Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev | |
|---|---|
 Icon of the 17th century inAssumption Cathedral Kremlin. | |
| Metropolitan of Kiev, Rus' and Lithuania (1375–1376) Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus' (1376–1406) | |
| Born | c. 1336 Bulgaria |
| Died | 16 September 1406 |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Catholic Church |
| Feast | 16 September (Eastern Orthodox) |
Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus' | |
| Church | Russian Orthodox Church |
| See | Moscow |
| Installed | 1381–1382, 1390–1406 |
| Predecessor | Alexius |
| Successor | Photius |
Cyprian[a] (c. 1336 – 16 September 1406) was a prelate of Bulgarian origin,[1] who served as theMetropolitan of Kiev, Rus' and Lithuania (2 December 1375 – 12 February 1376) and theMetropolitan of Kiev and all Rus' (12 February 1376 – 16 September 1406) in theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. During both periods, he was opposed by rival hierarchs and by the grand prince of Moscow. He was known as a bright opinion writer, editor, translator, and bookcopyist.[2] He is commemorated by theRussian Orthodox Church on May 27 and September 16 (O.S.).[2]
Cyprian was a clergyman ofBulgarian origin.[2][3][4][5] He is supposed to have been born in aristocratic family ofTsamblak family from the capitalTarnovo.[2] After his upbringing, education, and worldview, he was ahesychast.[2] As a young man Cyprian studied atKilifarevo, just south of Tarnovo, where he possible accepted his monastic vows[2] and where a disciple ofGregory of Sinai namedTheodosius of Tarnovo, who had founded a Hesychast monastery. InKilifarevo monastery Cyprian met with futureBulgarian patriarch (between 1375 and 1393)Euthymius, who also was studying hesychasm and was later regarded as one of the most important figures ofmedievalBulgaria.[2] In 1363 along with Euthymius, Theodosius, and two of Theodosius's followers, Cyprian arrived inConstantinople where he was introduced to PatriarchCallistus I and for a few months studied at theMonastery of Stoudios.[2] Following the death of Theodosius (27 November 1363), Cyprian continued his studies atMount Athos,[2] becoming aHesychast.[6] On the other hand, according toDimitri Obolensky, Cyprian only became a monk in the early 1370s inConstantinople.[2] AtMount Athos Cyprian befriended Philotheus Kokkinos.[2] In the beginning of the 1370s, after the return ofPhilotheus to the patriarchal throne, Cyprian became "his closest monk".[2]
In 1356, after diplomatic struggles, PatriarchCallistus I of Constantinople united theMetropolis of Halych with theMetropolis of Lithuania under the leadership of Metropolitan Roman. Callistus also confirmed thatAlexius remained in possession of the "Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'".[7] All eparchies of the Halych metropolis were transferred to the jurisdiction of a united "Metropolis of Lithuania-Volhynia" (also known as "Lithuania–Halych"). The rivalry between Roman and Alexius continued until Roman's death in 1362, when Lithuania–Halych was placed under the control of Alexius.[8] In 1371, the united metropolis was officially lowered to the rank of a bishopric and placed under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'.[7] However, it did not end the political rivalry for religious influence in Rus'.
