Zhokhovsky, Kypriian

Zhokhovsky, Kypriian [Жоховський, Кипріян; Žoxovs’kyj, Kyprijan], b 1635 near Polatsk, Belarus, d 26 October 1693 in Suprasl. Uniate metropolitan. He joined the Basilian monastic order as a novice in Byten. From 1658 he studied in Rome, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy and theology and was ordained in 1663. He was in Ukraine from 1665, where he was archimandrite at Derman Monastery and then Dubno Monastery. In 1671 he was consecrated titular bishop of Vitsebsk; archbishop of Polatsk; and coadjutor to the Kyivan metropolitan Havryil Kolienda (despite opposition from other bishops), whom he succeeded in 1674. As metropolitan he received confirmation for all the rights and privileges of the Uniate church from King Jan III Sobieski and oversaw the conversion of Lutsk eparchy, Peremyshl eparchy, and Lviv eparchy to Catholicism. He was committed to improving the education of priests; renewing the seminary in Minsk; and founding a printing press in Vilnius, where liturgical books, theological books and sermons would be printed. He also encouraged the cult of Yosafat Kuntsevych. In 1680 he helped organize the colloquium Lublinense, a conference of Uniates and Orthodox representatives called by King Jan III Sobieski to attempt to resolve the religious divisions in Ukraine.

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