Daniel Sysoev

Who is Daniel Sysoev?

Fr Daniel Alexeyevich Sysoev was a married Russian Orthodox priest, the rector of St. Thomas' church in southern Moscow and a prominent missionary.

He was killed in the church by a masked gunman on November 19, 2009. Fr Daniel Sysoev was known for his missionary activity, including among Russia's Muslim community, neo-Pagans, and Protestants. In December 2009, Fr. Daniel's murder was claimed by a militant Islamic group based in the North Caucasus. According to a statement made by Russian Islamists and released on kavkazcentre.com,

"One of our brothers who has never been to the Caucases took up the oath of and expressed his desire to execute the damned Sysoyev"

Daniel was born into a family of Soviet dissidents. His father was priest Fr Alexei Sysoev, senior priest of St John the Theologian Cathedral in Yasenevo District.

The sermons of Fr Daniel were published in a series of books. Explaining the teaching of the Orthodox Church, Fr Daniel used the term 'Uranopolitism'.

Hieromonk Job Gumerov and many other faithful and clergy consider the murder of Fr Daniel to be a martyrdom.