The Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus' (russian: Митрополит Киевский и всея Руси, Mitropolit Kiyevskiy i vseya Rusi; ) was a
metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
of the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
that was erected on the territory of
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
. It existed between 988 AD and 1596 AD and later between 1620 AD and 1686 AD.
Canonically, it was under the jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
. The episcopal seat (''
cathedra
A ''cathedra'' is the raised 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
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
.
History of Kievan Rus' to the Mongol invasions
Christianization of Kievan Rus'
The history of the Orthodox Church in the region of
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
is usually traced to the
Baptism of Rus'
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
at Kiev. While the date of this event is commonly given as 988, the evidence is contested. In that year,
Grand Prince of Kiev
The Grand Prince of Kiev (sometimes grand duke) was the title of the ruler of Kiev and the ruler of Kievan Rus' from the 10th to 13th centuries. In the 13th century, Kiev became an appanage principality first of the grand prince of Vladimir and ...
—
Vladimir the Great
Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych ( orv, Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, ''Volodiměrъ Svętoslavičь'';, ''Uladzimir'', russian: Владимир, ''Vladimir'', uk, Володимир, ''Volodymyr''. Se ...
— together his people, were
baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
in the river
Dniper by clergy of the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...
. There is a legendary account that the first bishop might have been dispatched to Kiev in 864 by the Patriarch
Photios I.
[Lencyk, W. ]
Christianization of Ukraine
'. Encyclopedia of Ukraine
The ''Encyclopedia of Ukraine'' ( uk, Енциклопедія українознавства, translit=Entsyklopediia ukrainoznavstva), published from 1984 to 2001, is a fundamental work of Ukrainian Studies.
Development
The work was creat ...
If true, it would have occurred after Kiev had been captured by the
Varangians
The Varangians (; non, Væringjar; gkm, Βάραγγοι, ''Várangoi'';[Varangian]
" Online Etymo ...
in 860.
[ It is possible that a Prince of Kiev — ]Askold
Askold and Dir (''Haskuldr'' or ''Hǫskuldr'' and ''Dyr'' or ''Djur'' in Old Norse; died in 882), mentioned in both the Primary Chronicle and the Nikon Chronicle, were the earliest known ''purportedly Norse'' rulers of Kiev.
Primary Chronicle ...
— might have been baptized due to the existence of the church of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (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 Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...
at Askold's Grave
Askold's Grave ( uk, Аскольдова могила, translit=Askoldova Mohyla) is a historical park on the steep right bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv between Mariinskyi Park and the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex.
Overview
The park was cr ...
.[ During a rule of Prince ]Igor of Kiev
Igor the Old (Old East Slavic: , ''Igor''; russian: Игорь Рюрикович; uk, Ігор Рюрикович; Old Norse: '; died 945) was a Rurikid ruler of Kievan Rus' from 912 to 945.
Biography
Information about Igor comes mostly from th ...
, in Kiev existed the Saint Elijah Church,[ while during signing the 944 treaty with the Greeks some Ruthenians took an oath on the Bible.][
]
Establishment of the metropolitan see
It is not known for certain known when the Metropolis of Kiev was established.[ The earliest recorded ]metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis.
Originally, the term referred to the b ...
is Michael of Kiev (988-992). He was appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople — Nicholas II of Constantinople
Nicholas II Chrysoberges ( el, , ʻgolden wandʼ), (? – 16 December 991) was Ecumenical Patriarch of ConstantinopleRichard P. H. Greenfield, Alice-Mary Maffry Talbot (2016). ''Holy Men of Mount Athos''. Harvard University Press. from 984 to ...
. He was given the title of Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. The ''cathedra
A ''cathedra'' is the raised 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 ( rus, Тмутарака́нь, p=tmʊtərɐˈkanʲ, ; uk, Тмуторокань, Tmutorokan) was a medieval Kievan Rus' principality and trading town that controlled the Cimmerian Bosporus, the passage from the Black Sea to the Sea ...
).[
]
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
Vladimir-Suzdal (russian: Владимирско-Су́здальская, ''Vladimirsko-Suzdal'skaya''), also Vladimir-Suzdalian Rus', formally known as the Grand Duchy of Vladimir (1157–1331) (russian: Владимиро-Су́здальс ...
under the Rurik dynasty
The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
. Grand Duke Vladimir II Monomakh
Vladimir II Monomakh (Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Мономахъ, ''Volodiměrŭ Monomakhŭ''; uk, Володимир Мономах, translit=Volodymyr Monomakh; russian: Владимир Мономах; Christian name: ''Vasiliy'' ...
founded the eponymous city of Vladimir
Vladimir may refer to:
Names
* Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name
* Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name
* Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
which is located east of Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. In 1113 he was popularly acclaimed as the supreme ruler of the Kievan Rus. Mstislav I of Kiev
Mstislav I Vladimirovich Monomakh (Russian: Мстислав Владимирович Великий, uk, Мстислав Володимирович Великий; February, 1076 – April 14, 1132), also known as Mstislav the Great, was t ...
