Cyprian of Moscow

The Holy Hierarch Cyprian of Kiev (Cyprian, Metropolitan of Moscow) was a hierarch of Bulgarian origin, metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus' from 1389 until his death in 1406, writer, editor, translator and copyist of books. His feast is on 27 May (the finding of his relics) and on 16 September, the day of his repose.

Early life

He was born around 1330 (in other sources, 1336) at Tarnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. He is thought to have belonged to the boyar family of Tsamblak: Gregory Tsamblak calls him in the funeral oration "brother of our father," which some understand as meaning he was his uncle, others only a spiritual kinship with the Bulgarian patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo. He was a hesychast by upbringing, education and temper. He is thought to have studied in youth at Kilifarevo, near Tarnovo, in the hesychast monastery of Saint Theodosius of Tarnovo, a disciple of Saint Gregory of Sinai, where he met the future patriarch Euthymius. The year of his tonsure is not known; according to Dimitri Obolensky, he became a monk only in the early 1370s, at Constantinople.

He left Bulgaria rather early. According to some sources, in 1363 he arrived at Constantinople with Theodosius, Euthymius and two other disciples, was presented to Patriarch Callistus I and studied for a few months at the monastery of Stoudios; after Theodosius's death (27 November 1363) he continued his struggle on Mount Athos, where he became a hesychast. There and at Constantinople he befriended Philotheus Kokkinos, a great hesychast and patriarch of Constantinople (1354-1355 and 1364-1376); after Philotheus returned to the throne, in the early 1370s, Cyprian became "his closest monk," and was at times sent by him on missions. It is held that the successes of Philotheus's second patriarchate, among them the reconciliation of the Serbian and Bulgarian Churches and the strengthening of the Russian Church, were achieved with Cyprian's help.

Envoy to Lithuania and Rus'

The Metropolis of Kiev was at that time in fact divided between Lithuania and Moscow. The grand duke of Lithuania, Algirdas, attacked Moscow, supporting his ally Michael, prince of Tver, and demanded either that Metropolitan Alexius move to Kiev or that a separate Lithuanian metropolis be established; he even threatened to go over to the Latins. Alexius was in fact the head of the Muscovite state and could no longer visit his western eparchies. Patriarch Philotheus wished to keep the metropolis united, staking on Moscow, but needed a correction of a too Muscovite policy. Around 1373 he sent a trusted man, Cyprian, to reconcile the princes of Lithuania, Smolensk and Tver with Metropolitan Alexius. On the way he met princes of Lithuanian Rus' and found support among them; later the Muscovites would accuse him precisely of "Lithuanianism," but his task was broader than joining one of the sides. Through the efforts of the patriarchal envoy, in the winter of 1373-1374 Prince Michael of Tver renounced his claims to the grand principality of Vladimir, and Alexius lifted the excommunication laid on him; on 9 March 1374 Cyprian took part in the consecration of the new bishop of Tver, Euthymius. Metropolitan Alexius then made Cyprian's friend Dionysius bishop of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod. On a journey with Alexius to Pereslavl-⁠Zalessky, Cyprian met Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and he drew close also to the monasticism of northern Rus'. He also helped spread the veneration of the Martyrs of Vilnius and the sending of parts of their relics to Constantinople.

Metropolitan of Kiev and Rus'

When war broke out again between Moscow and Lithuania, and in August 1375 Muscovite troops took Tver, Patriarch Philotheus, fearing the Catholicization of Lithuania, heeded the petitions of Algirdas and the Orthodox princes. On 2 December 1375, at the council of Constantinople, he consecrated Cyprian "Metropolitan of Kiev, Rus' and Lithuania," with the arrangement that at Alexius's death Cyprian should receive the metropolis of all Rus' and be its sole metropolitan, that the ancient order might be preserved. On 6 June 1376 he arrived at his residence in Kiev. He tried to have his rights recognized by the grand prince of Moscow, Dmitri Donskoi, but did not succeed, and, fearing for his life, both from the grand prince and from the approaching armies of Tokhtamysh, he chose to leave.

A long struggle still lay before him to be recognized as shepherd of all Rus'. His authority over the whole metropolis was confirmed by the council of Constantinople of 1389, and from 1390 he had his permanent residence at Moscow, until his death in 1406. All this time he was an enlightened scholar, editor, translator and copyist; he wrote letters, composed a life of Saint Peter the metropolitan, a letter of forgiveness, and other works. A liturgical manuscript called the Cyprian Manuscript, of the fourteenth century, is preserved, containing a full description of the rite of betrothal and marriage. He brought with him to Rus' many Old Slavonic Serbian manuscripts and raised a church dedicated to the three holy hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. He suffered great troubles as metropolitan but bore them meekly, bringing much benefit to the Russian Church, spending nearly thirty years in the metropolitan office.

Repose and veneration

Having lived to great old age, shortly before his death he wrote a letter of forgiveness, read at his tomb. He fell asleep on 16 September 1406. His relics are kept in the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow. A Bulgarian source says he was officially recognized as saint and wonderworker in 1472. His image is painted in a fresco of the church of the Crucifixion and Annunciation at the Serbian metochion in Moscow. The Russian Church venerates him among the holy hierarchs.