Russian patriarchs. Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church

03.08.2019

1652 - 1658

NIKON(Nikita Minov) (1605-17.08.1681), Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1652-1667).
His Holiness Patr. Nikon, in St. baptism Nikita, born in the village. Velmanovo Knyagininsky district Nizhny Novgorod province Having lost his mother early and having suffered a lot of grief from an evil stepmother, the smart boy managed to learn to read and write, and having become familiar with the gifts of church grace through reading and personal piety, he became jealous of monastic service.
At the age of twelve, he secretly went to the Trinity Makaryev Zheltovodsky Monastery and spent eight years there as a novice, preparing to take monastic vows. During this time, the youth studied church services well, acquired extensive knowledge in the monastery library, gained spiritual experience, surprising the brethren with the strength of his character and the severity of his life.
Nevertheless, Nikita had to leave the monastery, yielding to the requests of his relatives, he returned home and got married. Soon he was invited as a priest to a neighboring village, where Moscow merchants who came to the famous Makaryevskaya fair met the young, intelligent shepherd. They persuaded him to move to a priestly position in Moscow, where Father Nikita served for about ten years. When the children of the marriage died, he convinced his wife to take monastic vows, and he himself retired to the Anzersky monastery of the Solovetsky Monastery.
Having taken monastic vows there with the name Nikon, he devoted himself to severe deeds of piety. Over time, he moved to the Kozheozersky Epiphany Monastery, and in 1643 he was elected abbot there. Three years later, while in Moscow on monastic affairs, Nikon first met Tsar Alexei. The majestic appearance of the abbot, his intelligent speeches and broad education made an indelible impression on the young sovereign, who was sincerely devoted to the Church. From that time on, their rapprochement began, which soon turned into close friendship.
Wanting to have his “sobin’s” friend near him, the tsar ordered him to be transferred as archimandrite of the Moscow Novospassky Monastery, where the Romanov family burial vault was located. Alexey Mikhailovich often came to the monastery to pray for the repose of his ancestors. In turn, Nikon had to appear to the sovereign every Friday to report on the needs of the poor, offended and oppressed. Joint charity brought them even closer together.
In 1648 Nikon was determined to become Metropolitan of Novgorod. From the king he received special powers - to oversee the entire administration and release, at his discretion, prisoners from prisons. In the second year of his bishopric, a riot broke out in the city: the people unknowingly took the grain exported to Sweden (as a ransom for Orthodox fugitives who sought protection from Russia) as a sign of boyar treason. The Bishop fearlessly went out to the rebels, admonishing the rebels, first meekly, and then with all the force of metropolitan authority and archpastoral boldness. The mob beat him to a pulp. Waking up, Nikon collected last strength, served the liturgy in St. Sophia Cathedral and went to the rioters in a procession of the cross. Struck by his firmness, they humbled themselves, asked Nikon for forgiveness and intercession with the king.
“Oh, mighty warrior and sufferer of the Heavenly King, oh, my beloved, favorite and colleague, holy ruler,” the Tsar wrote to Nikon two years later, inviting him to Moscow to take part in the election of a new patriarch to replace the deceased Joseph. “For God’s sake, come back to us as soon as possible... and without you we will never get down to anything.” Nikon’s influence grew, despite the boyars’ discontent, and at the council in Moscow he was named among the “twelve spiritual men” who, at the behest of the tsar, were presented by the clergy as candidates “for election to the patriarchal throne.”
On July 22, the priesthood who had gathered for the council was asked to elevate the most worthy of them - “a reverent and reverent man” to the patriarchal throne. Metropolitan Cornelius of Kazan informed the tsar about the election of Nikon, but the latter’s consent did not follow immediately. Understanding the hardships of the upcoming service, knowing about the hostile attitude towards him on the part of the boyars, Nikon refused for a long time. Even brought against his will to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, he did not agree there either.
Only when the king and all those present fell to the ground and with tears asked him not to renounce again, he, touched, agreed, but demanded from those present an obligation to “keep the gospel dogmas and observe the rules of the holy apostles and the laws of pious kings.” “If you promise to obey me,” Nikon asked, “as your chief archpastor and father in everything that I will proclaim to you about the dogmas of God and the rules, then, at your request, I will no longer renounce the great bishopric.” The Tsar, the boyars and the consecrated cathedral pronounced a vow in front of the Holy Gospel and miraculous icons to fulfill what Nikon proposed, after which he took the place of Patriarch of All Rus'.
