, awarded Joseph theOrder For Merit to the Fatherland (second class). February 12, 2007, by the order of theFederal Penitentiary Service of Russia he was awarded the medal "For strengthening of the penal system" (first class). A decree of PresidentDmitry Medvedev on April 29, 2009, awarded Joseph theOrder of Friendship "For great personal contribution to the spiritual and cultural traditions and strengthening friendship between peoples". On October 1, 2012, the governor of the Jewish Autonomous RegionAlexander Vinnikov bestowed on Bishop Joseph the Jewish Autonomous Region Award Honorable Medal "Honor and Respect".
On February 3, 2013, Joseph was elevated to the rank of archbishop.[1]
On 5 May 2015, Joseph was appointed the ruling Bishop of theDiocese of Kurgan with the title "ofKurgan andBelozerskoye" and the head of the Metropolis of Kurgan. On 24 May 2015 he was elevated to the rank ofmetropolitan bishop at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
On 30 August 2019, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed Metropolitan of Simbirsk and Novospasskoye, head of the Metropolis of Simbirsk.
On 25 August 2020, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed Metropolitan of Ulan-Ude and Buryatiya, head of the Metropolis of Buryatiya.