List of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow

Domestic church of the Patriarchs of Moscow.

History

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church begins with the Baptism of Rus' at Kiev the date of which is commonly given as 988; however, the evidence surrounding this event is contested (see Christianisation of Kievan Rus'). In 1316 the Metropolitan of Kiev changed his see to the city of Vladimir, and in 1322 moved again to Moscow. In 1589, the see was elevated to a Patriarchate. The Patriarchate was abolished by Peter the Great in 1721 and replaced by the Most Holy Governing Synod, and the Bishop of Moscow came to be called a Metropolitan again. The Patriarchate was restored in 1917 and suspended by the Soviet authorities in 1925. It was reinstituted for the last time in 1943, during World War II by the initiative of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

Metropolitans of Kiev and all Russia (Permanent residence in Moscow, 1325–1461)

• St. Peter (1308–1326)
  • vacant (1326–1328)
• St. Theognostus (1328–1353)
• St. Alexius (1354–1378)
  • Mikhail (Mityay), locum tenens (1378–1379)
    • vacant (1379–1381)
• St. Cyprian (1381–1382)
• Pimen (1382–1384)
• St. Dionysius I (1384–1385)
  • vacant (1385–1390)
• St. Cyprian (1390–1406), restored
  • vacant (1406–1408)
• St. Photius (1408–1431)
  • vacant (1431–1433)
• Gerasim (1433–1435)
  • vacant (1435–1436)
• Isidore (1436–1441)
  • vacant (1441–1448)
• St. Jonah (1448–1461)

Metropolitans of Moscow and all Russia (1461–1589)

• Theodosius (1461–1464)
• Philip I (1464–1473)
• Gerontius (1473–1489)
• Zosimus (1490–1494)
• Simon (1495–1511)
• Varlaam (1511–1521)
• Daniel (1522–1539)
• Joasaphus (1539–1542)
• St. Macarius (1542–1563)
• Athanasius (1564–1566)
• St. Herman (1566)
• St. Philip II (1566–1568)
• Cyril III (IV) (1568–1572)
• Anthony (1572–1581)
• Dionysius II (1581–1587)
• St. Job (1587–1589), later the first patriarch of Russia.

Patriarchs of Moscow and all Russia (1589–1721)

St. Job, the first patriarch of Russia.

Patriarch Philaret.

1. Patriarch St. Job (1589–1605)
   • Patriarch Ignatius (1605–1606) Not counted as legitimate by the Russian Orthodox Church
2. Patriarch St. Hermogenes (1606–1612)
   • vacant (1612–1619)
3. Patriarch Philaret (1619–1633)
4. Patriarch Joasaphus I (1634–1642)
5. Patriarch Joseph (1642–1652)
6. Patriarch Nikon (1652–1658)
   • Pitirim of Krutitsy, locum tenens (1658–1667)
7. Patriarch Joasaphus II (1667–1672)
8. Patriarch Pitirim (of Krutitsy) (1672–1673)
9. Patriarch Joachim (1674–1690)
10. Patriarch Adrian (1690–1700)
    • Stefan Yavorsky, locum tenens (1700–1721)

Metropolitans and archbishops of Moscow (1721–1917)

St. Philaret, pictured in his cell, 1850.

• Stefan Yavorsky (1721–1722)
• Theophan Prokopovich (1722–1736)
• Joseph Volchansky (1742–1745)[1]
• Plato I (1745–1754)[2]
• Hilarion of Krutitsy, Coadjutor (1754–1757)
• Timothy (1757–1767)
• Ambrosius (1768–1771)
• Samouel of Krutitsy, Coadjutor (1771–1775)
• Plato II (1775–1812)
• Avgustin (1812–1819)
• Seraphim (1819–1821)
• St. Philaret (1821–1867)
• St. Innocent (1868–1879)
• Macarius I (1879–1882)
• Joannicius (1882–1891)
• Leontius (1891–1893)
• Sergius I (1893–1898)
• St. Vladimir (1898–1912)
• St. Macarius II (1912–1917)

Patriarchs of Moscow and all Russia (Restored, 1917–present)

St. Tikhon.

• 11) Patriarch St. Tikhon (1917–1925)
  • vacant (1925–1943)
    • Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsy, locum tenens (1925–1936), de facto only until 1926
    • Metropolitan Sergius of Nizhny Novgorod, Acting locum tenens (1926–1936)
    • Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow and Kolomna (previously of Nizhny Novgorod), locum tenens (1936–1943)
• 12) Patriarch Sergius I (previously Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna) (1943–1944)
  • Alexy, Archbishop of Novgorod and Metropolitan of Leningrad, locum tenens (1944–1945)
• 13) Patriarch Alexy I (1945–1970)
  • Metropolitan Pimen of Krutitsy and Kolomna, locum tenens (1970–1971)
• 14) Patriarch Pimen I (1971–1990)
  • Metropolitan Filaret of Kiev and All Ukraine, locum tenens (1990)
• 15) Patriarch Alexy II (1990–2008)
  • Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, locum tenens (2008–2009)
• 16) Patriarch Kirill I (2009–present)

See also

• Russian Orthodox Church
• List of current Christian leaders
• List of Orthodox Churches