Vitaly Ustinov

Having served up to the grade of foreman, he refused to continue military career as an officer, deciding to leave the world and to enter a monastery.

Vitaly appeared in Berlin where, together with archimandrite Nafanail (L'vov), he engaged in wide missionary activity amongst the Russian refugees and prisoners of war.

Nafanail and Vitaly then relocated to Hamburg where they concentrated on the work of preventing thousands of refugees from being compulsorily repatriated to the USSR.

On 12 July 1951, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Vitaly was consecrated Bishop of São Paulo, vicar of the Brazilian diocese.

There the young bishop opened a printing house and arranged a small shelter for boys who were trained as acolytes for the cycle of divine services.

The episcopate of ROCOR asserted that Metropolitan Vitaly was being held hostage by schismatics who took advantage of his failing health and used his name to produce a schism.

The episcopate made numerous attempts at contacting Metropolitan Vitaly, but were unable to get through to him personally, so that his own position regarding the schism remains unknown.