In Memory of Bishop Leonty (Bartoshevich) of Geneva
(On the 70th Anniversary of His Passing)

August 19, 2026, will mark 70 years since the passing of Bishop Leonty (Bartoshevich) of Geneva, Vicar of the Western European Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The memory of this archpastor is especially cherished by the Russian Church, which preserves the memory of those shepherds who, during the years of the Russian diaspora, carried the light of the Orthodox faith to people far from their Fatherland.

The earthly journey of Bishop Leontius was short. He lived only 41 years, and his episcopal service lasted less than six years. But even in that short time, he managed to leave a noticeable mark on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and, above all, in the life of the Russian Orthodox parish in Geneva.

In secular life, the future bishop was named Lev Yurievich Bartoshevich. He was born on September 14 (27), 1914, in Petrograd to a family of a military engineer, Colonel Yuri Vladimirovich Bartoshevich, and Ksenia Nikolaevna, née Tumkovskaya. The baby was baptized in the church of Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky at the Second Cadet Corps.

The fate of his family, like that of many Russian families of that generation, was changed by the revolution and the Civil War. The father of the future bishop led to the ranks of the Volunteer Army, after which he emigrated to Serbia. Only in 1924 did the mother and children manage to join him. The family settled in Belgrade, which at that time had become one of the most important centers of Russian church and cultural life abroad.

It was here that Lev Bartoshevich underwent his spiritual and educational development. In 1932, he graduated from the First Russian-Serbian High School, and in 1938 from the Theological Program of Belgrade University. In the same year, he also completed the Music Academy. His musical talent and deep knowledge of liturgy later became an important part of his pastoral work.

The future ruler was a singer, reader, and subdeacon at the Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade, where he studied church regulations and liturgical chants. His contemporaries especially noted his extraordinary reading in the choir — clear, expressive, and prayerful. He was close to Metropolitans Anthony (Khrapovitsky) and Anastassy (Gribanovsky), who noted great spiritual gifts in the young church servant.

Monastic life held a special place in his life. In 1941, at the Tuman Monastery, Lev Bartoshevich took monastic vows and received the name Leonty, in honor of Saint Leonty, the Bishop of Rostov. That same year, Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky) ordained him first as a deacon and then as a hieromonk. Father Leonty began his priestly service at the Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade.

In 1943, Hieromonk Leonty was sent to Geneva, to the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross. Already the following year, he became its rector. In 1944, he was elevated to the rank of hegumen, and in 1945 — to the rank of archimandrite. From 1946, he performed the duties of Dean of Orthodox parishes in Switzerland, and from 1949, he was a member of the Diocesan Council of the Western European Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Father Leonty's service had a special significance for Geneva. The Russian Church of the Exaltation of the Cross was not only a place for performing services but also a spiritual center for Russian people scattered across Europe. The bishop aimed to organize parish life so that the church became a true house of prayer, where Orthodox piety, church tradition, and the memory of Russia were preserved.

On September 24, 1950, Archimandrite Leonty was consecrated as Bishop of Geneva, Vicar of the Western European Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. For a while, he had to temporarily manage the Western European Diocese until Archbishop John (Maximovich) arrived in 1951. After that, Bishop Leonty continued his service as the head of the Swiss Vicariate.

He became the first Bishop of Geneva. Under his care were the Russian Orthodox parishes of Switzerland. The Geneva Exaltation of the Cross Church experienced a noticeable spiritual revival under him. The significance of his service is also evidenced by the fact that after his passing, the church memory of him was preserved not only among the Russian congregation but also among the people of Geneva.

Particularly noteworthy is the testimony of Metropolitan Anastassy, who, recalling the late archpastor, spoke of him as a disciple of Metropolitan Anthony, having received from his spiritual mentor a spirit of strict churchliness, love for monastic life, and zeal for observing the liturgical rule. Metropolitan Anastassy emphasized that these qualities were especially important for ministry in Geneva.

Bishop Leonty also possessed great natural talents. He was fluent in French, which allowed him to communicate directly with representatives of the local society and church organizations. The Geneva church was located in a city that was one of Europe's important international centers and a place for numerous interchurch and social contacts. The bishop was able to witness Orthodox Christianity with dignity, calmness, and his characteristic inner church composure.

His life ended unexpectedly. On August 19, 1956, on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Bishop Leonty passed away in Geneva from the flu. He was only 41 years old. For the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and especially for the Geneva congregation, his death was a heavy loss. The burial of the bishop was carried out with a special permit from the Swiss authorities near the right wall of the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral, to which he had devoted the last years of his earthly service.

Not only his spiritual children and the Russian Orthodox community gathered for Bishop Leonty's funeral, but also representatives of the canton and various church organizations of Geneva. This was the response of the community in which he carried out his service. Metropolitan Anastassy testified that the bishop’s untimely death was a sad event for the whole city, and the tears of his parishioners reflected the weight of the loss they had suffered.

A special place in the history of Bishop Leonty is occupied by his older brother — Archbishop Anthony (Bartoshevich) of Geneva and Western Europe. The two brothers were connected not only by blood but also by a shared monastic calling. In 1941, they both took monastic vows at the Tuman Monastery. Their future paths were also closely linked with the Russian Church in Western Europe.

After Bishop Leonty's passing, Archimandrite Anthony was chosen as his successor. On May 5, 1957, in Geneva, he was consecrated as Bishop of Geneva and Switzerland, vicar of the Western European Diocese. The consecration was led by St John (Maximovich). Later, Bishop Anthony became the Archbishop of Geneva and Western Europe and continued for many years the ministry that his brother had begun.

It is noteworthy that the brother-archpastors, after completing their earthly journey, ended up together again. Archbishop Anthony passed away in 1993 and was buried in the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral in Geneva, next to his younger brother, Bishop Leonty. So, by the walls of the church to which they both dedicated their efforts, their graves and the memory of their shared service to the Church came together in peace.

Today, seven decades later, the memory of Bishop Leonty takes on a special resonance. His life reminds us of a whole era of the Russian Church Abroad, when Orthodox archpastors had to keep the faith among people forced to leave their homeland. Bishop Leonty belonged to a generation that did not allow the spiritual connection with Russia and its church heritage to break.

His ministry was short-lived, but it was consequential. It combined a love for monastic life, zeal for worship, musical talent, theological education, pastoral care, and the ability to be a worthy witness of the Orthodox Church in European society. Today, it is especially important not only to remember the name of this archpastor, but also to see behind the name the living image of a shepherd of Christ’s Church — a person who, in difficult times, did not seek his own interests, but tried to serve God and mankind.