metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

Principality of Moscow A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchical state or feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "principality" is often ...

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the List of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople, archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox ...

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

exarchate An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Con ...

Orthodox Church of Ukraine The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (; OCU), also called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is an Eastern Orthodox Church in Ukraine. It was granted autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople on . Some of the Eastern Orthodox Churche ...

annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), commonly referred to by the exonym Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), is an Eastern Orthodox church in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church was officially formed in 1990 in pla ...

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

Grand Prince of Kiev The Grand Prince of Kiev (sometimes also Grand Duke) was the title of the monarch of Kievan Rus', residing in Kiev (modern Kyiv) from the 10th to 13th centuries. In the 13th century, Kiev became an appanage principality first of the grand prin ...

Vladimir the Great Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (; Christian name: ''Basil''; 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 until his death in 1015. The Eastern Orthodox ...

baptised Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

Varangians The Varangians ( ; ; ; , or )Varangian
," Online Etymology Dictionary were

Askold—might have been baptized due to the existence of the church of

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

at Askold's Grave. During the reign of Prince

Igor of Kiev Igor (; ; – 945) was Prince of Kiev from 912 to 945. Traditionally, he is considered to be the son of Rurik, who established himself at Novgorod and died in 879 while Igor was an infant. According to the '' Primary Chronicle'', Rurik was succ ...

, in Kiev existed the Saint Elijah Church, while during signing the 944 treaty with the Greeks some Ruthenians took an oath on the Bible. From its foundation, the metropolis was subordinate to the

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...

:

Establishment of the metropolitan see

It is not known for certain when the Metropolis of Kiev was established. The earliest recorded

metropolitan bishop In Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), is held by the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a Metropolis (reli ...

is Michael of Kiev (988–992). He was appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople— Nicholas II of Constantinople. He was given the title of Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. The ''

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...

'' was located in the city of Kiev (or possibly

Tmutarakan Tmutarakan (, ; ) was a medieval principality of Kievan Rus' and trading town that controlled the Cimmerian Bosporus, the passage from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, between the late 10th and 11th centuries. Its site was the ancient Greek col ...

). In 1037, Prince

Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I Vladimirovich ( 978 – 20 February 1054), better known as Yaroslav the Wise, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death in 1054. He was also earlier Prince of Novgorod from 1010 to 1034 and Prince of Rostov from 987 to 1010, ...

built a new cathedral – St. Sophia – and moved the metropolitan

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

there. In 1051, Yaroslav the Wise contrived to have a Ruthenian candidate elected as metropolitan—

Hilarion of Kiev Hilarion or Ilarion was the first non-Greek Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. He held the metropolitan post before or during the ongoing 11th century East–West Schism. While there is not much verifiable information regarding Hilarion's biograp ...

. He reorganized the church hierarchy and improved the structure of the metropolis. A delegation of the metropolis, blessed by Metropolitan Ivan III, took part in the Council of Bari (1089) that was convened by

Pope Urban II Pope Urban II (; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermon ...

to heal the Great Schism. Members of this mission were in Bari to consecrate the transferred tomb of St. Nicholas of Myra. After that time came the rise of the cult of

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

in Rus'. During the pre-Mongol period, there were 22 metropolitans. Most were Greeks sent by the patriarchs of Constantinople. The natives of the lands of Rus' were

Hilarion of Kiev Hilarion or Ilarion was the first non-Greek Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. He held the metropolitan post before or during the ongoing 11th century East–West Schism. While there is not much verifiable information regarding Hilarion's biograp ...

(1051–1062), Ephraim of Pereyaslavl (1089–1097), Kliment Smoliatich, and Kirill II of Kiev (1233–1236). It is unknown whether he was approved by the Ecumenical Patriarch On the eve of the Mongol-Tatar invasion, there were 16 dioceses in the metropolis:

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

(988), Chernihiv (991), Belgorod (991), Vladimir (992), Novgorod (992), Rostov (992), Polatsk (992), Turiv (1005), Przemyśl (1026), Pereiaslav (1036), Yurii (1036), Galician (1134), Smolensk (1137), Riazan (1198), Suzdal (1213).

Fragmentation of Kievan Rus'

By the late 12th century, Kievan Rus' was beginning to fragment into a number of principalities. One of the most influential of these was the Grand Duchy of Vladimir under the

Rurik dynasty The Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage allegedly founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who, according to tradition, established himself at Novgorod in the ...

. Grand Duke

Vladimir II Monomakh Vladimir II Monomakh (; Christian name: ''Vasily''; 26 May 1053 – 19 May 1125) was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1113 to 1125. He is considered a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and is celebrated on May 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), May 6 ...

founded the eponymous city of

Vladimir Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology ...

which is located east of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. In 1113 he was popularly acclaimed as the supreme ruler of the Kievan Rus.

Mstislav I of Kiev Mstislav I Vladimirovich Monomakh (; Christian name: ''Fedor''; February 1076 – 14 April 1132), also known as Mstislav the Great, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1125 until his death in 1132. After his death, the state began to quickly disin ...

, who reigned from 20 May 1125 to 15 April 1132, was the last undisputed ruler of all Kievan Rus'. After his death, the throne of Kiev became an object of struggle between various territorial associations of Rurikid princes. The younger son of Vladimir II, called

Yuri Dolgorukiy Yuri I Vladimirovich (; ; c. 1099 – 15 May 1157), commonly known as Yuri Dolgorukiy (, ) or the Long Arm, was a Monomakhovichi prince of Rostov and Suzdal, acquiring the name ''Suzdalia'' during his reign. Noted for successfully curbing t ...

