Sylvester Kossów, Kosiv or Kosov (
secular name
A legal name is the name that identifies a person for legal, administrative and other official purposes. A person's legal birth name generally is the name of the person that was given for the purpose of Civil registry, registration of the birth ...
Stefan-Adam Kosaw, ; born Zharobychi,
Vitebsk Voivodeship
Vitebsk Voivodeship (; ; ) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (from 1569 Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) from the 15th century until the partitions of Poland in 1795.
History
Zygmunt Gl ...
,
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, died 13 April 1657) was the
Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...
in the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...
from 1647 to 1657. He reigned during the
Khmelnytsky uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, also known as the Cossack–Polish War, Khmelnytsky insurrection, or the National Liberation War, was a Cossack uprisings, Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Poli ...
.
Education
Kossów was a descendant of a
Ruthenian noble family. He studied at the Kyiv and
Vilno
Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
Brotherhood schools and at the
Lublin Jesuit Collegium and
Zamość Academy
The Zamoyski Academy (; ; 1594–1784) was an academy founded in 1594 by Poland, Polish Kanclerz, Crown Chancellor Jan Zamoyski."''Akademia Zamojska''" ("Zamojski Academy"), ''Encyklopedia Polski'', p. 13. It was the third institution of higher ed ...
before beginning to teach at the Vilno and Lviv Dormition brotherhood schools. After finishing his education, Kosiv accepted
monastic vows
Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...
at the
Saint Trinity Monastery in Vilno. With the opening of the Kyiv Lavra School in 1631, Kosiv be its lecturer on the request of Metropolitan
Petro Mohyla
Petro Mohyla or Peter Mogila (21 December 1596 – ) was the Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' (1620–1686), Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Orthodox Church from ...
becoming its prefect. In 1632–1635 he was the first prefect at the Kyiv Collegium teaching courses on rhetoric and philosophy. At the same time in 1632 Kosiv joined the Kyiv Epiphany Brotherhood.
Bishop Sylvestr
In 1635 he became bishop of
Mstislavl
Mstislaw or Mstislavl is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Mstsislaw District. In 2009, its population was 10,804. As of 2024, it has a population of 10,019.
History
Mstislavl was first mentioned in t ...
,
Orsha
Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662.
History
...
, and
Mahiliow. Following the
Union of Brest
The Union of Brest took place in 1595–1596 and represented an agreement by Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Ruthenian portions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to accept the Pope's authority while maintaining Eastern Orthodox liturgical ...
, the eparchy of Mstislawl, Orsha, and Mahiliow became the only Eastern Orthodox eparchy within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1647 he became the metropolitan of Kyiv. It happened just before the
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, also known as the Cossack–Polish War, Khmelnytsky insurrection, or the National Liberation War, was a Cossack uprisings, Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Poli ...
, a time of uncertainty in Ukraine and in the Ruthenian church.
Kossów himself was strongly opposed to union with
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721.
...
, and also against unreserved alliance with
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. He condemned the 1654
between the Cossack Hetmanate and the Tsardom of Muscovy. Despite being critical of some of the policies of the
Ukrainian Cossacks
The Zaporozhian Cossacks (in Latin ''Cossacorum Zaporoviensis''), also known as the Zaporozhian Cossack Army or the Zaporozhian Host (), were Cossacks who lived beyond (that is, downstream from) the Dnieper Rapids. Along with Registered Cossa ...
, he attempted to rectify the situation and along with the
Patriarch of Jerusalem Paiseus gave
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Zynoviy Bohdan Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky of the Abdank coat of arms (Ruthenian language, Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern , Polish language, Polish: ; 15956 August 1657) was a Ruthenian nobility, Ruthenian noble ...
a hero's welcome when he entered Kyiv on 2 January 1649 (Old Style 23 December 1648). Kossów strived for an independent Ruthenian Orthodox Church that would be only under the jurisdiction of the
Patriarch of Constantinople
The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox Church. The ecumenical patriarch is regarded as ...
, and he fought against the subjugation of the Kyiv metropolate to Moscow.
In 1650 Sylvestr headed a delegation of the Orthodox clergy and Kyiv voivode
Adam Kysil to the Sejm in
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
and contribute to ratification of the 1649
treaty of Zboriv
The Treaty of Zboriv was signed on August 18, 1649, after the Battle of Zboriv when the Crown forces of about 35,000, led by King John II Casimir of Poland, clashed against a combined force of Cossacks and Crimean Tatars, led by Hetman Bohdan Khm ...
.
Bibliography
* ''"Exegesis, to iest dawne sprave o szkolach Кiowskich i Winickich"'' (English:
Exegesis
Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (philosophy), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern us ...
, is the old issue on schools of Kyiv and Vinnytsia, 1635) – about the Kyiv Collegium, its program, advantages of studies in Latin and Liberal Arts (so called "septim artes liberalis",
Seven Liberal Arts
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has symbolic associations in religion, mythology, supers ...
)
* ''"Paterikon, abo Żywoty ss. ojców pieczarskich"'' (English:
Patericon
Patericon or paterikon (), a short form for πατερικόν βιβλίον ("father's book", usually Lives of the Fathers in English), and sometimes also known as gerontikon (), is a genre of Byzantine literature of religious character, which w ...
or the Life of Saint Fathers of
yivCaves, 1635) – shortened version of the
Kyiv Caves Patericon
The ''Kyiv Caves Patericon'' or the ''Kyiv-Pechersk Patericon'' (), full title: ''Patericon, or the Life of Saint Fathers of Kyiv Caves'', is a monument of Old Russian literature, Russian and Old Ukrainian literature, Ukrainian literature, a coll ...
that included list of Metropolitans from Michael (994–998) to Peter Mogila
* ''"Дидаскалія, альбо наука о седми сакраментах, альбо таїнах"'' (English:
Didascaliae
Didascaliae are a compilation of production notices for several stage works of ancient Rome. This incomplete record was probably compiled some time around the 1st century BC, and contains notes on the ''Stichus'' and ''Pseudolus'' of Plautus (in Ma ...
, or a science about the
seven sacraments The expression seven sacraments mainly refers to:
* Sacrament
** Sacraments of the Catholic Church
** Eastern Orthodox Church § Holy mysteries (sacraments)
** Anglican sacraments
** Sacrament § Hussite Church and Moravian Church
It can also ref ...
, 1637)
See also
*
Kuteino Epiphany Monastery (Epiphany Cathedral)
Notes
External links
Sylvestr Kosovat the Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine
at the
Encyclopedia of Ukraine
The ''Encyclopedia of Ukraine'' (), published from 1984 to 2001, is a fundamental work of Ukrainian Studies.
Development
The work was created under the auspices of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Europe (Sarcelles, near Paris). As the ...
* Andrew Wilson. ''The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation''.
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day and Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...
, 2002. p 60.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosiv, Sylvestr
Year of birth unknown
1657 deaths
Metropolitans of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' (1620-1686)
Eastern Orthodox bishops of Polotsk
Constantinople Exarchs of Ukraine
Orthodox bishops of the Cossack Hetmanate
Belarusian bishops
17th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops
Ruthenian nobility of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Belarusian male writers
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy alumni
Academic staff of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
17th-century Polish writers
17th-century Polish male writers
People from Shumilina district