, 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 ( rus, Юрий Владимирович, Yuriy Vladimirovich), commonly known as Yuri Dolgorukiy or the Long Arm ( rus, Юрий Долгорукий, Yuriy Dolgorukiy, meaning "Far-Reaching", c. 109915 May 1157) was a Rur ...
(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 Grand Duchy of Ryazan (1078–1521) was a duchy with the capital in Old Ryazan (destroyed by the Mongol Empire in 1237), and then in Pereyaslavl Ryazansky, which later became the modern-day city of Ryazan. It originally split off from the Ch ...
. Later in the 1150s, George twice occupied Kiev and seized the throne. He last ruled Kiev from August 1150 to winter 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
Andrew I (died 28 June 1174), his Russian name in full, Andrey Yuryevich Bogolyubsky "Andrew made Vladimir the centre of the grand principality and placed a series of his relatives on the now secondary princely throne of Kiev. Later he also com ...
— sacked Kiev and forced the ruling prince — Mstislav II of Kiev
Mstislav II Izyaslavich ( uk, Мстислав Ізяславич; russian: Мстислав Изяславич) (died 19 August 1170) was the prince of Pereiaslav and Volodymyr and the grand prince of Kiev (Kyiv, 1158-1159, 1167–1169, 1170).
...
— to flee to Volhynia
Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...
. Andrei appointed his brother — Gleb of Kiev
Gleb Yurievich (russian: Глеб Юрьевич, uk, Гліб Юрійович) (died 1171), Prince of Kursk (1147), Kanev (1149), Pereyaslavl (1155–1169) and Grand Prince of Kiev (Kyiv, 1169-1170, 1170–1171). He was a son of Yuri Dolgoruk ...
— 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 1300 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 Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...
; the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia
, conventional_long_name = Principality of Galicia–VolhyniaKingdom of Galicia–Volhynia
, common_name = Galicia–Volhynia
, status = Vassal state of the Golden Horde (from 1246)
, era = Middle Ages
, year_start = 1199
, year_end = 1349
, ...
in the south-west; and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
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 1300 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 or Cyril II (russian: Кирилл 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.
Russian chronicles record that King Mengu-Timur and Metropoli ...
(1250–1281) was appointed as metropolitan, the founder of the Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' 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 fr ...
— Batu Khan
Batu Khan ( – 1255),, ''Bat haan'', tt-Cyrl, Бату хан; ; russian: хан Баты́й was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. ...
— 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 European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
which had gained control of the former Principality of Polotsk
The Principality of Polotsk ( be, По́лацкае кня́ства, ''Polackaje kniastva''; la, Polocensis Ducatus), also known as the Duchy of Polotsk or Polotskian Rus', was a medieval principality of the Early East Slavs. The origin and ...
." In 1324, his successor — Peter of Moscow — 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 loosely copied by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti
Ridolfo "Aristotele" Fioravanti (c. 1415 or 1420 in Bologna – c. 1486 in Tsardom of Russia) was an Italian Renaissance architect and engineer, active in Muscovy from 1475, where he designed the Dormition Cathedral, Moscow during 1475–1479.
Hi ...
from the original in Vladimir.
Establishment of new metropolitan areas
Having escaped the brunt of the Mongol invasions, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania expanded into neighbouring areas that had been weakened by internal strife and by the Mongol predations. Sometimes these expansions were voluntary. For example, the dukes of the Principality of Turov
The Principality of Turov, also called Principality of Turov and Pinsk ( be, Турава-Пінскае княства, russian: Турово-Пинское княжество, uk, Турово-Пінське князівство) or Turovian Rus ...
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, the last Rurikid
The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
to rule Kiev, into exile. Gediminas also re-established the permanent capital of the Grand Duchy in Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, presumably moving it from Old Trakai
Senieji Trakai (literally: ''Old Trakai'', pl, Stare Troki) is a historic Lithuanian village located east of Trakai. According to the Lithuanian census of 2011, it has 1,396 inhabitants – Lithuanians, Poles and Russians. The Saint Petersburg ...
in 1323. The state continued to expand its territory under the reign of Grand Duke Algirdas
Algirdas ( be, Альгерд, Alhierd, uk, Ольгерд, Ольґерд, Olherd, Olgerd, pl, Olgierd; – May 1377) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his bro ...
and his brother Kęstutis
Kęstutis ( la, Kinstut, ; – 3 or 15 August 1382) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He was the Duke of Trakai and governed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1342–1382, together with his brother Algirdas (until 1377), and with his nephew Jogaila ...
, who both ruled the state harmonically.