(George), was the Grand Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal. Under his rule, the principality gained military strength. In the Suzdal-Ryazan war of 1146, it conquered the

Ryazan Principality The Principality of Ryazan (), later known as the Grand Principality of Ryazan (), was a principality from 1129 to 1521. Its capital was the city of Ryazan, now known as Old Ryazan, which was destroyed in 1237 during the Mongol invasions. The ...

. Later in the 1150s, George twice occupied Kiev and seized the throne. He last ruled Kiev from August 1150 to the winter of 1151. His rule marked the effective end of the Rus' as a unified entity. From that time onwards, the lands of the northeastern Rus' played an important role in the politics of Kievan Rus'. In March 1169, a coalition of native princes led by the Grand Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal—

Andrey Bogolyubsky Andrey Yuryevich Bogolyubsky (, lit. Andrey Yuryevich of Bogolyubovo; died 28 June 1174) was Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1157 until his death. During repeated internecine wars between the princely clans, Andrey accompanied his father Yuri D ...

—sacked Kiev and forced the ruling prince—

Mstislav II of Kiev Mstislav II Iziaslavich (died 19 August 1170) was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1158 to 1159 and again from 1167 to 1169. Life Mstislav was the son of Grand Prince Iziaslav II of Kiev. Along with his father, he participated in the wars against Yur ...

—to flee to

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

. Andrei appointed his brother—

Gleb of Kiev Gleb Yurievich (died 1171) was Prince of Kursk (1147), Kanev (1149), Pereyaslavl (1155–1169), and Grand Prince of Kiev (1169-1170; 1170–1171). He was a son of Yuri Dolgorukiy. In popular culture He appears in Louis L'Amour Louis Dearb ...

—as Prince of Kiev while Andrei himself continued to rule his realm from Vladimir on Klyazma. From that time onwards, north-eastern Rus', which was centered on the city of Vladimir, became one of the most influential Rus' lands. Following the

Mongol invasions The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

, three powerful states remained as the successors of Kievan Rus': the Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal in the north-east—which would evolve into the Principality of Muscovy; the

Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia The Principality or, from 1253, Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, also known as the Kingdom of Ruthenia, Kingdom of Rus', or Kingdom of Russia, also Halych–Volhynian Kingdom was a medieval state in Eastern Europe which existed from 1199 to 1349. I ...

in the south-west; and the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

to the north.

Kievan Rus' under the Mongols

Following the

Mongol invasion The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

and the sack of Kiev in 1240, communications between Kiev and Constantinople deteriorated. Shortly after

Kirill III of Kiev Kirill II, Kyrylo II or Cyril II (; ; died 6 December 1281) was the metropolitan of Kiev from 1242 until his death. He was close to the khan of the Golden Horde, Mengu-Timur. Biography Kirill was appointed metropolitan of Kiev by Daniel of Gali ...

(1250–1281) was appointed as metropolitan, the founder of the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

—

Batu Khan Batu Khan (–1255) was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire established after Genghis Khan's demise. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. His '' ulus'' ruled over the Kievan ...

—demanded that he transfer the ''cathedra'' from Kiev to the city of Vladimir. The transfer did not occur until 1299 under Kirill's successor, Maximos. The hierarchs continued to be styled "Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus"; they were supposed to be responsible for all Orthodox Christians in Rus, including those in Galicia, which became a kingdom in 1253, and the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

which had gained control of the former

Principality of Polotsk The Principality of Polotsk (obsolete spelling: ''Polock''; ; ), also known as the Duchy of Polotsk or Polotskian Rus', was a medieval principality. The origin and date of the establishment of the state are uncertain. Chronicles of Kievan Rus' ...

". In 1324, his successor—

Peter of Moscow Peter of Moscow (, Peter of Kiev, Peter of Rata, , ; c. 1260 – 20 December 1326) was an Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox metropolitan bishop, bishop of Kiev, who moved his Episcopal see, see from Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir to Moscow i ...

—again transferred the cathedra, this time to Moscow. The Princes of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir effectively controlled the metropolitan see with the permission of the Khan of the Golden Horde. The most important Rus prince (usually the Prince of Moscow, but sometimes a Tver or another principality) continued to be styled the "Grand Prince of Vladimir". The Grand Princes were originally crowned in Vladimir's Cathedral of the Assumption. After the Mongol destruction, Vladimir never fully recovered. By the 14th Century, Moscow had superseded Vladimir as the seat of the Grand Prince. The title had become an honorific symbol of majesty. The princes chose to be crowned in the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin. This cathedral was a loose copy by the Italian architect

Aristotele Fioravanti Ridolfo "Aristotele" Fioravanti (also spelled Fieraventi; ; – ) was an Italian Renaissance architect and engineer. He was active in Moscow from 1475, where he designed the Dormition Cathedral, Moscow, Dormition Cathedral during 1475–1479. B ...

of the original in Vladimir.

