He replaced Efrem who administered the eparchy since the death of Joachim of Korsun without being consecrated as a bishop.
The original Cathedral of Holy Wisdom burned down during his episcopate and was replaced by the current stone structure, possibly the oldest building still in use in Russia, which Luka consecrated on 14 September 1052.
He suffered slander at the hands of his slave, Dudik, and was recalled to Kiev and held there for three years.
[3] Luka died along the Kopys River (in modern Belarus) during his return journey to Novgorod, on 15 October 1059 or 1060, and was buried in the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom.
[4] Some historians say that Luka got his nickname (Zhidiata) due to his Jewish ancestry while others argue that it is a derivative of the name Georgy or Zhidoslav.