The Kievian Theological Education – A Model for the Romanian Theological Education Revd. Prof. Aurel PAVEL* Abstract: The present study evokes some of the personalities, moments and aspects of the strong cooperation and coexistence between Russian and Romanian people, among the Orthodox churches of the two countries along the Middle Ages and in the modern era, highlighting how the spiritual heritage of the great hierarch Peter Mogila was transmitted over generations and centuries in defining even the tradition of theological education in Transylvania and Sibiu. Historical times and places more or less famous, historical, political or cultural figures are evoked in a painting showing the close collaboration between the Romanian and Russian Orthodox Churches in past centuries. Keywords: Romanian-Ukrainian relations, Slavic influences, seminary and theological academy in Sibiu. The political agenda of most nations who were under the Ottoman rule be- tween the 16th and 17th century included the establishment of ties with Russia. This is clearly expressed by Nicholas Chief Magistrate of Hotin, who, in 1595, spoke of an anti-Ottoman League which would ideally include “our most holy lord, the Pope in Rome, the powerful Emperor of the Romans, the palatine of Transylvania, the Grand Duke of Moscow and many other princes of the Christian world”1. This * Revd. PhD Aurel Pavel, Professor at the “Andrei Şaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania. 1 N. Iorga, Istoria lui Mihai Viteazul, Bucharest, 1935, I, p. 171, apud Tr. Ionescu-Nișcov, „Din istoria relațiilor moldo-ucrainiene în prima jumătate a secolului al XVII-lea”, in Biserica Or- todoxă Română, no. 11-12, 1965, p. 1083. RT 98 (2016), nr. 2, p. 125-143 Revd. Prof. Aurel Pavel alliance was never achieved, but the Romanians established many ties with Chris- tians in Eastern Europe, especially with those living in Ukraine, which was at that time under the dominion of Poland. In order to resist the oppression, the so called “brotherhoods” (bratstva) were established in Kiev, Lvov, Mogilev and were in- volved in the socio-religious life of those communities. This was one of the first steps in the Romanian-Ukrainian long-lasting collaboration. The following text evokes some of the personalities, moments and significant aspects of this collabo- ration, emphasizing how the spiritual heritage of the great hierarch Peter Mogila was transmitted over generations and centuries in defining even the tradition of theological education in Transylvania and Sibiu I. Romanian-Ukrainian Relations Until 1539, when King Sigismund I of Poland (1506-1548) appointed Ma- carius as Orthodox Bishop of Lvov, the eastern-Orthodox priests in Poland and Ruthenia had been ordained in Moldavia. The Orthodox Church in the city, de- stroyed by a fire in 1527, was rebuild by Prince Alexandru Lăpușneanu (1552- 1561; 1564-1568), in 1559. He also erected a chapel and painted it after a few years. The diptych contains the names of all the Prince’s family members. After it was again destroyed in a fire, it was rebuilt again with the support of other Mol- davian princes, such as by Petru Șchiopu (1574-1577; 1578-1579; 1582-1591), Ieremia Movilă (1595-1600; 1600-1606) and Simon Movilă (1606-1607), mem- bers of the Movilă family, and then by Miron Barnovschi (1626-1629; 1633), who completed the works in 1629. The same Prince also supported the establishment of the Printing House in Lvov. Thanks to the contribution from Moldova, this place was called the “Mol- davian Church”. Archbishop Petru Movilă was ordained in this church in 1633. After the union with Rome, in 1700, Lvov became a strong Catholic centre. In the year 1787, the Romanian merchants in the city established an Orthodox chapel in a private building, since a Romanian Orthodox Church was built only in 1860; it was then demolished in 1901 and a new church was rebuilt alongside a parsonage; the priests who served there were appointed by the Bishop, then the Metropolitan, of Cernăuți. Until 1539, when King Sigismund I of Poland (1506-1548) appointed him as Orthodox Bishop Macarius of Lvov, Poland in ordinations of priests and Ruthenia was made in Moldova. The Orthodox Church in the city , destroyed by a fire in 1527, was rebuilt by Alexandru Lăpuşneanu (1552-1561; 1564-1568), the work being completed in the year 1559. He added a chapel and he had it painted after a few years. The diptych contains all his family members’ names. After it was 126 The Kievian Theological Education – A Model for the Romanian Theological Education Articles again destroyed in fire, it was rebuilt with Moldovan funding, received from Petru Şchiopu (1574-1577; 1578-1579; 1582-1591), Ieremia Movilă (1595-1600; 1600- 1606) and Simion Movilă (1606-1607), other members of the Movilă family and then Miron Barnovschi (1626-1629; 1633), who