Overview
- The Orthodox Church of Ukraine confirmed on March 20 that Filaret died at 97, citing an exacerbation of chronic diseases after a March 9 hospitalization.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered condolences to Metropolitan Epiphanius by phone, calling Filaret’s passing a great loss for Ukrainians.
- A public farewell was held on March 21 at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv with senior civilian and military leaders attending, with visitation continuing through March 22.
- Filaret served as metropolitan of Kyiv within the Russian Orthodox Church from 1966 to 1992, co-founded the Kyiv Patriarchate in 1992, led it from 1995 to 2018, and later held the locally used title of patriarch emeritus after the OCU won recognition from Constantinople in 2019.
- Following years of dispute with Metropolitan Epiphanius and a tentative reconciliation in late 2025, the Kyiv Patriarchate announced the election of Archbishop Nykodym as its new patriarch after Filaret’s death.