Clergy and Staff

Archpriest Nazari Polataiko was born on May 3, 1971, in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. He received his secondary education at School #9 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine and artistic education at the Chernivtsi School of Fine Art, graduating in 1986, and continued his studies at the Kosiv College of Applied and Decorative Arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1991. Following his immigration to Canada, he pursued theological studies at St. Andrew's College of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, earning a Bachelor of Theology degree. He subsequently continued his theological education at the Kyiv Theological Academy in Ukraine, where he received the degree of Candidate of Theological Sciences with a dissertation entitled “The Spiritual Tradition of Hesychasm and Its Influence on the Development of Iconography in Rus’” in 2006.

Fr. Nazari was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on August 26, 1995, by His Eminence Metropolitan Vasyly (Fedak), Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, Ecumenical Patriarchate. Following his ordination, he served as Protodeacon at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral in Winnipeg, Manitoba, assisting Metropolitan Vasyly in his archpastoral ministry for many years.

In 2008, Fr. Nazari was received into the Orthodox Church in America and assigned to the Archdiocese of Canada. He served as Protodeacon at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa, Ontario, as Episcopal Secretary, and later as Secretary of the Archdiocese of Canada.

On August 19, 2014, Fr. Nazari was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine at Holy Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine. He continued his ministry at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa until October 2015, when he was transferred to Diocese of the West of the Orthodox Church in America and appointed Rector of Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles, California.

Since his arrival in Los Angeles, Fr. Nazari has devoted himself to Orthodox Christian education, pastoral care, liturgical life, and the proclamation of the Gospel. He has delivered lectures, taught classes, and provided spiritual guidance to countless faithful, emphasizing the importance of prayer, repentance, stewardship, and active participation in the life of the Church.

Fr. Nazari and his wife, Tatiana (Renata), have been married since 1989 and are the parents of two sons Mykola and Alexander.

Fr. Nazari is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian and is able to serve in both English and Church Slavonic.

Born on November 12, 1976, in Cherkasy, Ukraine.

Graduated with honors from the Moscow Theological Seminary in 1998 and from the School of Theology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2003. He also received a degree in organizational management.

For many years he worked in the field of church media and educational outreach, participating in the creation and development of Orthodox informational and television projects. From 2010 to 2022, he served as Director of the Pilgrimage Center of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, organizing pilgrimages to holy sites throughout the world.

Since April 2023, he has served at Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles, California, USA.

He is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, Greek, and English. He is married and has three children.

Protodeacon Kirill Dotsenko was born in Moscow in 1987.

In 2008, was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Aristarch (Smirnov) of Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk.

In 2010, graduated from the St. Tikhon's Orthodox Humanitarian University (PSTBI) in Moscow, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Theology.

2011–2019 Secretary of the St Catherine's Church the representation parish of the Orthodox Church in America in Moscow.

In 2019, graduated from I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Management.

Since February 2019 has served at Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles.