Saints and heroes: Ukrainian hagiographical narratives of the first half of the 17th century between Rome, Constantinople and Moscow

Abstract

No other period in the history of the Kyiv Orthodox Metropolis gives rise to such contradictory opinions as to the history of the first half of the 17th century. The struggle to preserve the Orthodox identity after signing of the Union of Brest in 1596 and the need to represent the Orthodox way of salvation in anti-Catholic polemics sparked a keen interest in the idea of holiness and saints. This interest, however, did not trigger the canonization of contemporary figures, but rather a reminder of the former hagiographic and historical heritage.