Later the Grand Dukes of Lithuania requested the Patriarch of Constantinople to establish a separate diocese that was independent from Moscow. The request was initially granted but later rescinded and the Lithuanian eparchies were returned to the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'.
History from the Mongol invasions to the Union of Brest
In 1325, the metropolitan seat was moved from Vladimir to Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
by Metropolitan Peter of Moscow 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, despite being located in a neighboring country.
First Union with Rome
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 Church — the Council of Florence
The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1449. It was convoked as the Council of Basel by Pope Martin V shortly before his death in February 1431 and took place in ...
— took place from 1431 to 1449. Although he resisted at first, the Grand Prince of Moscow
This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the history of Russia. It includes the princes of medieval Rus′ state (both centralised, known as Kievan Rus′ and feudal, when the political center moved northeast to Vladimir and finally to Mosco ...
— Vasily II of Moscow
Vasily Vasiliyevich (russian: Василий Васильевич; 10 March 141527 March 1462), also known as Vasily II the Blind (Василий II Тёмный), was the Grand Prince of Moscow whose long reign (1425–1462) was plagued by the ...
— eventually permitted the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus — Isidore of Kiev
Isidore of Kiev, also known as Isidore of Thessalonica or Isidore, the Apostate ( el, ; russian: Исидор; uk, Ісидор; 1385 – 27 April 1463), was a prelate of Byzantine Greek origin. From 1437 to 1441 he served as the Metropolitan ...
— 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
, native_name_lang = la
, image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran
, caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...
. The Great Prince of Moscow voided the union and imprisoned Isidore for some time.
Parallel successions
Following that incident, the next Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus' — Jonah
Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th cent ...
— who was not approved by Constantinople, unilaterally changed his title to "Metropolitan of Moscow and all Rus'" 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 ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...
.
Notwithstanding, the Ecumenical Patriarch continued to appoint metropolitans for dioceses of the ''Ruthenian'' Orthodox Church[Slocombe, G. ]
Poland
'. T. C. & E. C. Jack. 1916[FRICK, D.A. ]
Meletij Smotryc'kyj and the Ruthenian Question in the Early Seventeenth Century
'. Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. 1984 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
. The next hierarch of the ''Ruthenian'' Orthodox Church[ in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was ]Gregory the Bulgarian Gregory the Bulgarian, or Gregory II ( 1458 – d. 1474) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus'. His title to the metropolitan see was acknowledged both by the Holy See and by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople due to their ...
who 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 Constantinople ...
. 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 ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
. With the appointment of Gregory, the title was changed to Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' () uniting both the Metropolis of Halych The Metropolis of Halych was a metropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was erected on the territory of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia in 1303 by Patriarch Athanasius I of Constantinople. The ...
(also known as Galicia) and 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 s ...
which existed in the 14th century. The Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...
decided to appoint their own metropolitans without the approval of the Ecumenical Patriarch. After 1458, all Muscovite metropolitans were styles as Metropolitans of Moscow and all Rus'.
Second Union with Rome
In 1588–1589 Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...
Jeremias II of Constantinople
Jeremias II Tranos (c. 1536 – 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 exact date of birth is not kno ...
when traveling across Eastern Europe, visited both Moscow and Vilnius. In Moscow Jeremias confirmed autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church and for the first time since 1448 consecrated Job of Moscow as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia. Later Jeremias stopped in Vilnius and consecrated Michael Rohoza
Michael Rohoza ( be, Міхал Рагоза, uk, Михайло Рогоза, pl, Michał Rahoza, russian: Михаил Рагоза) (died 1599) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the E ...
as Metropolitan of Kiev, Halych and all Ruthenia, thus again confirming division of the former Russian Orthodox Church. Soon thereafter, in 1596 the Metropolitan of Kiev and other top clergymen of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
signed the Union of Brest
The Union of Brest (; ; ; ) was the 1595–96 decision of the Ruthenian Orthodox Church eparchies (dioceses) in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to break relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church and to enter into communion with, and place i ...
turning the Russian (Ruthenian) Orthodox Church under jurisdiction of the Latin Church and converting to the Ruthenian Uniate Church
The Ruthenian Uniate Church ( Belarusian: Руская Уніяцкая Царква; Ukrainian: Руська Унійна Церква; la, Ecclesia Ruthena unita; pl, Ruski Kościół Unicki) was a particular church of the Catholic Church i ...
.
As the previous Florentine union, the Union of Brest was not accepted by all orthodox clergymen causing some eparchies (dioceses) to continue their operations as Eastern Orthodox. In 1620 the Theophanes consecrated Job
Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...
as the new Metropolitan of Kiev, Halych and all Ruthenia and Exarch of Ukraine. This appointment revitalized Eastern Orthodox churches and deepened the schism. On the other hand, the episcopal see was returned to Kiev for the first time since 1299. In 1646 the last remnants of the Russian Orthodox Church in Carpathian
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
region joined the Union of Uzhhorod
The Union of Uzhhorod ( rue, Ужгородьска унія, Uzhhorod'ska unija), 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 H ...
and converted into the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church
The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church ( rue, Русиньска ґрекокатолицька церьков; la, Ecclesia Graeco-Catholica Ruthenica), also known in the United States simply as the Byzantine Catholic Church, is an Eastern Cath ...
