Daniel Sysoev

Daniel Alexeyevich Sysoev (Даниил Алексеевич Сысоев; 1974–2009) was a Russian Orthodox priest, the rector of St. Thomas' church in southern Moscow, and a prominent missionary.

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

"'One of our brothers who has never been to the Caucasus took up the oath of (former independent Chechen president Doku Umarov) and expressed his desire to execute the damned Sysoyev.'"

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

Sysoev's sermons were published in a series of books. Explaining the teaching of the Orthodox Church, Sysoev used the term 'Uranopolitanism'. Hieromonk Job Gumerov and many other leaders and clergy consider the murder of Sysoev to be martyrdom. Many Orthodox Christians hold him in high esteem, venerating him in iconography, liturgy, and prayer although he has not yet been formally canonized by an Orthodox synod. 237 priests and more than 1000 lay people were present at the burial service. Patriarch Kiril I also came to say farewell to Sysoev.