“A close friendship united Nikon with the tsar. They prayed together, talked about business, and sat down to eat. The patriarch was the successor of the royal children. Not a single state matter was decided without Nikon’s participation. The latter's great mind is imprinted on happy years the reign of Alexei,” writes church researcher N.D. Talberg, comprehending the role of the patriarch in Russian life of that time from the height of the 20th century.
The sovereign merits of the high priest are great and undoubted. He played almost a decisive role in the annexation of Little Russia, and blessed the Tsar for the war with Poland for the sake of the reunification of Russian lands. Going on a campaign in 1654, Alexei left Nikon as the ruler of the state, despite the obvious dissatisfaction of the noble boyars. Upon returning from the war, met by the patriarch in Vyazma, the tsar, out of joy at the meeting, awarded Nikon the title “great sovereign.”
The “father and pilgrim” of the Tsar, “the great sovereign, His Holiness Nikon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'” became the brightest and most authoritative exponent of the Russian view of the “symphony of powers” - the fundamental idea of Orthodox statehood, affirming the understanding of spiritual and secular power as independent religious ministries, church obediences called upon by mutual harmonious efforts to govern the “people of God” in good morals and peace, necessary for the salvation of the soul. The preface to the Missal, published in August 1655 with his blessing, says that the Lord gave Russia “two great gifts” - a pious and Christ-loving great sovereign-tsar and his holy patriarch.
“This God-chosen and God-wise two,” as follows from the text, is the basis for the well-being and prosperity of Rus'. “May (the Lord) give them, the sovereign, according to the prophet (that is, according to the prophetic words of the Holy Scriptures. - Author's note), the desire of their hearts... may all who live under their power rejoice... for under one By their sovereign command, all Orthodox people living everywhere, with consoling songs glorify our true God who raised them up,” it says in conclusion. It was the violation of this mutual combination of powers, which was the result of a number of reasons of a political, religious and personal nature, that formed the basis of the ensuing drama (and, in the longer term, led to the horrors of Soviet atheism after the October Revolution).
Nikon was stern and strict - equally towards himself and the Tsar - where the spiritual health of society, the authority of the Church and its ability to beneficially influence the state institutions of Russia were concerned. “The patriarchal archers constantly go around the city,” wrote Pavel of Aleppo, “and as soon as they meet a drunken priest or monk, they immediately take him to prison and subject him to every kind of reproach... Those caught in drunkenness or careless performance of pastoral duties are exiled to Siberian monasteries.”
The sovereign's people were also in awe of Nikon. His exactingness and inflexibility seemed insulting to the proud boyars. “There has never been such a dishonor that now the sovereign would hand us over to the metropolitans,” the dissatisfied dignitaries grumbled. “What should they have felt when Nikon became the second “great sovereign”, began to give his orders and decrees, forced them to stand in front of him and listen to his will with obedience, publicly denounced them for this or that, not sparing their name and honor ? Could they not have used all their efforts to overthrow Nikon? - says Makari, Metropolitan. Moskovsky, author of an extensive work on the history of the Church.
In 1658, a complaint was filed against Nikon to the tsar. The plausible pretext for it was to accuse the patriarch of unacceptable innovations, and the real goal was to shake his position, to “drive a wedge” between the sovereign and the high priest. The Patriarch surrounded himself with inaccessible greatness, “loved to stand high and ride wide,” complain the complainants. This accusation - of encroaching on the rights and integrity of the tsarist power - became a powerful tool with the help of which Nikon’s ill-wishers consistently and patiently destroyed his friendship with the tsar.
In fact, the splendor and pomp of the patriarchal court had nothing to do with the ambitious aspirations of which His Holiness was persistently accused. They in no way extended to his personal life, which was still characterized by severe asceticism. The greatness of the Church and its primary role in Russian life - this is what, according to Nikon’s plan, his solemn, majestic services were supposed to signify.
“We were amazed at the amazing correctness and order of all these ceremonies and sacred rites,” write foreign witnesses. “Despite the fact that we felt severe cold and great fatigue due to standing for a long time without moving, we forgot about it from spiritual admiration, contemplating such a triumph of Orthodoxy.”
The suspicion and slander of some, the wounded pride and irrepressible vanity of others, the cowardice and unreasonableness of others did their job. Gradually, Alexei Mikhailovich’s relationship with the patriarch began to cool, and this cooling inevitably manifested itself in business. The tsar canceled some of the patriarch's orders and began to appoint priests and abbots without the consent of Nikon. Finally, in the summer of 1658, an open rupture occurred.
“The Royal Majesty is angry with you,” declared His Holiness Prince Yuri Romodanovsky, the Tsar's envoy. “You have neglected the Tsar’s Majesty and are calling yourself a great sovereign, but we have one Great Sovereign - the king.”
The appearance of the accusations should not be given too much importance, but their real meaning is undeniable. The boyars, who in this case managed to involve the tsar in their plans, declared their intention to significantly strengthen the influence of the state in church life, while simultaneously reducing the influence of the Church on secular power.
Nikon well understood the destructiveness of such claims. At the same time, he was clearly aware that open civil strife, “forceful” resistance to the royal will on the part of the spiritual authorities could cause another turmoil in Russia, the results of which would become a tragedy for all of Rus', undermining the centuries-old roots that nourish the religious basis of Russian existence. After lengthy prayerful reflection, he chose the only path possible for himself: not to obey illegal claims, not to enter into open confrontation; pointing out the intolerance of the situation, counting on sobering up and repentance on the part of the secular authorities, leave the department of the Moscow High Hierarch and retire to the Resurrection Monastery “New Jerusalem” near Moscow.
Having rejected the advice of his fellow boyars to “cease from such insolence and not anger the great sovereign,” the patriarch on the morning of July 10, after celebrating the liturgy and pronouncing the prescribed teaching from the conversations of John Chrysostom, announced aloud that he was leaving the patriarchal see, placed the patriarchal icon of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God staff and wrote a letter to the king in the sacristy.
The embarrassed tsar wanted to calm Nikon down, but their reconciliation was in no way included in the plans of the boyar elite. Sent by Alexey Prince. Trubetskoy had no inclination at all to reconcile the patriarch with the tsar, and instead of soothing speeches, he brought down a hail of reproaches on the high priest. Nikon accused the envoy of unworthy intrigues, changed his clothes and set off on foot from the Kremlin to the Iverskoe courtyard. The people simply cried and held the doors of the temple, trying to prevent the departure of the archpastor. From the courtyard the patriarch left for the Resurrection Monastery, from where he sent a blessing to manage the affairs of the church metropolitan. Pitirim Krutitsky, leaving behind three monasteries, especially close and dear to his heart. He wrote a warm, touching letter to the Tsar, in which he humbly asked for Christian forgiveness for his imminent departure.
There have been cases in Rus' before when hierarchs abandoned the throne, but such a popular departure (and retention of the patriarchal title without managing affairs) never happened. Nikon became, as it were, a living reproach for those who set the Tsar against the High Hierarch.
In his monasteries, the patriarch organized an exemplary and decorous life. He ordered all wanderers and pilgrims to be given food and water for three days for free, he accepted them as monks without contribution, giving everyone clothes at the expense of the monastery. On holidays he always ate with the brethren and personally washed the feet of all pilgrims and visiting travelers.
However, the former friendship with the sovereign made itself felt from time to time, frightening the boyars with the possibility of Nikon’s return. The tsar approved the retention of three requested monasteries with estates, inquired about his health, and during the raid of the Crimean Khan, he took care of his safety. Notifying the Patriarch with a letter about the illness of Boyar Morozov (brother-in-law and former teacher), he simultaneously asked to forgive him if there was any “annoyance” from him to His Holiness. Nikon responded with a cordial letter - it seemed that relations were getting better again.
But this hope was not destined to come true. Intrigues and slander brought their bitter fruits - with several mutual harshnesses, the patriarch and the tsar finally severed the thin thread of the resurgent unanimity. In 1662, as a final argument, Nikon wrote “Ravage” - an extensive work, numbering more than 900 pages of text, to refute the opinions of his opponents and in defense of his position.
Time passed, and the position of the Russian Church, deprived of legal governance, became unbearable. Finally, in 1666, Russian shepherds gathered in Moscow for a Council, and Patriarch Paisius of Alexandria and Macarius of Antioch, specially invited on this occasion by the tsar, arrived, having authority from the rest of the Orthodox patriarchs to decide the fate of Nikon.
The decision of the cathedral court was: to deprive Nikon of the patriarchate and priesthood, to exile him to the Ferapontov Monastery. “From now on you will not be a patriarch, and you will not act sacred, but you will be like a simple monk,” the judges solemnly announced to Nikon. However, the people loved him, despite the machinations of the boyars and the rulings of the court, so, removing former patriarch from Moscow, fearing unrest, he was surrounded by numerous guards, and the Muscovites were addressed with a lengthy manifesto listing the “guilts” of the deposed high priest.
