KIEV. – Capital city of Ukraine, a metropolitan see of the Byzantine rite and a Latin-rite bishopric.
I. The Byzantine-Rite Metropolis
After the baptism of St. Vladimir in 988, itinerant Byzantine bishops were probably active in Russia. By 1016 at the latest, a bishop was established in K. The first metropolitan τῆς ῾Ρωσίας is named Theopemptus: Russian sources place this in 1039, Byzantine sources in 1040.Vladimir’s successor, Yaroslav the Wise, attempted to create a local metropolis. In 1050, therefore, he had Hilary, a “Russian,” elected metropolitan by the bishops of his realm. This remained an isolated case. Subsequent metropolitans were again Greeks. The Byzantine Schism (1054) long had no repercussions in Russia. Metropolitan Nicephorus (1104–21) was the first to display hostility toward the Church of Rome. From 1147 to 1154 a Russian again held the metropolitan see of K.: the monk Clement of Smolensk. He was preferred over the Greek metropolitan Michael (1130–45). His successor Constantine (1156–58) also appears to have been a Russian. Like Nicephorus, these two metropolitans were men of culture for their time. In the 13th century, Metropolitan Cyril (1224–33) was consecrated at Nicaea by Patriarch Germanus II. The Venetian conquest of Constantinople thus did not alter the Russian metropolis’ dependence on the Byzantine patriarchs. Metropolitan Cyril II (1249–81) worked actively to reform his Church, which had greatly declined after the Tatar invasion (1238–41) and the consequent subjugation of the Russian principalities to the vast Tatar empire. In 1299, Metropolitan Maximus (1283–1305) transferred the see of the metropolis from K., which had been utterly destroyed, to the Upper Volga region at Vladimir on the Kljazma. His successor, Peter (1308–26), transferred it to Moscow without consulting the patriarch of Byzantium, thereby rendering great service to the small principality of the same name, which was then experiencing a powerful resurgence; in 1339 he was canonized by Patriarch John XIV Calecas.
In 1354, Patriarch Callistus recognized the transfer of the metropolitan see to Moscow; from then on it bore the title of metropolis “of K. and all Russia.”
The first metropolitan to bear this title was Alexis (1354–78), whose labors were entirely devoted to the principality of Moscow. He is, after Peter, the second patron of the city. Toward the end of the century, the princes of Moscow gained great influence in the selection of the metropolitan. Metropolitan Cyprian, of Bulgarian origin, was the first to consolidate his position. Under him, Byzantine influence was again strengthened. Through the separation of a Lithuanian and a Galician branch from the metropolis, the patriarchs of Constantinople weakened the sense of unity among its members. For a time, the archbishop of Novgorod even attempted to secure a measure of autocephaly.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the metropolitanate of K. and all Russia strongly resonated with the spiritual struggle waged by the Byzantine Church. The new metropolitan Photius (1408–31) was entirely under the influence of anti-union Byzantine circles, which, in opposition to the emperor and the patriarch, opposed union with the Church of Rome. Since political conditions in Moscow also did not favor union with Rome, the efforts of Metropolitan Isidore, imposed on the Russians by Byzantium, found no understanding among the princes of Moscow and the bishops. Thus they did not recognize the Union of Florence.
In 1448, therefore, they chose their own autocephalous metropolitan of Moscow, Jonas (1448–61), independently of the Byzantine patriarch and against Metropolitan Isidore. From then on, the metropolis of Moscow began. The new metropolitan immediately asserted claims to ecclesiastical supremacy over the former territory of K., but failed to maintain them.
In 1458, Patriarch Gregory Mammas of Byzantium consecrated Gregory, appointed by the Pope, as metropolitan of K. to succeed Isidore; however, Gregory vainly attempted to extend his influence eastward beyond the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Thus the metropolis of K. continued to exist alongside that of Moscow. It differed from the latter especially in its adherence to Byzantium. Until the early years of the 16th century, relations with the Church of Rome were weak and often interrupted. In the 16th century, the metropolis declined. The occupants of the episcopal see were often laymen; neither the metropolitan nor the bishops could effectively resist the encroaching Protestantism.
All this, along with other causes, led toward the end of the century to the hierarchy of the metropolis uniting with the Church of Rome. The union was concluded at Brest-Litovsk in 1596, resulting in the “United Church” recognized in the then-called “Ruthenian lands.” In 1620, however, despite all Polish legal prohibitions, a new metropolis of K. arose, separate from Rome, for those opposed to the union. At first, the bishops of this separated church remained very Russophile; yet after their recognition by the Polish Parliament in 1632, they reached a reconciliation with the Polish state. The most important schismatic metropolitan of this period was Peter Mohyla. He founded in K. a school of Western type, which later became the Kiev Academy. Famous teachers taught in this school.
During the war between Ukrainians and Poles, the metropolitans generally sided with the Ukrainians; they were always suspected of maintaining their subordination to Byzantium.
Although the city of K. passed under the principality of Moscow in 1668, the metropolitans remained in Poland. When they later entered into negotiations for union with Rome, the schismatic bishop of Luck went to K., where he was appointed metropolitan, while the titular schismatic, Joseph Shumlyansky, accepted union in 1701. Thus the schismatic metropolis in Poland came to an end. The metropolis of K. in Ukraine, subject to Moscow, had already ended in 1685 as an autonomous ecclesiastical administration, having been annexed outright to the patriarchate of Moscow. Thus only the metropolis of K. united with the Church of Rome remained, which expired in 1805 with the death of Metropolitan Rostotsky.
II. The Latin-Rite Bishopric
Already in the time of Princess Olga, a Latin bishop resided in K. for two years. Perhaps a Latin bishop was also in K. for a time under Prince Yaroslav before the Battle of Listvin.In the 13th century, a Latin bishop was consecrated for K. Toward the end of the 14th century, the Pope again inquired whether a Latin bishopric should be established in K. The bishops appointed afterward did not reside in the city. Before one of them, Joseph Shumlyansky, made his profession of faith in Warsaw in 1701. — See V. XLIV.