Maxim Sandovich was an Orthodox priest and hieromartyr born in 1888 in Zdynia, Galicia. After leaving a Basilian monastery due to ideological disagreements with the Greek Catholic Church, he traveled to Russia to pursue theological studies. Supported by Archbishop Anthony of Volhynia, he was ordained in 1911 and returned to his home region to serve the Orthodox community. His missionary work and Russophile sympathies led to conflict with the Austro-Hungarian authorities, resulting in his execution in Gorlice in 1914.
Life and ministry
Sandovich sought to strengthen Orthodox presence among the Lemko people. After graduating from the Zhytomyr seminary, he served the parish in Grab, which had transitioned from Greek Catholicism to Orthodoxy. Because he lacked specific permission from the local Metropolitan to operate in Galicia, the Austro-Hungarian administration viewed his pastoral activities as illegal. This tension between his religious mission and the political interests of the empire eventually led to his arrest and death.
Veneration and legacy
He is recognized as a saint and a protomartyr for the Lemko people. Within the Orthodox tradition, he is commemorated as a hieromartyr, with his feast day observed on August 24. His spiritual heritage remains a significant cultural and religious touchstone for the Polish Orthodox Church, helping to preserve the historical identity and faith of the Carpathian Ruthenian communities.