Platon (bishop)
Encyclopedia
Platon, born Paul Kulbusch (also spelled Kuhlbusch or Kuldbush, 13 (25) July 1869 – 14 January 1919) was an Estonian
bishop and the first Orthodox
saint
of Estonian ethnicity.
, Pärnumaa, in the southwest of present-day Estonia
(then part of Imperial Russia). Kulbusch graduated in 1894 from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with a master’s degree and soon became a priest at the Estonian Orthodox Church of Saint Isidore in St. Petersburg, where he oversaw the expansion of church institutions and buildings and actively reached out to the Anglican
church.
In 1917 a plenary council in Riga
elected Kulbusch to be bishop of Reval (modern Tallinn
, then a vicariate of the Riga diocese
). He was consecrated as Bishop Platon on 31 December 1917. It was a tumultuous time. World War I
was raging on, Russia's emperor
had been overthrown
, and Estonia yearned for independence, which Platon staunchly supported. Under the threat of German invasion, Russian troops withdrew from Estonia, enabling the declaration of Estonian independence
on 24 February 1918, only to be ended by German occupation days later. During the occupation Platon traveled extensively through Estonia, visiting parishes by horse.
Following the German Revolution, in November 1918 Germany formally handed over political power to the Estonian national government. In response, Bolshevik Russia invaded, attempting to regain control over the territory. At this time, Platon was in Tartu
(Dorpat), having fallen ill with pneumonia
. The Bolsheviks took Tartu on 24 December, and on 2 January Platon was arrested and imprisoned in a cellar. On 14 January 1919, he was executed along with two other priests, Michael Bleive and Nikolai Bezhanitsky, just before the city was retaken by the Estonian Army.
Platon and the two murdered priests were canonised
as martyr
s by the Russian Orthodox Church
in exile in 1982 and by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2000.
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
bishop and the first Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
of Estonian ethnicity.
History
Paul Kulbusch was born on 13 July 1869 (25 July 1869 by today's Gregorian calendar) in PootsiPootsi
Pootsi is a village in Tõstamaa Parish, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia. It has a population of 79 .-Notable people:*Platon , Orthodox bishop and saint...
, Pärnumaa, in the southwest of present-day Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
(then part of Imperial Russia). Kulbusch graduated in 1894 from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with a master’s degree and soon became a priest at the Estonian Orthodox Church of Saint Isidore in St. Petersburg, where he oversaw the expansion of church institutions and buildings and actively reached out to the Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church.
In 1917 a plenary council in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
elected Kulbusch to be bishop of Reval (modern Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, then a vicariate of the Riga diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
). He was consecrated as Bishop Platon on 31 December 1917. It was a tumultuous time. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was raging on, Russia's emperor
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
had been overthrown
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, and Estonia yearned for independence, which Platon staunchly supported. Under the threat of German invasion, Russian troops withdrew from Estonia, enabling the declaration of Estonian independence
Estonian Declaration of Independence
The Estonian Declaration of Independence, also known as the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia , is the founding act of the Republic of Estonia from 1918. It is celebrated on 24 February, the National Day or Estonian Independence Day....
on 24 February 1918, only to be ended by German occupation days later. During the occupation Platon traveled extensively through Estonia, visiting parishes by horse.
Following the German Revolution, in November 1918 Germany formally handed over political power to the Estonian national government. In response, Bolshevik Russia invaded, attempting to regain control over the territory. At this time, Platon was in Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
(Dorpat), having fallen ill with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. The Bolsheviks took Tartu on 24 December, and on 2 January Platon was arrested and imprisoned in a cellar. On 14 January 1919, he was executed along with two other priests, Michael Bleive and Nikolai Bezhanitsky, just before the city was retaken by the Estonian Army.
Platon and the two murdered priests were canonised
Glorification
-Catholicism:For the process by which the Roman Catholic Church or Anglican Communion grants official recognition to someone as a saint, see canonization.-Eastern Orthodox Church:...
as martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s by the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
in exile in 1982 and by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2000.