. At the same time, the eastern territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
which today part of Belarus and Ukraine entered a great turmoil and eventually were occupied by the Tsardom of Muscovy
The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I in ...
. Soon after occupation of Ukraine (Cossack Hetmanate
The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...
), in 1685 the Ruthenian Orthodox Church was transferred from under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...
to under jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Moscow
The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' (russian: Патриарх Московский и всея Руси, translit=Patriarkh Moskovskij i vseja Rusi), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the official title of the Bishop of Mo ...
. The newly appointed metropolitan Gedeon was titled as Metropolitan of Kiev, Galich and all Little Rus. This transfer successfully terminated any remnants of the original Russian Orthodox Church centered in Kiev.
The last Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' Michael Rohoza
Michael Rohoza ( be, Міхал Рагоза, uk, Михайло Рогоза, pl, Michał Rahoza, russian: Михаил Рагоза) (died 1599) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the E ...
accepted the Union of Brest
The Union of Brest (; ; ; ) was the 1595–96 decision of the Ruthenian Orthodox Church eparchies (dioceses) in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to break relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church and to enter into communion with, and place i ...
in 1596, which created the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
, native_name_lang = uk
, caption_background =
, image = StGeorgeCathedral Lviv.JPG
, imagewidth =
, type = Particular church (sui iuris)
, alt =
, caption = St. George's C ...
(which at the time was called "Ruthenian" rather than "Ukrainian") and changed Rohova's title to "Major Archbishop of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus.
In 1620, at least partially to accommodate Christians who had refused the Union of Brest, the Eastern Orthodox title and metropolis were recreated and granted to Job Boretsky
Job Boretsky ( uk, link=no, Йов, secular name Ivan Matfeyevich Boretsky, pl, link=no, Iwan Borecki, died 2 March 1631) was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Ortho ...
, who became the Exarch
An exarch (;
from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'', meaning “leader”) 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 ea ...
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
. The last Exarch of the Ecumenical throne in Kiev, approved by the Ecumenical Patriarch in 1676, was Metropolitan . His successor, Gedeon Chetvertinsky
Gedeon Chetvertinsky (russian: Гедеон, secular name Grigory Zakharovich Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky, russian: Григорий Захарович Святополк-Четвертинский) was a Ruthenian prince and hierarch of the Eastern O ...
, was ordained by Patriarch Joachim of Moscow
Patriarch Joachim (russian: Иоаким; January 6, 1620 – March 17, 1690) was the eleventh Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, an opponent of the ''Raskol'' (the Old Believer schism), and a founder of the Slavic Greek Latin Academy.
Born ...
in 1685, and transferred into the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
by the Ecumenical Patriarch, Dionysius IV, in 1686. This resulted in a large Council that convened in Kiev declaring the election invalid and the ordination illicit and a 'canonical
The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical example ...
offense' because it occurred without the knowledge of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Patriarch Dositheos of Jerusalem, whose role as a negotiator between Constantinople and Moscow proved critical, declared to the Russian ambassador Nikita Alexeyevich that Kiev had been granted "in trust (''ἐπιτροπικῶς'') to the Moscovite due to the prevailing tyranny, until the day comes for divine reckoning".["Patriarchal Letter to the Kings of Russia"]
THE ECUMENICAL THRONE AND THE CHURCH OF UKRAINE - The Documents Speak
(September 2018), pp. 35–39 (English translation based on
the text published in: ''Собрание государственных грамот и договоров, хранящихся в государственной коллегии иностранных дел'' 'Collection of state documents and treaties kept in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs''], Part Four, Moscow, 1826, 514–517).
See also
* Bishop of Kyiv (disambiguation)
* Cossack Hetmanate
The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...
* List of metropolitans and patriarchs of Kyiv
Metropolitan of Kyiv is an episcopal title that has been created with varying suffixes at multiple times in different Christian churches, though always maintaining the name of the metropolitan city — Kiev. The title takes its name from the city o ...
References
Further reading
* Pliguzov, A. I. (2023). ''Documentary Sources on the History of Rus´ Metropolitanate: The Fourteenth to the Early Sixteenth Centuries'' (Harvard Series In Ukrainian Studies). Cambridge: Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.
External links
Annexation of the Kiev metropolis by the Patriarch of Moscow: How it was
bogoslov.ru
Ecclesiastical titles
Metropolitans of Kiev and all Rus'
Eastern Orthodoxy in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth