Vynnytsky, Antin

Vynnytsky, Antin or Antonii [Винницький, Антін; Vynnyc'kyj], b 1600 in Urizh, Sambir county, Galicia, d 26 November 1679. Orthodox bishop. In 1650 he was consecrated bishop of Peremyshl (see Peremyshl eparchy), and in 1663 he was elected metropolitan of Kyiv and exarch of the patriarch of Constantinople in Ukraine by the pro-Polish supporters of Hetman Pavlo Teteria, who sought to block the candidacy of Yosyf Tukalsky-Neliubovych, a supporter of Petro Doroshenko. The latter candidate was also elected metropolitan of Kyiv (he served in 1663–75), however, and the two hierarchs divided Kyiv metropoly, with Vynnytsky gaining jurisdiction over the western Ukrainian eparchies (Galicia, Podilia, Volhynia) and Tukalsky-Neliubovych administering Right-Bank Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. Vynnytsky remained in Galicia throughout his term. In 1667–8 he also served as administrator of Lviv eparchy. After the death of Tukalsky-Neliubovych he tried to assume control over the entire Kyiv metropoly but was opposed by Moscow.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]