Archiepiskopos Agios Loukas

Saint Luke was born in Kerch, Ukraine, in 1877 and studied medicine. Early on, he distinguished himself in the field of local anesthesia, performing 538 surgeries with great success by the age of just 33. In 1919, he was appointed Professor of Surgery at the University of Tashkent. That same year, at the age of 38, he lost his wife Anna to tuberculosis, with whom he had four children. In 1921, he was ordained a priest, combining his pastoral duties with his medical responsibilities. Saint Luke was a significant scientist of his time in the field of medicine. One of his classic works, published in 1934, is the book "Essays on the Surgery of Pyogenic Infections." He was honored with the Stalin Prize, the highest distinction in pre-war Russia. He declined to attend the award ceremony (an unthinkable reaction at the time), donating the monetary prize to the poor. Despite being a successful surgeon and the pioneering author of forty scientific works, Saint Luke was persecuted for his Orthodox Christian faith by the Soviet regime from 1922 until his last breath on June 11, 1961, enduring arrests, torture, exile, hardships, and 11 years of imprisonment. Throughout this period, he continued his medical practice tirelessly, helping those in need. His life stands as a model of service to suffering fellow humans. On May 25, 1996, he was canonized by the Patriarchate of Russia.