Establishment of new metropolitan areas

Metropolis of Lithuania

Having escaped the brunt of the Mongol invasions, the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

expanded into neighbouring areas that had been weakened by internal strife and by the Mongol predations. While these expansions were usually at the expense of slavic principalities of the former

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

, sometimes they were voluntary. For example, the dukes of the

Principality of Turov The Principality of Turov, later called the Principality of Turov and Pinsk (; ; ), also known as Turovian Rus', was a medieval principality of Kievan Rus' from the 10th century on the territory of modern-day Belarus and northern Ukraine. The pri ...

began to cooperate more and more with the Grand Duchy and by the early 14th century the Principality non-violently joined the Grand Duchy. In 1320, most of the principalities of western Rus' were either made into vassals or were directly annexed by Lithuania. In 1321, Gediminas captured Kiev, sending

Stanislav Stanislav and variants may refer to: People *Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.) Places * Stanislav, Kherson Oblast, a coastal village in Ukraine * Stanislaus County, ...

, the last

Rurikid The Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage allegedly founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who, according to tradition, established himself at Novgorod in the ...

to rule

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, into exile. Gediminas also re-established the permanent capital of the Grand Duchy in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, presumably moving it from Old Trakai in 1323. The state continued to expand its territory under the reign of Grand Duke

Algirdas Algirdas (; , ; – May 1377) was List of Lithuanian monarchs, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his brother Kęstutis (who defended the western border of the Duchy) he created an empire stretching from the pre ...

and his brother

Kęstutis Kęstutis ( – 3 or 15 August 1382) was sole Duke of Trakai from 1342 to 1382 and List of Lithuanian monarchs, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1342 to 1382, together with his brother Algirdas (until 1377), and with his nephew Jogaila (from 1377 to ...

, who both ruled the state in harmony. At the time, religious allegiance played an important role in politics. While adhering to the pagan faith, Grand Dukes

Vytenis Vytenis was Grand Duke of Lithuania from to . He became the first monarch of the Gediminid dynasty to sustain a long-lasting reign, establishing the dynasty’s continuity and long-term governance of Lithuania. In the early 14th century, his ...

and

Gediminas Gediminas ( – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341. He is considered the founder of Lithuania's capital Vilnius (see: Iron Wolf legend). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands from t ...

understood the political importance of controlling the Church. Furthermore, the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'—

Peter of Moscow Peter of Moscow (, Peter of Kiev, Peter of Rata, , ; c. 1260 – 20 December 1326) was an Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox metropolitan bishop, bishop of Kiev, who moved his Episcopal see, see from Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir to Moscow i ...

—moved the seat of the metropolis to Moscow. The lack of a metropolitan bishop for the inhabitants of the Grand Principality impeded the development of the idea of a single Lithuanian state that was being advanced by the ruling family. At the same time, the religious leaders in Rus' realised that the lack of a separate metropolis would leave the Lithuanian state susceptible to the influence of the

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

. In attempting to preserve the continued cultural and religious unity of Rus', the Orthodox leaders realised that they might ultimately drive the people into the arms of Rome. By the mid-1350's, the senior clergy of the Rus' in Lithuania were agreed that a separate Lithuanian metropolis was the lesser of two evils. The question was raised in their letters to patriarchate in Constantinople between 1328 and 1347. Consequently, the Grand Dukes of Lithuania requested the Patriarch to establish a separate diocese that was independent from Moscow. The first Metropolitan of Lithuania—Theophilus—reigned from 1317 to 1329.

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos (; 25 March 1259 – 13 February 1332), Latinization of names, Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. His reign marked the beginning of the recently restored em ...

established the metropolis while Patriarch

John XIII of Constantinople John XIII of Constantinople (; died after 1320) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1315 to 1319. Prior to becoming the patriarch, he had served in the laity and his name was Glykys Melodos; he was sometimes referred to as John G ...

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

Theophilus who was of

Rus' Rus or RUS may refer to: People * East Slavic historical peoples (). See Names of Rus', Russia and Ruthenia ** Rus' people, the people of Rus' ** Rus, a legendary eponymous ancestor, see Lech, Czech and Rus * Rus (surname), a surname found in Ro ...

origin. When Theophilus died in 1329, the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'—

Theognostus Theognostus (; died 11 March 1353) was a bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who served as Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. Life Theognostus was born in Constantinople and later in his life became Peter's successor as Met ...

—succeeded in restoring unity in the Rus' lands by claiming that there were too few Christians in pagan Lithuania. The seat of the Metropolis of Lithuania was left vacant between 1329 and 1355. In the meantime, Theognostus had authority over all Rus' and Lithuania until his own death in 1353. For two years, the see was again vacant. It suited the metropolitans in Moscow to brand the Lithuanians as fire worshippers. Grand Duke

Algirdas Algirdas (; , ; – May 1377) was List of Lithuanian monarchs, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his brother Kęstutis (who defended the western border of the Duchy) he created an empire stretching from the pre ...

promoted his candidate Roman for the metropolis of Lithuania. Roman was a monk from Tver and a relative of Algirdas' wife

Uliana Uliana and Ulyana are feminine given names. People so named include: * Uliana of Tver (c. 1325–1391), daughter of Prince Alexander of Tver and second wife of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania * Uliana Olshanska, Grand Duchess of Lithuania from ...

. Algirdas agreed to cease his support for his previous candidate Teodoryt on the grounds that his ordination was uncanonical, on condition that Roman was also appointed as Metropolitan of All Rus'. Algirdas even promised to convert to Orthodoxy in exchange for the ordination of Roman. In Constantinople, Patriarch Callistus I was deposed and was succeeded by Patriarch

Philotheus I of Constantinople Philotheus I of Constantinople (; – 1379) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for two periods from August 1353 to December 1354 and from 8 October 1364 to August 1376, and a leader of the Byzantine monastic and religious revival in ...

(November 1353 – 1354). In 1355, a restored Callistus, in agreement with Philotheus, ordained Roman as Metropolitan of All Rus'. In 1355, after diplomatic struggles, Patriarch

Callistus I of Constantinople Callistus I of Constantinople (; died August 1363) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for two periods from June 1350 to 1353 and from 1354 to 1363. Callistus I was an Athonite monk and supporter of Gregory Palamas. He died in Consta ...

united the Metropolis of Halych with the Metropolis of Lithuania under the leadership of Roman. Callistus also confirmed that

Alexius Alexius is the Latinized form of the given name Alexios (, polytonic , "defender", cf. Alexander), especially common in the Byzantine Empire. The female form is Alexia () and its variants such as Alessia (the masculine form of which is Alessio) ...

remained in possession of the "Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'". All eparchies of the Halych metropolis were transferred to the jurisdiction of a united "Metropolis of Lithuania-Volhynia" (also known as "Lithuania–Halych"). There were now two metropolitans for all Rus' (see Metropolis of Lithuania-Volhynia below).

Metropolis of Halych

In 1241, the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia was captured by the

Mongol army During the Mongol invasions and conquests, which began under Genghis Khan in 1206–1207, the Mongol army conquered most of continental Asia, including parts of West Asia, and parts of Eastern Europe, with further (albeit eventually unsuccessf ...

. In 1245, King

Daniel of Galicia Daniel Romanovich (1201–1264) was Prince of Galicia (1205–1207; 1211–1212; 1230–1232; 1233–1234; 1238–1264), Prince of Volhynia, Volhynia (1205–1208; 1215–1238), Grand Prince of Kiev (1240), and King of Ruthenia (1253–1264). B ...

won a decisive battle over the Hungarian-Polish army of his opponent

Rostislav Mikhailovich Rostislav Mikhailovich (, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Ростислав Михайлович) (after 1210 / c. 1225 – 1262) was a Rurikid prince and a dignitary in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was Novgorod R ...

and united Halychia with

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

. After this victory, he built his residence in Kholm in the western part of Volhynia. After Daniel's visit to

Batu Khan Batu Khan (–1255) was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire established after Genghis Khan's demise. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. His '' ulus'' ruled over the Kievan ...

, he made payments of tribute to the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

. In 1299, the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'—

Maximus Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to: * Circus Maximus (disambiguation) * Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome People Roman hi ...

—transferred the metropolitan seat from Kiev to the city of

Vladimir-on-Klyazma Vladimir (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, east of Moscow. It is served by a railway and the M7 motorway. Population: History Vladimir was one of the medieval capitals of R ...

. In reaction to this move, King Daniel's son and successor on the throne— Leo I—petitioned the Ecumenical Patriarch to erect a new metropolis in the territory of his kingdom. Leo died in 1301 but his son—

Yuri I of Galicia Yuri I of Galicia (, 24 April 1252 (1257/1262) – 18 March 1308/1315) was King of Ruthenia and Prince of Volhynia. Reign In 1264–1301, Yuri ruled as Prince of Belz. Initially a ruler of Kholm and Podlachia, after his father's death he unit ...

—succeeded in securing the charter of establishment from

Patriarch Athanasius I of Constantinople Athanasius I of Constantinople (; – 28 October 1310) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for two terms, from 1289 to 1293 and from 1303 to 1309. He was born in Adrianople and died in Constantinople. Chosen by the emperor Androniko ...

with the approval of Emperor

Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos (; 25 March 1259 – 13 February 1332), Latinization of names, Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. His reign marked the beginning of the recently restored em ...

. The first Metropolitan of Halych was Niphont (reigned 1303–1305). Following his death, the see lay vacant for three years. During that time, there were civil struggles with neighbouring realms. A Catholic from the Polish

Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented List of Polish monarchs, Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I of Poland, Mieszko I (–992). The Poland during the Piast dynasty, Piasts' royal rule in Pol ...

—

Yuri II Boleslav Yuri II Boleslav (; ; c. 1305/1310 – April 7, 1340), was King of Ruthenia and ''Dominus'' of the Galicia–Volhynian lands (1325–1340). A foreigner and a Catholic by birth, he was the son of Trojden I, Duke of Masovia and a member of the ...

—succeeded to the throne of Halych. In 1308, he nominated

Peter of Moscow Peter of Moscow (, Peter of Kiev, Peter of Rata, , ; c. 1260 – 20 December 1326) was an Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox metropolitan bishop, bishop of Kiev, who moved his Episcopal see, see from Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir to Moscow i ...

as Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. In the absence of a hierarch in Halych, Peter was effectively the administrator of that metropolis as well as his own metropolis of Kiev. In 1325, Peter moved his metropolitan seat to the west from Vladimir to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. The second metropolitan was Gabriel (reigned 1326–1329). From 1329–1337 the see was again vacant. During this period the metropolis was effectively administered by

Theognostus of Kiev Theognostus (; died 11 March 1353) was a bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who served as Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. Life Theognostus was born in Constantinople and later in his life became Peter's successor as Met ...

(as Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'). The last metropolitan was Teodore (reigned 1337–1347). Following his death in 1347, the Grand Prince of Moscow—

Simeon Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew, Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated in English as Shimon. In Greek, it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Sy ...

—conspired with Theognostus of Kiev to convince Emperor

John VI Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene (; ; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under Andronikos III Palaiologos and regent for John V Palaiologos before reigning as Byza ...

to disestablish the Halych metropolis. At that time, the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia was convulsed by the

Galicia–Volhynia Wars The Galicia–Volhynia Wars were several wars fought in the years 1340–1392 over the succession in the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, also known as Ruthenia. After Yuri II Boleslav was poisoned by local Ruthenian nobles in 1340, both the Gran ...

which resulted in the kingdom being sundered between the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

and the Kingdom of Poland.

Metropolis of Lithuania-Volhynia

Theognostus of Kiev died in 1353. He was succeeded in the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus' by

Alexius Alexius is the Latinized form of the given name Alexios (, polytonic , "defender", cf. Alexander), especially common in the Byzantine Empire. The female form is Alexia () and its variants such as Alessia (the masculine form of which is Alessio) ...

(reigned 1354–1378). In 1355, after diplomatic struggles, a restored Patriarch

Callistus I of Constantinople Callistus I of Constantinople (; died August 1363) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for two periods from June 1350 to 1353 and from 1354 to 1363. Callistus I was an Athonite monk and supporter of Gregory Palamas. He died in Consta ...

, in agreement with Philotheus, united the Metropolis of Halych with the

Metropolis of Lithuania The Metropolis of Lithuania was a metropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was erected on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania between 1315 and 1317. It was disestablished in 1371. The ...

under the leadership of Metropolitan Roman. Callistus also confirmed that

Alexius Alexius is the Latinized form of the given name Alexios (, polytonic , "defender", cf. Alexander), especially common in the Byzantine Empire. The female form is Alexia () and its variants such as Alessia (the masculine form of which is Alessio) ...

remained in possession of the "Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'". All eparchies of the Halych metropolis were transferred to the jurisdiction of a united metropolis, which was also known as the "Metropolis of Lithuania-Volhynia". There were now two metropolitans for all Rus'; the ensuing struggle between them continued until Roman's death in 1362. Initially, Roman won over some bishops. He failed, however, to secure the support of the Bishop of Tver. Both Metropolitans travelled to Constantinople to make their appeals in person. In 1356, their cases were heard by a Patriarchal Synod. The Holy Synod confirmed that

Alexius Alexius is the Latinized form of the given name Alexios (, polytonic , "defender", cf. Alexander), especially common in the Byzantine Empire. The female form is Alexia () and its variants such as Alessia (the masculine form of which is Alessio) ...

was the Metropolitan of Kiev while Roman was also confirmed in his see at Novogorodek. In 1361, the two sees were formally divided. Shortly afterwards, in the winter of 1361/62, Roman died; at that point, the Lithuanian metropolitanate was effectively dissolved. From 1362 to 1371, the territory of the former metropolises of Halych and of Lithuania were officially lowered to the rank of bishoprics within the Kiev metropolis. These changes, however, did not end the political rivalry for religious influence in Rus'.

Metropolis of Kiev and Lithuania

The

Grand Duke of Lithuania This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...

—

Algirdas Algirdas (; , ; – May 1377) was List of Lithuanian monarchs, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his brother Kęstutis (who defended the western border of the Duchy) he created an empire stretching from the pre ...

—attacked Muscovy on three occasions between 1368 and 1372 as part of the Lithuanian–Muscovite War. Hostilities between Moscow and Lithuania resumed; in August 1375 Muscovite troops captured

Tver Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population: The city is ...

. Patriarch Philotheus I agreed to grant the petition to create a separate metropolis in the territory of the Grand Duchy. Philotheus also listened to the petitions of the Eastern Orthodox princes to have

Cyprian Cyprian (; ; to 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Christian writer of Berbers, Berber descent, ...

as their

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

. In 1375, Philotheus consecrated Cyprian as "Metropolitan of Kiev and Lithuania". At the Council of Constantinople, it was decided that "upon the death of Alexius, Cyprian should become the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'"."Repose of St Cyprian the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia", Orthodox Church in America
/ref>

Reunification of the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'

In 1325, the metropolitan seat was moved from Vladimir to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

by Metropolitan

Peter of Moscow Peter of Moscow (, Peter of Kiev, Peter of Rata, , ; c. 1260 – 20 December 1326) was an Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox metropolitan bishop, bishop of Kiev, who moved his Episcopal see, see from Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir to Moscow i ...

under the instruction of Grand Prince Ivan of Moscow. During the 14th century, the church was ''de facto'' split in two or three. Starting from the 15th century, the church was finally reunited and continued to be governed from Moscow by the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus. On 12 February 1376, Alexius died; by the terms of the agreement with the patriarch, Cyprian was entitled to rule the religious affairs of all Rus'. On 6 June 1376, Cyprian arrived at his residence in Kiev. He attempted, but failed, to get recognition of his rights in the whole metropolitan diocese from the Grand Duke of Moscow

Dmitri Donskoi Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy (; 12 October 1350 – 19 May 1389) was Prince of Moscow from 1359 and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1363 until his death. He was the heir of Ivan II. He was the first prince of Moscow to openly challenge Mongol a ...

, Novgorod, and Pskov. However, in the same year, there was a palace mutiny in Constantinople in which power was usurped by

Andronikos IV Andronikos IV Palaiologos or Andronicus IV Palaeologus (; 11 April 1348 – 25/28 June 1385) was the eldest son of Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos. Appointed co-emperor from 1352, he had a troubled relationship with his father: he launched a ...

. The new emperor deposed Patriarch Philotheus and installed

Macarius Macarius is a Latinization (literature), Latinized form of the old Greek given name Makários (Μακάριος), meaning "happy, fortunate, blessed"; compare the Latin Beatus (disambiguation), ''beatus'' and Felix (name) , ''felix''. Ancient Gree ...

in his stead. Macarius assured Dmitriy of Moscow in writing that he denied Cyprian's claims to the Church of Great Rus. He also offered to send the Grand Duke's nominee—Mitya—to Constantinople for his consecration as metropolitan. Mitya, however, died (1379) within sight of Constantinople. Mitya was accompanied by Pimen. The succeeding Patriarch— Nilus—may have been tricked by Pimen using forged letters into consecrating Pimen in Mitya's place in June 1380. As a result, Cyprian's rights to the united metropolis was disputed by Pimen (1380–1382). Dmitry, upon hearing the news of Pimen's consecration, angrily swore not to accept Pimen upon his return. Thus Pimen's metropolitanate was contested from the start, and he accomplished little as a result. Cyprian's rights were also disputed by

Dionysius The name Dionysius (; ''Dionysios'', "of Dionysus"; ) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a nominalized adjective formed with a -ios suffix from the stem Dionys- of the name of the Greek god, Dionysus, parallel ...

(1384–1385). Dionysius died in detention in Kiev on 15 October 15, 1385. After this, Cyprian enjoyed undisputed leadership of the Church throughout the Rus' and Lithuanian lands. He died in 1406. The Lithuanian masses remained pagan until suddenly, to the surprise of all, Lithuanians, Russians, and

Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

alike, they were brought to Roman Christianity through royal fiat. In 1387, Algirdas' successor, King

Władysław II Jagiełło Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło (),Other names include (; ) (see also Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło) was Grand Duke of Lithuania beginning in 1377 and starting in 1386, becoming King of Poland as well. ...

, converted Lithuania to Catholicism. This marked the beginning of a long period of hardship for the Orthodox Church in western Rus'. In 1414, Grand Duke

Vytautas Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...

attempted to re-establish the Metropolis of Lithuania. He arranged for a synod of bishops to elect

Gregory Tsamblak Gregory Tsamblak (; ; ; sr-Cyr, Григорије Цамблак; ; ), member of the Tzamplakon family, was a writer and cleric active in Bulgaria, Moldavia, Serbia, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Principality of Kiev. Biography Early life ...

as the Metropolitan of Lithuania. The consecration took place without the consent of Patriarch

Euthymius II of Constantinople Euthymius II of Constantinople (; died 29 March 1416) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1410 to 1416. He became a monk at a young age and was soon after ordained a priest. He distinguished himself for his theological and rheto ...

and was not recognized in Moscow.

Union of Florence

An

Ecumenical council An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote are ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

—the

Council of Florence The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1445. It was convened in territories under the Holy Roman Empire. Italy became a venue of a Catholic ecumenical council aft ...

—took place from 1431 to 1449. Although he resisted at first, the

Grand Prince of Moscow The Grand Prince of Moscow (), known as the Prince of Moscow until 1389, was the ruler of the Grand Principality of Moscow. The Moscow principality was initially established in the 13th century as an appanage within the Vladimir-Suzdal grand prin ...

—

Vasily II of Moscow Vasily II Vasilyevich (; 10 March 141527 March 1462), nicknamed the Blind or the Dark (), was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1425 until his death in 1462. He succeeded his father, Vasily I, only to be challenged by his uncle Yuri of Zveni ...

—eventually permitted the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus—

Isidore of Kiev Isidore or Isidor of Kiev, also known as Isidore of Thessalonica (1385 – 27 April 1463), was a prelate of Byzantine Greek origin. From 1437 to 1441, he served as the metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', based in Moscow, after being chosen by ...

—to attend the council. Isidore, who was of Greek origin, submitted to the articles of the

Bull of Union with the Greeks ''Laetentur Caeli: Bulla Unionis Graecorum''Sometimes also spelled as ''Laetentur Coeli, Laetantur Caeli, Lætentur Cæli, Lætentur Cœli'', or ''Lætantur Cæli'', and occasionally referred to as the ''Act of Union'' or "Decree of Union". (Eng ...

which united the Orthodox Church in Russia with the

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

. In 1443, the Florentine Union was condemned by the Orthodox Churches (

Patriarchate of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major episc ...

, Patriarchate of Antioch and Patriarchate of Jerusalem) at the Cathedral of Jerusalem. These events caused a crisis in the metropolis.

Parallel successions

The Great Prince of Moscow voided the union and imprisoned Isidore for some time. He then appointed his own candidate as metropolitan—

Jonah Jonah the son of Amittai or Jonas ( , ) is a Jewish prophet from Gath-hepher in the Northern Kingdom of Israel around the 8th century BCE according to the Hebrew Bible. He is the central figure of the Book of Jonah, one of the minor proph ...

. Since this appointment was not approved by Constantinople, Jonah unilaterally changed his title to "

Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia The Metropolis of Moscow and all Rus () was a metropolis that was unilaterally erected by hierarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church in the territory of the Principality of Moscow in 1448. The first metropolitan was Jonah of Moscow; he was appointed ...

