Baptismal Name: Iakov
Rank: Archbishop
Place of Birth: Dolghoe village, Kursk region
Date of Birth: 1790, 18th century
Date of Death: September 25, 1877, Chișinău, 19th century
Enthronement: 1844
Retirement: 1858
Affiliation: Russian Orthodox Church
Education: Academy of Saint Petersburg
Biography:
In 1844, Irinarh (Popov) assumed leadership of the Diocese of Chișinău. During his pastoral care, the organization of the Church in Bessarabia was carried out according to the Russian system, accompanied by intensive construction activity.
By the end of his tenure in 1858, the diocese had 565 parish churches, of which 314 were built of stone and 551 of wood, in addition to 36 chapels and 34 churches in 21 monasteries existing at the time.
In 1858, the official newspaper of the Bessarabian Church, “Vestitorul Eparhiei Chișinăului și Hotinului”, was established, with parallel texts in Romanian and Russian. During his tenure, 94 churches were returned to Moldova and included in the newly formed Romanian diocese of the Lower Danube, with the episcopal seat in Ismail.
In March 1858, Archbishop Irinarh retired from the leadership of the diocese and was later appointed Archbishop of Kamenets-Podolsk, and subsequently of Ryazan (+1877).