The Tsar did not hold any grudge against Nikon. By his will, the position of a prisoner in the monastery was not burdensome: he was allowed to have his own church, in which the services were performed by monks of patriarchal ordination who voluntarily followed him into captivity.
Nikon was increasingly revered in the monastery. Loving ascetic labors, he cleared forest areas and developed fields for sowing grain and oats. Crowds of people flocked to him for blessings. Alexey Mikhailovich sent gifts to the disgraced monk, they exchanged letters. Nikon rejoiced at the second marriage of the Tsar, who married Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina, and the birth of Tsarevich Peter. “From my spiritual father, the great lord, most holy Nikon, hierarch and blessed shepherd - even if he is not now on the throne, God so deigns - forgiveness and permission,” the tsar wrote in his will.
Upon learning of the death of the monarch, Nikon shed tears and said: “The will of the Lord be done. Imitating my teacher Christ, who commanded us to forgive our neighbors’ sins, I say: May God forgive the deceased.”
With the accession of Feodor Alekseevich, Nikon's position worsened. His well-wisher, boyar Artamon Matveev, was removed from Moscow, and the Naryshkins, who favored him, lost their importance. Miloslavsky and Khitrovo, enemies of the exiled archpastor, received primary importance at court. He was transferred to the Kirillo-Belozersky Assumption Monastery, where Nikon was to “ last period trials, from which he emerged like gold tempted in a crucible” (M.V. Tolstoy). Suffering from intoxication in smoky cells, losing the remnants of his health, the elder almost died from “inexpressible languor,” thinking only about eternity, leaving worldly concerns and everyday vanity.
The tsar's wise aunt, Tsarevna Tatyana Mikhailovna, who always treated Nikon with great love, convinced the new sovereign to raise before the Council the question of allowing the elder to return to the Resurrection Monastery, whose brethren filed a petition with a prayer for the fate of the exiled high priest. Patr. Joachim did not agree for a long time, but the news of Nikon’s acceptance of the schema and his deplorable physical condition decided the matter: the blessing to return was given.
Nikon foresaw the day of his liberation in advance by a secret, gracious premonition. To everyone's amazement, he suddenly ordered his cell brethren to gather and gave the order to prepare for the journey. This path, which became his last earthly journey, simultaneously served as the road to his spiritual triumph. To meet the elder, the inhabitants of the surrounding monasteries came out, flocking local residents reverently asked for the archpastor's blessing. But his strength had finally left him, and on August 17, 1681, in the monastery of the All-Merciful Savior, Nikon peacefully rested in the circle of his faithful companions and spiritual children.
Tsar Theodore, not yet knowing about Nikon’s death, sent his carriage to meet him. Having learned about what had happened and having read the will of the deceased, in which the saint appointed him as his executor, he said with tenderness: “If His Holiness Patriarch Nikon has placed all his hope in me, the will of the Lord be done, and I will not put him into oblivion.” Participating in the burial, the sovereign himself carried the coffin with the body of the deceased on his shoulders, and then, shortly before his own death, he asked the deceased for letters of permission from four patriarchs, restoring Nikon to patriarchal dignity and recognizing his ecclesiastical merits...
Historians often complain that Nikon's behavior in the dispute with government authorities was politically ill-conceived, contradictory and inconsistent. Unable to explain this in the intelligent and strong-willed patriarch, they came up with a fairy tale about his “wilfulness” and “difficult character.” There are no words, every person has his own weaknesses, and Nikon was no exception, but all his activities, nevertheless, were strictly consistent and clearly realized - to see this, you just need to look at it from a church point of view.
Nikon reflected with perfect completeness the self-awareness of the Russian Church, the self-awareness of spiritual power, firmly aware of its highest calling and greatest responsibility; rejecting the possibility of any concessions or relaxations in the holy area of her pastoral care; carefully guarding the Divine authority of the hierarchy and ready to defend it confessionally in the face of any temptations and sorrows.
The “inconsistency” and “contradiction” of the patriarch’s behavior, an example of which is seen, as a rule, in his “inexplicable”, “ill-considered” decision to leave the see (which strengthened the position of enemies, “without a fight” weakening the influence of the high priest himself), is actually rooted in depths of the Orthodox worldview. Nikon perfectly understood all the twists and turns of political intrigue. But, understanding the providence of what was happening, remembering the saying of the Holy Scripture that “the royal heart is in the hand of God,” the high priest from a certain moment distanced himself from the court struggle, placing his personal fate and the future of the Fatherland and the Church entirely at the discretion of God.

On this day:

Profession - intelligence officer

On November 5, Russia and Belarus celebrate Military Intelligence Day. This holiday was established in our country by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 490 dated October 12, 2000. The date was not chosen by chance. On November 5, 1918, a registration department was formed in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, which became the first central military intelligence agency in modern history Russia.

Profession - intelligence officer

The intelligence profession is considered one of the oldest on earth. Back in the days Kievan Rus intelligence was a matter of national importance. Ambassadors, messengers, merchants, residents of border areas and military detachments were involved in collecting data. Later, already under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, in 1654 the Order of Secret Affairs was founded - the prototype of the intelligence department of that time. In the Military Regulations of 1716, Peter I provided a legislative and legal basis for intelligence work. During the reign of Emperor Alexander I in January 1810, on the initiative of Barclay de Tolly, the Secret Affairs Expedition was created under the Ministry of War, and in January 1812 it was renamed the Special Chancellery under the Minister of War. It solved the most important tasks: conducting strategic intelligence (collecting strategically important secret information abroad), operational-tactical intelligence (collecting data about enemy troops on the borders of Russia) and counterintelligence (identifying and neutralizing enemy agents).

Today, the Main Intelligence Directorate combines everything existing species intelligence - strategic, intelligence, including illegal, technical, economic, space and military, better known as GRU special forces.

"Slava" - "aircraft carrier killer"

On November 5, 1976, construction of the missile cruiser “Slava” began at the Nikolaev Shipyard, the lead ship of a series of six cruisers, the first in the USSR, with gas turbine units.

"Slava" - "aircraft carrier killer"

On November 5, 1976, construction of the missile cruiser “Slava” began at the Nikolaev Shipyard, the lead ship of a series of six cruisers, the first in the USSR, with gas turbine units.

In the West, cruisers of this series received the nickname “aircraft carrier killers,” mainly for their ultra-precise firing of missiles with nuclear warheads at a range of up to 500 km.

TTX: Displacement 11,280 tons. Dimensions: length - 186.5 m, width - 20.8 m, draft - 7.6 m. Maximum speed: 32 knots ( approximately 60 km per hour). Cruising range: 6000 miles at 15 knots. Power plant: gas turbine, 4x22500 hp, 2 propellers

Armament: 16 launchers of the Basalt complex (16 P-500 missiles), 8x8 B-204 launchers of the S-300F Rif anti-aircraft missile system (ammunition of 64 5V55 anti-aircraft missiles), 2x2 launchers of the ZIF-122 anti-aircraft missile system complex "Osa-MA" (ammunition of 48 anti-aircraft missiles 9M33), 1x2 130-mm gun mount AK-130 (ammunition 2000 rounds), 6 6-barreled 30-mm gun mounts AK-630 (ammunition 16000 rounds), 2x5 533- mm torpedo tubes, 2x12 RBU-6000 rocket launchers, 1 Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter. Crew: 510 people.

In the history of the Russian fleet, several ships bore the name "Slava". This is a 16-gun frigate that distinguished itself in the war of 1768-1774 with Turkey; at the end of the 18th century it was replaced by a 38-gun frigate guarding the waters of the Baltic; During the First World War, the battleship Slava fought with the ships of the German fleet. The Last "Glory" represented the main striking force of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet. And since 1989, she began to rub shoulders with the Americans. In July 1989, a Soviet-American experiment on the possibility of remote detection of sea-based nuclear cruise missiles was conducted on the cruiser "Slava". The American group of participants used a device based on a high-purity germanium crystal with an energy resolution of about 2 keV. The detector was placed directly on launcher"aircraft carrier killers" A spectrum of radiation obtained within 10 minutes with peak values characteristic of various isotopes of uranium, plutonium and some of their decay products confirmed the presence of a nuclear warhead, but could not give any additional information about its design. At the beginning of December 1989, the missile cruiser "Slava" took part in providing treacherous guard Gorbachev's meeting with Bush Sr. on the island. Malta, where the then secret decision was made on the unilateral withdrawal of USSR troops from Europe.

In 1990 One ship was delivered to the plant for modernization, but the collapse of the USSR doomed it to many years of downtime. There was no funding at all, and for the first five years the cruiser survived only thanks to the dedication of the crew. In 1995, the name “Slava” was exchanged for help from Luzhkov to “Moscow”. But anyway, “modernization” ended only in July 1999.

In 2002, the Moskva entered combat service in the Mediterranean Sea, and in 2003, as part of a formation of Black Sea Fleet ships, it participated in joint exercises with the Pacific Fleet and the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean. In 2008-2009, the cruiser participated in naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea together with ships of the Northern Fleet. From August 9 to 12, 2008 - in an armed conflict with Georgia in the waters of Abkhazia.

In 2012, the cruiser ceased to be a separate military unit, The commander's official seal and Banner were taken away.

Death of Stakhanov

On November 5, 1977, Andrei (Alexei) Stakhanov, a world-famous miner - the founder of a mass movement of production innovators in the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, died. Among ordinary workers there is no more famous name.

Death of Stakhanov

In August-September 1935, he twice broke the world record, producing 207 tons of coal per shift instead of the standard 7. Stakhanovsky was the name given to the movement that was unfolding in the country to increase labor productivity.

Stakhanov's fame began with a curiosity. In the Pravda newspaper, in a report about the record, his name was distorted: instead of Andrey, it was Alexey. At that time, the accuracy and honesty of newspaper reports was strictly observed (not like now, when, on the contrary, lies are observed). In order not to give a refutation, Stakhanov was persuaded to change his passport - with the name Alexey. Since then, the fate of Alexei Stakhanov has gone uphill. Soon he graduated from the Industrial Academy and was assigned to work in Moscow. But after the death of I.V. Stalin Khrushchev, who cleaned out everything connected with the leader, sent the hero of labor back to the mines. Stakhanov did not survive the fall from the cliff, he drank himself to death and died as a result.