" in 1448. From that date until 1589, sixteen hierarchs with that title were locally appointed without being recognised by the

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the List of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople, archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox ...

. Notwithstanding, the Ecumenical Patriarch continued to appoint metropolitans for the united Catholic and Eastern Orthodox ("

Uniate The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

") dioceses in those

Ruthenia ''Ruthenia'' is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin, as one of several terms for Rus'. Originally, the term ''Rus' land'' referred to a triangular area, which mainly corresponds to the tribe of Polans in Dnieper Ukraine. ''Ruthenia' ...

n lands that were not controlled by the Tsardom of Moscow.Slocombe, G.
Poland
'. T. C. & E. C. Jack. 1916FRICK, D.A.
Meletij Smotryc'kyj and the Ruthenian Question in the Early Seventeenth Century
'. Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. 1984 In the Polish and Lithuanian lands, the next uniate hierarch was Gregory the Bulgarian. He was consecrated by a

Latin Patriarch of Constantinople The Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople was an office established as a result of the Fourth Crusade and its conquest of Constantinople in 1204. It was a Roman Catholic replacement for the Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantino ...

. In 1469, his appointment was also approved by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople— Dionysius I. The episcopal see of the new hierarch was located in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, the capital of the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

. With the appointment of Gregory, the title was changed to Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' (). In 1569, the

Union of Lublin The Union of Lublin (; ) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingd ...

created a single state, the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the

personal union A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...

of the

Crown of the Kingdom of Poland The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (; ) was a political and legal concept formed in the 14th century in the Kingdom of Poland, assuming unity, indivisibility and continuity of the state. Under this idea, the state was no longer seen as the Pat ...

and the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

with a

real union Real union is a union of two or more states, which share some state institutions in contrast to personal unions; however, they are not as unified as states in a political union. It is a development from personal union and has historically been ...

and an

elective monarchy An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by a monarch who is elected, in contrast to a hereditary monarchy in which the office is automatically passed down as a family inheritance. The manner of election, the nature of candidate qualifications, ...

. After that, the life of the Orthodox Church became much more complicated since Catholic clergy and gentry were more numerous and more powerful. Internally, the Orthodox Church was beset with accusations of

simony Simony () is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to imp ...

and

digamy Remarriage is a marriage that takes place after a previous marital union has ended, as through divorce or widowhood. Some individuals are more likely to remarry than others; the likelihood can differ based on previous relationship status (e.g. di ...

.

From the Union of Florence to the Union of Brest

Patriarchate of Moscow and all Rus'

At the end of the 16th century, two eastern patriarchs visited Ruthenia. First to arrive in 1586 was the

Patriarch of Antioch The Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (, , from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian community, the position has ...

—

Joachim VI Patriarch Joachim VI (died 1604) was Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch The Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (, , from which the word ''bish ...

. Having become acquainted with the situation, he granted the

Lviv Dormition Brotherhood Lviv Dormition Brotherhood () also known as ''Lviv Stauropegion Brotherhood'' was an influential religious organization associated with the Dormition Church, Lviv, Dormition Church in Lviv and one of the oldest Brotherhood (religious community ...

the rights of

stauropegia A stauropegion, also spelled stavropegion (from , in turn from σταυρός ''stauros'' "cross" and πήγνυμι ''pegnumi'' "to affirm"), is a monastery or a parish which depends directly on the primate or on the Holy Synod of a particula ...

. At the same time, the patriarch appointed Bishop

Cyril Terlecki Bishop Cyril S. Terlecki (, Kyrylo Terletsky; , Kiryla Ciarlecki; ; died May 1607) was a religious and political figure and one of the initiators of the conclusion of the Union of Brest in 1596. He served as the eparch of the Eparchy of Lutsk� ...

of Lutsk as his

exarch An exarch (; from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'') was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical. In the late Roman Empire and early Byzantine Empire, ...

in the metropolis. When traveling across eastern Europe from 1588 to 1589, Patriarch

Jeremias II of Constantinople Jeremias II of Constantinople (; 1530 – 4 September 1595) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople three times between 1572 and 1595. Life Jeremias Tranos was born in Anchialos, from an influential Greek family. The year of his birth i ...

visited Moscow. He confirmed the autocephaly of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Russia. For the first time since 1448, an Ecumenical Patriarch consecrated a metropolitan in Rus' lands— Job of Moscow—as the

Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus (), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the Primate (bishop), primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). It is often preceded by the honorific "His Holiness". As the Ordinar ...

.

Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia

When he arrived in the Commonwealth, Jeremias II also supported the Orthodox fraternities and deposed the digamist, Metropolitan Onesiphorus. In his place, he appointed the

Archimandrite The title archimandrite (; ), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot ('' hegumenos'', , present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom a bishop appointed to supervise several "ordinary" abbots and monaste ...

of

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

Monastery—

Michael Rohoza Michael Rohoza (died 1599) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the Eastern Orthodox Church from 1588 to 1596. In 1595, he signed the Union of Brest which moved the metropolis from the eccle ...

as Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus'. This confirmed the effective territorial division of the Eastern Orthodox Church in the former Kievan Rus'. The Bishop of Lviv—

Hedeon Balaban Hedeon (Hryhorii) Balaban (1530 – 10 February 1607), or Gedeon Bałaban, was the bishop of Lviv from 1569 to 1607. Balaban was born in 1530. He took the side of the Eastern Orthodox church against the Polish Roman Catholics, in particular the R ...

