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Born Ivan Matveevich Snychev on [[October 27]], 1927 in to a peasant family in Chersonese, the [[metropolitan]] grew up in the Soviet Union, served in the Soviet army during 1944 and 1945 in World War II and only enter Orthodoxy entered the Orthodox Church in 1943. With the end of the war, Ivan became a lay brother in 1945, serving Metropolitan Manuel (Lemeshevsky), the Bishop of Orenburg, who was Ivan’s spiritual tutor and protector.

In 1946, Ivan took his [[monasticism|monastic]] vows and became a [[monk]] with the name John (Ioann). John was soon was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] and, in 1948, was ordained a [[priest]]. During the years from 1948 to 1951, he studied at the Saratov Theological [[Seminary]]. He continued his theological education at the [[St. Petersburg Theological Academy|Leningrad Theological Academy]] during the years 1951 to 1955. After graduating from the Leningrad academy, he taught at the Theological Seminary of Minsk during the years 1957 and 1959. Then he taught during 1959 and 1960 at the Saratov Theological Seminary.