Diocese of Kiev (Moscow Patriarchate)

History

The history of modern Kiev diocese dates back to Kiev Metropolitan as part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Russian Kiev diocese (or archdiocese) is first mentioned in 891, the 60th in the list of departments subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople, and 61th in the charter of Emperor Leo (886-911 gg.). On the establishment of the Diocese of Kyiv, as the department of metropolitan areas - Kyiv Metropolis - which included a number of dioceses, reiterated in connection with the baptism of Rus in the holy Great Prince Vladimir. This institution is considered to be 988.

After the defeat of the Tatar Kiev residence of the Metropolitan of All Russia was moved in 1299 to Vladimir-on-Kliazma, and in 1325 in Moscow. In this case, the head of Russian metropolis continued titled Kyiv and All Rus, Kiev remained a suffragan bishop.

Since the first half of the 14th century, due to the desire of South Russian and Lithuanian princes have his metropolitan, their lands were delivered their metropolitans, as opposed to those that were in Moscow. Those placing anti-Moscow Metropolitans were also associated with the start then the efforts of Roman Catholics deprive Russia of Orthodoxy, through the creation of alternative-minded Uniate hierarchy. For example, during the Moscow Alexy had three All-Russian Metropolitan, and in Cyprian - four. As a result, in 1458, Metropolis finally split in two: Kiev-Moscow in the northeast of the Russian lands and the Kiev-Lithuania in the south-west.

Due to the isolation of the Church of Constantinople, in 1461 with the Kiev-Moscow metropolitans were titled Moscow and All Russia (or Russo), and the title of Kiev and All Russia once again became the Metropolitan of Kiev-owned Lithuanian metropolis with faculty in Vilna.

Metropolitans south-western Russia retained the throne of Constantinople submission, but often inclined to union pressure Roman Catholic secular authorities. In 1595, the Kiev-Lithuanian Southwestern Metropolis finally fell away from Orthodoxy under the terms of the Union of Brest. Thus began the Uniate "Greek-Catholic" Kyiv Metropolis.

In 1620, the Orthodox metropolitan department of Constantinople was restored church in Kiev, which thus again became the de facto center of the metropolis patroness.

In 1685-1686, the Diocese of Kiev, along with all the Metropolitan of Kiev, has been translated from the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the Moscow, succeeded Kiev-Moscow Metropolitan.

By Tsar Peter I the Metropolitan of Kiev in the early 18th century became known as archbishop. This lasted until the middle of the century, when the decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, they were again granted the dignity of the Metropolitan.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Kiev diocese consisted of two parts on the right and left banks of the Dnieper River, within subsequently ceded to Chernihiv and Poltava provinces. Most of the diocese called itself "the Diocese of Kiev" and smaller - "Abroad".

The jurisdiction of the metropolitan of Kiev in the 18th century, was chaplain of Warsaw within Poland.

Since 1918, the decision of the All-Russian Church Council of 1917-1918 Kiev bishops again become the heads of not only the diocese, but the Church and the autonomous region within Ukraine. After its liquidation by order of Patriarch Tikhon was established Ukrainian Exarchate.

The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, 25-27 October 1990, re-established Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Diocese of Kiev which is primatial and managed by the Metropolitan of All Ukraine, since 1992 Volodymyr Sabodan.