—took part in negotiations over union with the Roman Catholic Church on 1590. However, he later joined with Prince

Kostiantyn Ostrozky Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski ( – 10 August 1530) was a Ruthenian prince and magnate of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He later had the title of grand hetman of Lithuania from 11 September 1497 until his death in 1530. Career Ostrogski began ...

at the Council of Brest in 1596 in opposition to union.Serhii Plokhy. ''The Cossacks and religion in early modern Ukraine''.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 2002. p79-83Borys Gudziak. ''Four hundred years Union of Brest (1596–1996)''. Peeters Publishers, 1998. p36 He maintained this position until his death.In December 1594, Bishop

Cyril Terlecki Bishop Cyril S. Terlecki (, Kyrylo Terletsky; , Kiryla Ciarlecki; ; died May 1607) was a religious and political figure and one of the initiators of the conclusion of the Union of Brest in 1596. He served as the eparch of the Eparchy of Lutsk� ...

, on behalf of the Ruthenian episcopate, announced that the Orthodox Church intended to transfer the

ecclesiastical jurisdiction Ecclesiastical jurisdiction is jurisdiction by Clergy, church leaders over other church leaders and over the laity. Overview Jurisdiction is a word borrowed from the legal system which has acquired a wide extension in theology, wherein, for examp ...

of the Church from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the jurisdiction of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. This union was conditional on Church retaining the

Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Chri ...

and the ancient rights of the Church. In December 1595, representatives of the Ruthenian Church in Rome signed the terms of union with the Catholic Church. The terms permitted them to retain the Byzantine rite, the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...

, the right to elect a metropolitan and bishops, the Orthodox church calendar, the lower clergy had the right to marry, and so on. On 6 October 1596, in Brest, Metropolitan Rogoza convened a council attended by bishops, archimandrites, priests and laity. The

Union of Brest The Union of Brest took place in 1595–1596 and represented an agreement by Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Ruthenian portions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to accept the Pope's authority while maintaining Eastern Orthodox liturgical ...

was proclaimed at the cathedral. Most of the bishops and nobility supported the union. On the other hand, many priests, monasteries, Cossacks and burghers opposed the union. Immediately after the council, Metropolitan Rogoza deprived two bishops who opposed the Union of their sees: Bishop Balaban of Lviv and Bishop Mykhailo Kopystensky of Przemyśl. Prince Konstantin-Vasyl Ostrozky also did not support the union. In addition, the Lviv Brotherhood, as a stauropegia that was directly subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople, initially opposed the Union. Bishop Balaban became the exarch of the patriarch for Orthodox Ukrainians. The Kiev and Vilnius fraternities actively declared themselves, and Orthodox fraternities began to operate in Mogilev, Minsk, Lublin, Lutsk, and other cities. Most monasteries, including: Kyiv-Pechersk, Vydubychi, Epiphany, St. The Trinity in Vilno, Pochaiv, and others also did not support the union. But officially the eparchies of Kiev, Volodymyr-Volyn, Turoŭ-Pinsk, Lutsk, Chełm and Polatsk accepted the Union. This had the effect of creating the

Ruthenian Uniate Church The Ruthenian Uniate Church (; ; ; ) was a Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites, particular church of the Catholic Church in the territory of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was created in 1595/1596 by those clergy of the Ea ...

which later became known as the

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a Major archiepiscopal church, major archiepiscopal ''sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Cathol ...

. With the

Union of Uzhhorod The Union of Uzhhorod (), was a decision by 63 Ruthenian priests of the Orthodox Eparchy of Mukachevo (then divided between the Principality of Transylvania and Royal Hungary of the Habsburg monarchy) to join the Catholic Church made on Apri ...

, dioceses in Transylvania and Hungary also joined the Ruthenian Uniate Church.

Exarchate of Ukraine

As with the previous Florentine union, the Union of Brest was not accepted by all orthodox clergymen causing some eparchies (dioceses) to continue their loyalty to Constantinople. In 1620 the

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem The Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem or Eastern Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, officially patriarch of Jerusalem (; ; ), is the head bishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine patriarchs in the Easte ...

Theophanes consecrated

Job Boretsky Job Boretsky (, secular name Ivan Matfeyevich Boretsky, , died 2 March 1631) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Orthodox Church from 1620 to 1631. He was a Ruthenian ...

as the new Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia and the Exarch of Ukraine. This appointment revitalized Eastern Orthodox churches and deepened the schism.

List of Metropolitans of Kiev

References

Sources

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External links

* Список митрополитів Київських: List of Metropolitans (Ukrainian-language Wikipedia)

{{Development of the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus' in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Eastern Orthodoxy in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Metropolises

History to the Union of Florence

Christianization of Kievan Rus'

Establishment of the metropolitan see

Fragmentation of Kievan Rus'

Kievan Rus' under the Mongols

Establishment of new metropolitan areas

Metropolis of Lithuania

Metropolis of Halych

Metropolis of Lithuania-Volhynia

Metropolis of Kiev and Lithuania

Reunification of the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'

Union of Florence

Parallel successions

From the Union of Florence to the Union of Brest

Patriarchate of Moscow and all Rus'

Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia

Exarchate of Ukraine

List of Metropolitans of Kiev

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links