Mitrofan (Archbishop of Novgorod) (c1160-1223)

Archbishop Mitrofan (d. July 3, 1223 ) - Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov.

Biography There is little information about Archbishop Mitrofan.

The Grand Duke Vladimir Vsevolod III the Big Nest advanced him to the Novgorod cathedral, which, contrary to the custom of Novgorod, selected the religious leader without consent from the veche, in 1199, and then he was sent to the metropolitan for confirmation.

On July 3, 1201, Mitrofan was consecrated bishop of Novgorod and elevated to the rank of archbishop.

In 1211, Mstislav Mstislavich Prince of Toropets Mstislav Mstislavich, suspecting Mitrofan of adherence to Prince Vsevolod, removed him from the diocese and sent him to Toropets. Historian I. Ya. Froyanov believes that the removal of Archbishop Mitrofan was not due to political factors, but to the still prevailing pagan beliefs. Novgorodians placed the responsibility on the “great fire” of 1211 on “local rulers, first of all - on Archbishop Mitrofan, which corresponded to the pagan belief, according to which public evils were the result of negligence or sinfulness of the rulers. Such rulers were either killed, or expelled with shame and disgrace. A similar fate befell the archbishop Mitrofan, probably accused of being responsible for a violent fire that burned a good part of Novgorod. The archbishop was not relieved of his fuction, but also isolated, sending him outside the territory of Novgorod.

In 1218, after Mstislav's departure from Novgorod, Archbishop Mitrofan returned to Novgorod and lived in the Annunciation Monastery. In the same year, when his successor Anthony Yadreykovich (c1170-1232) left for Torzhok the Novgorodians proclaimed Mitrofan again their ruler. But after a while, the inhabitants of Novgorod, together with Prince Vsevolod, sent both bishops to Kiev to the Metropolitan, saying: "The one he sends will be our ruler."

In 1220, Vladyka Mitrofan returned and ruled the diocese for about four more years.

Mitrofan died on 3 July 1223.