Conditions and the beginning of the Middle East period of service of Metropolitan John (Wendland) as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church under the patriarch of Antioch
The beginning of the Middle East period of the ministry of Metropolitan John (Wendland) as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Patriarch of Antioch was held in the mid-twentieth century in very difficult domestic and foreign political conditions, especially in countries such as Syria and Lebanon. Despite the fact that foreign and political ties between Russia and Antioch are known from ancient times, in the late 1950s, The Russian Orthodox Church did not have its own permanent representation and, consequently, a representative under the Antiochian Church. The question arose of choosing the most suitable candidate, but this process dragged on for several years, which revealed various interests and complex relationships between the parties - the Soviet state and the Russian Orthodox Church. In itself, the personality and ministry of Metropolitan John (Wendland) have not been sufficiently studied, especially in 1958-1960, with the exception of published letters in the book of the spiritual daughter of Vladika John, journalist Elvira Leonidovna Mezhenna.