President Putin awards the primate of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Kiev, November 23, Interfax - Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Victor Chernomyrdin presented Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine with the Order of Honour in recognition of his services in the development of religious and cultural traditions and consolidation of Russia-Ukrainian relations.

As the press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has reported on Wednesday, Chernomyrdin noted in his speech the outstanding role that Metropolitan Vladimir played in the spiritual revival of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples and consolidation of friendship and cooperation between the two fraternal nations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree awarding Metropolitan Vladimir on June 28.

Today the primate of the canonical Ukrainian Church, who marks his 70th birthday, has also been awarded the Order of St. Alexis the Metropolitan of Moscow, First Degree.

==The move (some hundred years after the initial Mongol onslaught) of the metropolitan from Kyiv to Vladimir to Moscow is what substantiates the Russian claim to all of the former Rus'. A huge problem with that- Moscow was a Mongol puppet state.==

Actually history is more complex. Most of Russian principalities including Great Principality of Vladimir (later Moscow) were under Mongols. This means 1) they paid tribute to Kazan, 2) Kazan approved princes. Mongols did not live among Russians (but Russian slaves lived among Mongols). Some Russian principalities (for example Novgorod) were not under Mongols.

But all Russian principalities constantly (in unions of singly) fought each other and Mongols. So 'puppet' is not right since their politics was independent.

But all Russian principalities constantly (in unions of singly) fought each other and Mongols. So 'puppet' is not right since their politics was independent

Moscow is special. Mongols made them their representatives; so if a tribute to the Mongols had to be collected from a principality, Moscow was the the one doing the collecting. If someone had refused the Mongols, Moscow was on the side of the Mongols sending the punitive armies and enforcing the Mongol order.

So Russians can complain about the "Tatar yoke" till their faces turn blue, but in reality, as whole towns were being depopulated elsewhere, Moscow cooperated with Mongols, growing fat on someone else's money and misery. Before anyone even mentions Kulikovo Polie and the (brave) Russians fighting Mongol-Tatars, let me say that it's irrelevant. They fought back after more than a century of being their enforcers- a useless attempt at redemption.

I, to clear my position, think that Russia, Ukraine and Belorussia must be one country or at least closest allies.

Being pro-Ukrainian and what you said above simply don't go together. Besides half of the population not knowing their native language, the Chornobyl reactor, and half of Siberia covered with Ukrainian bones, what has Ukraine achieved in these last 300 years that it "co-operated" with Russia? Hate to invoke the the tiresome cliche phrase- those who haven't learned history are doomed to repeat it.

A friend of mine has an "Encyclopedia of Ukraine" and under "Church, history" there is a detailed account. To summorize it- metropolitan of Kyiv moves to Moscow. Shortly after, in 1302, Halych (Galicia) demands its own metropolitan from the the Greeks and gets it. Lithuanians get one as well. All three claim the Kyiv region. When Galicia is conquered by Poles in mid 14th cent. Halych church folds. 1350s- Lithuania and Moscow redivide again and the Greek patriarch grants Moscow most of modern day Ukraine and Lithuania today's W. Ukraine. 1371 Poles, in control of Halych, demand form Greeks and are granted the re-establishment of Halych metropoly (they get the W. Ukrainian lands). Lithuanians demand and if understand the text correctly are granted the jurisdiction over Kyiv, Smolensk, Tver, Nizhni Novgorod. In 1373 a Serbian monk Cyprian became ordained as "the metropolitan of Kyiv" and moved to Moscow in 1389. He managed to unite Lithuanian and Galician metropolies under him. (ie. ONE church). In 1414 Lithuanians attempt to create a new metropoly for themselves and elect Tsamblak, but in Greece he is not recognized. Tsamblak takes over Polatsk, Smolensk, modern day Volyn and some of Galicia. He is excomunicated by the Greeks but it's ignored. I gather eventually relations are normalized and metropolitan of this church attends the council of Florence in 1439, signing that union. Russians do their autocephaly in 1448, have the title of "metropolitan of Moscow and all Rus'. In Poland-Lithuania, 1458, a new metropolitan is appointed, titled "of Kyiv and an all Rus'. Then a series of metropolitans are followed.

In 1595 Orthodox church (the bishops) are split, Uniate is created and proclaimed in 1596. Anti-Uniates have their own assembly. Catholic repression of Orthodox begins. Cossack revolt in 1620 leads to a creation of a new Orthodox patriarch in Kyiv consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Uniate versus Orthodox conflict continues, with some attempts at reconciliation. Mohyla (a very well known name in Ukraine) is elected a metropolitan of Kyiv in 1633. He died in 1647. Khmelnytsky revolution followed. Then in 1686, for a price of 200 coins and 120 furs, Patriarchate Dionysios transferred the control of the Kyiv metropolitan from Greek to Moscow's jurisdiction. (May he &^#$@&^@&^^) Phew, got tired.
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