completed the works in 1629. The same voivode supported the establishment of the printing house in Lvov. Thanks to the Moldovan financial support, this church was also called the “the Moldovan church”. Archbishop Petru Movilă was ordained in this church in 1633. After the union with Rome, in 1700, Lvov became a strong Catholic centre. As late as 1787, the Romanian merchants in that city set up an Orthodox chapel, in private buildings; a Romanian church was built only in 1860, it was demolished in 1901 and rebuilt as a completely new church, next to a parish house, served by priests sent from the diocesan and later on the metropolitan seat in Chernivtsi. The Grand Hermitage in (Maniava), in Pocutia (today, the Ivano-Fran- covsk province), was founded by Yov Kondzelevych, in 1611-1612, with the sup- port of the Moldavian Prince Ieremia Movilă’s wife (1595-1600; 1600-1606) and daughter Maria Pototski, while they were in Poland. Maria Potoski dedicated the Grand Hermitage the Sucevita Monastery, founded by the family, with all its es- tates. The donation was reinforced by Vasile Lupu (1634-1653) and his followers and other boyars. It was suppressed by Emperor Joseph II’s reform in 1785 and the monks took refuge in Moldova. Petru Movilă was tonsured in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and was later to become its abbot and then the metropolitan of Kiev. In the monastery’s chapel of St. Stephen, there is also the tomb of former Bishop of Roman, Pachomius (1707- 1713), placed there in the year 1724. The Transcarpathian city of Muncacs (under the rule of the medieval King- dom of Hungary) was also the see of the Orthodox episcopate which ruled in the 17th century over the over the Romanians and Carpatho-Russians in Northern Transylvania and Maramureş. Some of the bishops were from Moldavia, being ordained at the Metropolitan See of Suceava. The prince who accomplished the first Romanian Union, Michael the Brave (1593-1601), recommended in 1600 that the abbot of the Tismana Monastery, Sergius, be appointed Bishop of Muncacs. Prince Constantin Şerban Basarab (1654-1658 in Wallachia and 1659; 1661 in Moldavia) replaced the older wooden church with one made of stone, at the mon- astery of St. Nicholas, near Muncacs; the works were completed in the year 1661. Peter Movilă was the son of a well-known Moldovan boyar family, and brother of Moldavian princes. Serving the Church, he became abbot of the Pechersk monastery, then Metropolitan of Kiev (1633-1646), for 15 years. He maintained close ties with the Church in Moldavia and Wallachia. In 1631, he wrote for his brother, Moise Movilă, who was Prince of Moldavia (1630-1631; 127 Revd. Prof. Aurel Pavel 1633-1634), a religious book, The Triodion , which also included advice on the proper behavior of a Christian prince. During his service, many of his printed books bore the coat of arms of the Movilă family. The printing houses of Matei Basarab (1632-1654), in Câmpulung, Govora and Târgovişte, as well as Vasile Lupu’s (1634-1653) printing house in Iaşi, were purchased or donated from Kiev between 1635 and 1646. He sent the printing craftsmen to work in the new printing houses, the best known being Timotei Alexandrovich Verbitsky who had been the head of the Printing House in Kiev. In the year 1640, he sent to Vasile Lupu a group of teachers for the new College established in Iaşi, the most important of them being Sophronius Pochiatsky. Moreover, the Synod of Iaşi in 1642, where Petru Movilă’s Orthodox Confession was presented and analyzed , a fundamental work of Orthodox doctrine, translated into several languages – the translator of the Romanian version was Radu Greceanu –, wel- comed a delegation of representatives of the Ukrainian Church. Petru Movilă’s earthly remains lie in the grand church of the Pechersk Lavra (he died in Dec. 22. 1646). Sergius , abbot at the Tismana monastery in Oltenia (the western province of Wallachia), was recommended by Michael the Brave (1593-1601) , after the con- quest of Transylvania, to be seated Bishop of Munkács. He was bishop for three years, he was banished in 1603 and took refuge in Kiev. Spatharus Nicolae Milescu, Moldovan scholar (1636-1708), familiar with theological issues, studied at the Grand Academy in Iaşi, then in Constantinople, and in other centres of the Western Europe. In 1671 he entered the service of the Russian tsars, and he was a Greek, Latin and Romanian language interpreter for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he went on a diplomatic mission to China (1675-1677). He wrote and translated theological works, but also facilitated dip- lomatic and ecclesiastical connections between Russia and the Romanian princi- palities. He helped the Moldavian Metropolitan Dosoftei (1671-1674) to obtain a printer in 1679, from the Russian Patriarch Joachim of Moscow (1674-1690).