Saint Peter of Kiyv

Peter of Moscow (Russian: Пётр Московский, Peter of Kiev, Peter of Rata, Russian: Пётр Ратенский, Ukrainian: Петро Ратенський; c. 1260 – 20 December 1326) was an Eastern Orthodox bishop of Kiev, who moved his see from Vladimir to Moscow in 1325. Later he was proclaimed a patron saint of Moscow. In spite of the move, the office remained officially entitled "Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'" until the autocephalous election of Jonah in 1448. Peter was born in Volhynia (part of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia). His parents were Theodore and Eupraxia. At the age of twelve, young Peter entered a monastery where he learned iconography. The igumen of the monastery had Peter ordained as a hieromonk. After years of ascetic labors at the monastery, the hieromonk Peter, with the blessing of the igumen, left the monastery in search of a solitary place. He built a cell at the Rata River and began to pursue asceticism in silence. Afterwards, at the place of his ascetic exploits, a monastery was formed, called the Novodvorsk. The Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Of St Peter” was so called because it was painted by Peter while he was igumen of the Ratsk monastery near Volhynia. During a visit to the Ratne monastery by Maximus, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', Peter gave him the icon as a gift. In 1308 king Yuri I of Galicia nominated and the Patriarch of Constantinople appointed Peter to the vacant see of Kiev and all Rus'. Mikhail Yaroslavich, Grand Prince of Vladimir and Tver, wanted to advance his own candidate for this position. Peter's nomination caused prolonged animosity between Mikhail and Peter to the point that the latter had to ask for protection from the Prince of Moscow in 1325. Peter travelled to Constantinople where Patriarch Athanasius consecrated him as Metropolitan of Rus and bestowed on him the hierarchal vestments, staff and icon. Upon his return to Rus' in 1308, Metropolitan Peter arrived at Kiev after a year, and then proceeded on to Vladimir.