Petro of Kyiv, Metropolitan

Petro of Kyiv, Metropolitan [Петро Ратенський; Petro Ratens'kyj], b 1260? d 21 December 1326 in Moscow. Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus’. He was born in Volhynia, and entered a monastery at the age of 12. He founded his own monastery on the Rata River, near Lviv; because of this, he is at times referred to as Petro Ratensky. In 1305 Prince Yurii Lvovych of Galicia-Volhynia sent him to Constantinople to be consecrated metropolitan of Halych. Since Maximos, the metropolitan of Kyiv , had recently died, Patriarch Athanasios named Petro metropolitan of Kyiv and Halych (1308–26), on the condition that he transfer his see to Moscow to satisfy the demands of the Muscovite princes. The transfer led to the development of a separate Muscovite church jurisdiction and strengthened the authority of the Moscow princes. Petro was canonized in 1340.

[This article was updated in 2017.]