SILVESTRO MEDVJEDEV. — Born in Kurk on 27 Jan. 1641, died on 11 Feb. 1691. Son of officials, he too obtained a position in Moscow, where in 1665 he instructed one of the four pupils attending the school of Simeon of Polotsk. In 1672 he took monastic vows. In 1677 he returned to Moscow and lived with his teacher Simeon, succeeding him as rector of the School of the Most Holy Saviour, whose ideas—since Simeon had remained faithful to the Mohyla orientation of Kiev—he defended with intrepid courage.
Simeon had already begun the controversy over the form of the Eucharist. M. defended his master’s opinion, contrary to the Epiclesis, by publishing the *Panis vivus* against the hieromonk Euthymius; the *Manna*, a reply to another writing by the same Euthymius; and finally the *Ispoved’ istinnyja*, a vigorous rejoinder to the *Akos* of the Likhud brothers. These works, condemned by the Moscow synods, were collected and published in *Čtenija*, 1885, ibid.; 1896, ibid.
M. became too troublesome an adversary. Accused of conspiring against the life of Patriarch Joachim, he was condemned to death and beheaded.