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PATRIARCHES OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. In 1453, the great Orthodox empire, Byzantium, fell under the blows of the Turks. The Muscovite kingdom, on the contrary, remaining the only independent Orthodox power, acquired the authority of a stronghold of the Orthodox faith. The once powerful Church of Constantinople quickly lost its power and fell into decay. Its authority in Moscow was finally undermined by the Greeks concluding a union with the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Florence (cm. UNION). Distrust of the Greeks and doubts about their Orthodoxy led to the fact that Russian bishops decided in 1480 not to admit Greeks to episcopal sees. Russian bishops no longer went to Constantinople to ask for the blessing of the patriarch for elevation to the metropolitan rank and were installed in Moscow. In fact, the Russian Church gained complete independence, however, according to the canons of the ancient church, the real independence of the church, headed by the patriarch, is possible only if there is an institution of the kingdom accompanying the priesthood. When Ivan IV was crowned king in 1547 according to the Byzantine rite, the last formal obstacle was removed.

The implementation of this idea took place during the reign of Ivan IV’s son, Fyodor Ivanovich. In 1586, Patriarch Joachim of Antioch came to Moscow for royal alms. Deciding to take advantage of the circumstances of this visit, the tsar declared in the Duma that he wanted to establish “the highest patriarchal throne” in Moscow. Patriarch Joachim volunteered to bring the king’s desire to the attention of the Greek Church, so that when establishing a new patriarchate, the canonical rules, which provided for the participation of all eastern patriarchs, would be observed. In 1588, Patriarch Jeremiah of Constantinople arrived in Russia. The Tsar expected that he would bring with him the resolution of the Ecumenical Council on the establishment of the patriarchate in the Russian state, but at the very first audience it turned out that the main purpose of the visit was to receive financial assistance. Then it was decided to detain the patriarch in Moscow and force him to bless the establishment of the Moscow patriarchal throne. Jeremiah was offered to become the Patriarch of Russia, stipulating that he would not live under the sovereign in Moscow, but in ancient Vladimir, and thus the Russian metropolitan would remain the de facto head of the church. As expected, Jeremiah rejected such a humiliating offer. He also refused to appoint any of the Russian metropolitans as patriarch. Then the Greek was made to understand that he would not be released from Moscow until he conceded. On January 26, 1589, Jeremiah elevated Metropolitan Job to the patriarchal throne, whose candidacy was proposed to the Tsar by Boris Godunov. After this, the Greeks were released from Moscow, having given them rich gifts.

Two years later, Moscow received a letter signed by three patriarchs, 42 metropolitans and 20 bishops, approving the patriarchate in Russia. Recent research has shown that most of the signatures were not genuine. Apparently, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, interested in receiving material support from the Russian Tsar, hastened to confirm the act of the Moscow Council, and therefore the signatures of some patriarchs were reproduced, who were unable, for one reason or another, to sign the letter in person. From now on, the Patriarch of Moscow was to occupy fifth place (after the Patriarch of Jerusalem) and was appointed by a council of Russian bishops. Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich was extremely dissatisfied with the latter circumstance and sent a letter to Constantinople, in which he reminded of the promised third place, after the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Alexandria. However, on this issue the Ecumenical Council remained adamant and in 1593 confirmed its decision on the fifth place of the Moscow Patriarch. All the signatures of the hierarchs on the charter of this cathedral are authentic.

The founding of the patriarchate was an important milestone in the history of the Russian Church. The transformation of the Moscow Metropolis into a patriarchate consolidated the fact of the independence of the Russian Church in the norms of canon law and significantly strengthened the influence of the Russian Church in the international arena. From now on, the ritual of ordination to the rank of Patriarch of Moscow took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Election of the Patriarch.

The order of delivery was as follows. On behalf of the tsar or the guardian of the patriarchal throne, letters were sent to all the highest church hierarchs and abbots of the most significant monasteries, notifying them of the death of the saint and inviting them to Moscow to elect a new patriarch. On the appointed day, all those invited were to appear in the Kremlin in the Golden Chamber, where the Tsar opened the cathedral. The patriarch was elected by lot. The king named six candidates. Papers with their names were doused in wax in the presence of the Tsar, sealed with the Tsar's seal and sent to the church where the Council of Bishops met. The lots were placed on the panagia (breast icon of the Mother of God, a sign of the episcopal rank) of the deceased patriarch and were taken out one by one until the last one remained. This lot was handed over unopened to the king, who opened it and named the name of the new patriarch.