Ioann (Archbishop of Novgorod)
Encyclopedia
Ioann was Archbishop of Novgorod the Great and Pskov
from 1388 until his retirement in 1415. He is not to be confused with Archbishop Ilya
, who ruled in the twelfth century and who is often referred to as Ioann in hagiographic literature, but was apparently called Ilya during his archiepiscopate.
Ioann was elected by the veche
with the blessings of his predecessor, Archbishop Aleksei in 1388 (Aleksei had retired to the Dereviatinskii Monastery north of Novgorod where he died in 1390).
The main crisis Ioann faced during his archiepiscopate was the drawn-out dispute between Novgorod and Metropolitan Kiprian
that dated to 1376. Kiprian was named the successor to Metropolitan Aleksei
(d. 1378) but when he tried to gain recognition from Novgorod as the rightful successor in 1376, he was rebuffed. When he was finally accepted as the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus' by Moscow in 1390, he was still not allowed to hear appeals to the archbishop's court in Novgorod or gather a tax, which was the metropolitan's customary right.
Visits in 1391 and 1395 were to no avail, and in retaliation, Grand Prince Vasilii I
sent emissaries into the Dvina Land, Novgorod's rich fur-harvesting region north of Moscow, in an effort to strip this region from Novgorod. This move touched off a war, and Archbishop Ioann and the Novgorodian boyar
dom fought furiously to keep the region from Moscow. The war lasted from 1393-1398 and culminated in a Novgorodian campaign in 1397, blessed by the archbishop, which took back the Dvina
region, but even after the peace, the metropolitan never visited Novgorod. Indeed, there wasn't another metropolitan visit for almost four decades.
Ioann built a number of churches in Novgorod and renovated the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom
. (The main dome was gilded on his orders in 1408.) He also apparently supported raids against the Swedes
at Vyborg
(he built a church on the first anniversary of one such raid near the end of his tenure) and the expansion of Christianity into the far north, supporting the Valaam Monastery
's (violent) efforts to evict the pagan Karelians
from the island
where they sought to build their monastery.
Ioann retired to the Derevianitskii Monastery in 1415 and died two years later. He was buried in the main church of the monastery near Archbishop Aleksei, his predecessor.
Archbishop of Novgorod
The Archbishop of Novgorod is the head of the eparchy of Novgorod the Great and is one of the oldest offices in the Russian Orthodox Church. The archbishops have, in fact, been among the most important figures in medieval Russian history and culture and their successors continued to play...
from 1388 until his retirement in 1415. He is not to be confused with Archbishop Ilya
Ilya (Archbishop of Novgorod)
Ilya , also known as Ioann , was Archbishop of Novgorod from 1165 to his death in 1186.-Life:The son of a priest, Ilya was himself priest of the Church of St. Blaise south of the Novgorod Kremlin. The church was rebuilt in 1407, destroyed during the Second World War, and has been rebuilt again; it...
, who ruled in the twelfth century and who is often referred to as Ioann in hagiographic literature, but was apparently called Ilya during his archiepiscopate.
Ioann was elected by the veche
Veche
Veche was a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries.In Novgorod, where the veche acquired the greatest prominence, the veche was broadly similar to the Norse thing or the Swiss Landsgemeinde.-Etymology:...
with the blessings of his predecessor, Archbishop Aleksei in 1388 (Aleksei had retired to the Dereviatinskii Monastery north of Novgorod where he died in 1390).
The main crisis Ioann faced during his archiepiscopate was the drawn-out dispute between Novgorod and Metropolitan Kiprian
Cyprian, Metropolitan of Moscow
Cyprian was Metropolitan of Moscow , Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia . He lived for some time at Mount Athos...
that dated to 1376. Kiprian was named the successor to Metropolitan Aleksei
Alexius, Metropolitan of Moscow
Saint Alexius was Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia , and presided over the Moscow government during Dmitrii Donskoi's minority....
(d. 1378) but when he tried to gain recognition from Novgorod as the rightful successor in 1376, he was rebuffed. When he was finally accepted as the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus' by Moscow in 1390, he was still not allowed to hear appeals to the archbishop's court in Novgorod or gather a tax, which was the metropolitan's customary right.
Visits in 1391 and 1395 were to no avail, and in retaliation, Grand Prince Vasilii I
Vasili I of Russia
Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1389.He was the oldest son of Dmitri Donskoi and Grand Princess Eudoxia, daughter of Grand Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich of Nizhny Novgorod.-Domestic policy:...
sent emissaries into the Dvina Land, Novgorod's rich fur-harvesting region north of Moscow, in an effort to strip this region from Novgorod. This move touched off a war, and Archbishop Ioann and the Novgorodian boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
dom fought furiously to keep the region from Moscow. The war lasted from 1393-1398 and culminated in a Novgorodian campaign in 1397, blessed by the archbishop, which took back the Dvina
Northern Dvina
The Northern Dvina is a river in Northern Russia flowing through the Vologda Oblast and Arkhangelsk Oblast into the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. Along with the Pechora River to the east, it drains most of Northwest Russia into the Arctic Ocean...
region, but even after the peace, the metropolitan never visited Novgorod. Indeed, there wasn't another metropolitan visit for almost four decades.
Ioann built a number of churches in Novgorod and renovated the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom
Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod
The Cathedral of St. Sophia in the Kremlin in Veliky Novgorod is the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Novgorod and the mother church of the Novgorodian Eparchy.-History:...
. (The main dome was gilded on his orders in 1408.) He also apparently supported raids against the Swedes
Swedish-Novgorodian Wars
Swedish–Novgorodian Wars were a series of conflicts in the 12th and 13th centuries between the Republic of Novgorod and medieval Sweden over control of the Gulf of Finland, an area vital to the Hanseatic League and part of the Varangian-Byzantine trade route...
at Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
(he built a church on the first anniversary of one such raid near the end of his tenure) and the expansion of Christianity into the far north, supporting the Valaam Monastery
Valaam Monastery
The Valaam Monastery, or Valamo Monastery is a stauropegic Orthodox monastery in Russian Karelia, located on Valaam, the largest island in Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe.-History:...
's (violent) efforts to evict the pagan Karelians
Karelians
The Karelians are a Baltic-Finnic ethnic group living mostly in the Republic of Karelia and in other north-western parts of the Russian Federation. The historic homeland of Karelians includes also parts of present-day Eastern Finland and the formerly Finnish territory of Ladoga Karelia...
from the island
Valaam
Valaam, also known historically by the Finnish name Valamo, is an archipelago in the northern portion of Lake Ladoga, lying within the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation. The total area of its more than 50 islands is 36 km². The largest island is also called Valaam. It is best known as...
where they sought to build their monastery.
Ioann retired to the Derevianitskii Monastery in 1415 and died two years later. He was buried in the main church of the monastery near Archbishop Aleksei, his predecessor.