Adriano of Moscow

ADRIANO di MOSCA. - Tenth and last patriarch of Moscow and Russia, b. 2 Oct. 1627, d. 15 Oct. 1700. Archimandrite of the monastery of Cudov, he was consecrated metropolitan of Kazan and Svizak in 1686; on 26 Aug. 1690 he became patriarch of Moscow. Following the wave of Westernism fostered by the regent Sofia and her favourite Basilio Colicyn, the Russian Church at that time found itself confronted by two tendencies: one that sought to draw closer to Roman Catholicism, the other that, favoured by Pietro I, wished to approach Protestantism. A. fought especially against the former tendency; but, against his will, he had to witness the bloody repression of the revolution of the « strelizi », faithful to ancient Russia, and accept the new civil calendar. At his death the see remained vacant until, in 1721, the patriarchal function was exercised by the Holy Synod.