Metropolitan Peter

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15th century icon of Metropolitan Peter of Moscow.

Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia (Пётр in Russian) (? — December 20, 1326) was the Russian metropolitan 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 St. Jonah in 1448.

Peter was born in Halych-Volynia. He founded a monastery on the Rata River river (Western Bug's tributary) and became its abbot. In 1308 king George of Galicia nominated and the Patriarch of Constantinople appointed Peter to the vacant see of Kiev and all Rus.

Metropolitan Peter, with Scenes from His Life,15th century icon by Dionisius.

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 Muscovite princes.

Peter's alliance with Moscow helped assert his own authority and contributed to the rise of the House of Moscow. Peter transferred his metropolitan duties from depopulated Kiev to Vladimir and then to Moscow, where he received property estates. The move strengthened the political position of Moscow and established it as the spiritual capital of defragmentated Russia.

After Peter's move to Moscow, the Cathedral of the Dormition and several other stone churches were built by Ivan Kalita in the Moscow Kremlin. The foundation of the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery in Moscow is ascribed to St. Peter the Metropolitan. He also authored a few sermons and epistles. He is credited with painting a wonderworking icon of the Theotokos known as the Icon of the Mother of God of St Peter of Moscow (commemorated on August 24).

After his glorification (canonization) by Metropolitan Alexis, his veneration was propagated all over Moscovy. Accordingly, many churches were dedicated to Peter the Metropolitan in Moscow and other cities of Russia. His feast day is celebrated on August 24 (the translation of his relics to the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow) and October 5 (in common with Metropolitans Jonah and Alexis)