Michael of Chernigov, Saint

MICHELE di ČERNIGOV, saint. — A Russian prince of the Rurikid family, he was successively prince of Novgorod, of Italisch in Galicia, and of Kiev. He thus lived on the margins of Central European culture, but not so far from it as to be unaware of it, or indeed not to experience its influence to some degree during a period of his life. After his native city of Černigov was occupied by the Tartars (1241) and largely destroyed, M. was forced in 1245 to go to Saraj, the capital of Batu, chief of the Tartars of the lower Volga. Before appearing before this prince, he would have

(from F. Laurent, Le titre de patriarche œcuménique, in Misc. G. Mercati, III, Vatican City III, p. 253)
MICHELE CERULARIO – Seal of M. C., Virgin Odighitria on the obverse, inscription on the reverse – Washington, M. H. Shau Collection.