TheGrand Duke of Lithuania —Algirdas — attacked Muscovy on three occasions between 1368 and 1372 as part of theLithuanian–Muscovite War. This was in support of his ally,Mikhail II,Prince of Tver. It may also have been motivated by a desire to advance his calls for a separate metropolis for the Grand Duchy that was independent of Moscow.[2] Cyprian was sent by the Patriarch as a trustee (envoy) to the Rus' princes in the Lithuanian and Muscovite lands with the goal to reconcile the Lithuanian andTverite princes with Metropolitan Alexius and to prevent the total division of the Church betweenWilno and Moscow.[2] In winter of the same year, it is possible that Cyprian visitedKiev for the first time along with other cities of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[2] On 9 March 1374 he visitedTver on the consecration of theBishop of Tver, Euthymius. Later, with Metropolitan Alexius, he left forPereslavl-Zalessky.[2] Cyprian returned to Constantinople from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania carrying a letter from Orthodox Christian Lithuanian-Ruthenian with a request to the patriarch to consecrate him as the Metropolitan of Lithuania.[2]
Hostilities between Moscow and Lithuania resumed; in August 1375 Muscovite troops captured Tver. PatriarchPhilotheus I was aware of the threat of Catholization of the population of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[2] He therefore agreed to satisfy the petitions of the previous Grand Duke of Lithuania —Algirdas — to create a separate metropolis in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Philotheus also listened to the petitions of the Eastern Orthodox princes to have Cyprian as theirmetropolitan.[2] On 2 December 1375[2] at the Council of Constantinople, Philotheus consecrated Cyprian as"Metropolitan of Kiev, Rus' and Lithuania",[2] under a condition that "upon the death of Alexius, Cyprian should become the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus".[6][2]
On 6 June 1376, Cyprian arrived at his residence in Kiev. He attempted, but failed, to get recognition of his rights in the metropolitan diocese from the Grand Duke of Moscow —Dmitri Donskoi. In fear of his life both from the Grand Duke as well as the approaching armies ofTokhtamysh, Cyprian chose to live either in Lithuania or at Constantinople.[6] On 12 February 1378, Alexius died; by the terms of the agreement with the patriarch, Cyprian was entitled to rule the religious affairs of all Rus'. Instead, the Grand Prince deposed him without seeking the permission of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In his place, the Grand Prince appointedPimen (1380–1384). Later, the Grand Prince also deposed Pimen. He next appointedDionysius (1384–1385), again without the permission of Constantinople. In February 1389, PatriarchAntony IV of Constantinople convened a council that restored the unity of the metropolis by finally recognizing Cyprian as "the true bishop of all Rus'". In 1390, Cyprian returned to Moscow and was recognised as the legitimate Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus' by the new Grand Prince —Vasili II. Cyprian held this title until his death in 1406. During his term, his main objectives were to preserve a unified metropolis in Rus' and to secure peace withLithuania.[9]
Cyprian is remembered as a wise and experienced church administrator who fought for the unity of the Russian church. In fact, he is mainly responsible for uniting the Church in theGrand Duchy of Moscow and theGrand Duchy of Lithuania. He faced serious opposition during his metropolitanate; Dmitry Donskoy and his advisors were excommunicated for opposing Cyprian's efforts to take up his place in Moscow, andNovgorod the Great – especially Archbishops Aleksei andIoann II – also opposed his efforts to adjudicate ecclesiastical cases there, which would have allowed him to gain the court fees from Novgorod during the time he sat in judgement there.
Cyprian was an erudite person and alumnus ofTarnovo Literary School. He oversaw the copying and creation of a number of important works, including theTroitskaia Chronicle (orTroitskaya letopis) and, probably, theMetropolitan Justice (also known as thePravosudiye metropolich’ye or Правосудие митрополичье). He also rewrote theLife of Metropolitan Peter, originally written around 1327. He also correctedbiblical books and translated a number of ecclesiastic works fromGreek into Old Church Slavic.[10]
TheBook of Degrees (Stepénnaya kniga), which grouped Russian monarchs in the order of their generations, was started by Cyprian in 1390 (but completed only in 1563).
He died on 16 September 1406.[11] Cyprian is buried in theAssumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. He wascanonized by theRussian Orthodox Church in the 15th century.St. Kiprian Peak onGreenwich Island in theSouth Shetland Islands,Antarctica is named for Cyprian.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1906.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)Андреев В.Ф. Из истории Русской Церкви XIV-XV веков. Митрополит св. Киприан. Великий Новгород, 2008.
| Eastern Orthodox Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New creation | Metropolitan of Kiev, Russia and Lithuania (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) 2 December 1375–12 February 1378 | Succeeded by Title abolished |
| Eastern Orthodox Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus' (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) 12 February 1378–16 September 1406 | Succeeded by |
