“Although in the last 1745 of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Archimandrite Timothy, among others, was presented in the report of the Holy Synod as a candidate for appointment to the Moscow diocese: now, by the will of God, Metropolitan Raphael of Kyiv has died, for this reason we command the Holy Synod to dedicate his place as metropolitan to the announced Archimandrite Timothy, and to order him to be here immediately11.
“Elizabeth*.”
We will not dwell on how the Synodal Office ordered the dispatch of Corporal Pyotr Obukhov to Kyiv, gave him instructions, calculated miles and travel money in the amount of 18 rubles. 10 k. Let's move on to the impression the news of the new appointment made on the archimandrite himself. Timothy and the highest Kyiv clergy. Beyond expectations - the first impression was not particularly pleasant. Archim. Timofey - perhaps due to the immobility characteristic of Little Russians - did not want to go to St. Petersburg for initiation, and the highest Kyiv clergy shared his way of thinking. The Kyiv consistory dared to issue the following report to St. to the synod: “This gentleman, Father Archimandrite, as is not unknown to us below, due to the state of his health, he cannot now come to St. Petersburg for consecration as a metropolitan, for even a not very distant move in some cases is not without damage to his health. And so that the diocese of Kyiv does not stand for a long time without its shepherd, and in the consecration of priests, at this hour there is already an urgent need for the consecration of St. peace and in some churches antimensions, Tavozh and in the administration of various affairs actually before the power of the bishops belonging to the last stop did not follow, - your Holiness™..enem of the entire epar-
F. A. TBGNOVSYUY,
"The Church of Kyiv most humbly asks: the above-mentioned gentleman, father Archimandrite Timothy, to be mercifully removed from his St. Petersburg trip, and ordered by his neighbors to be consecrated as a metropolitan by the bishop in Kyiv."
Archimandrite Timofey himself found it more decent and appropriate to give a slightly different form to the expression of his discontent and his desires. “I most humbly convey to the Holy Synod,” wrote A. Timofey dated November 29, 1747, “that behind the gesture in me, an internal weakness that occurs almost every day in order to perceive the all-mercifully allocated metropolis of the Kyiv rank to St. Petersburg, I cannot be in every possible way. time, then where on the way I will have to end my life untimely. For the sake of your most humble Holiness, I pray that, for the sake of my indicated weakness, I would most mercifully be dismissed from that high prerogative, and would remain in my former place*.
But a little over a month passed and Archimandrite. Timofey changed his thoughts. Perhaps the rank of metropolitan began to seem so attractive to him that it was worth enduring the difficulties of the path for his sake - perhaps (and this is more correct) he was afraid of losing his former archimandrite’s place for disobedience, especially since, along with the decree on his appointment as metropolitan, a decree was sent to the Lavra on the selection of candidates for his successors - be that as it may, on January 1. 1748 a. Timothy had already reported to St. synod: “for the power of Her Imperial Majesty’s most merciful decree, for God’s haste, I absolutely intend to leave St. Petersburg this January 24th.”
In February 1748, Archimandrite. Timothy arrived in the capital; 28 Feb. on Monday of the 2nd week of Lent, the Empress orally commanded that the consecration of the Kyiv Metropolitan should take place on the coming Sunday; on Thursday, March 3, the usual naming of the future hierarch followed, and on Sunday, March 6, in the court Church of the Presentation of the Lord, in the presence of the empress, heir Peter Fedorovich and his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna, Archimandrite Timofey was consecrated to the ecclesiastical rank of metropolitan in the Kyiv diocese. The consecration was performed by: Simon Todorsky, Archbishop of Pskov and Narva, Arseny Mognlyansky, Archbishop
F THE KYIV EPARCHY in the 18th century.
Pereyaslavsky and Dmitrovsky, in the presence of Theodosius Yankovsky, Bishop of St. Petersburg and Shlissburg, and Varlaam Skamnitsky, Bishop of Ustyug and Totemsky. The newly installed metropolitan was given a synodal letter on glassine and was soon released.