Patriarch Nikon of Moscow
Nikon | |
|---|---|
| Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' | |
Patriarch Nikon in painting, c. 1680s | |
| Church | Russian Orthodox Church |
| See | Moscow |
| Installed | 1652 |
| Term ended | 1666 |
| Predecessor | Patriarch Joseph of Moscow |
| Successor | Patriarch Joasaphus II of Moscow |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 1652 by Patriarch Joseph of Moscow & Macarius III Ibn al-Za’im |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Никита Минин 7 May 1605 Veldemanovo near Nizhny Novgorod, Tsardom of Russia |
| Died | 17 August 1681 (aged 76) Church of St. Nicholas in Tropino, Yaroslavl, Tsardom of Russia |
| Buried | New Jerusalem Monastery |
Nikon (Russian: Ни́кон, Old spelling: Нїконъ), born Nikita Minin (Никита Минин; 7 May [O.S. 27 April] 1605 – 17 August [O.S. 7 August] 1681) was the seventh Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' of the Russian Orthodox Church, serving officially from 1652 to 1666. He was renowned for his eloquence, energy, piety and close ties to Tsar Alexis of Russia. Nikon introduced many reforms, including liturgical reforms that were unpopular among conservatives. These divisions eventually led to a lasting schism known as Raskol (schism) in the Russian Orthodox Church. For many years, he was a dominant political figure, often equaling or even overshadowing the Tsar. In December 1667, Nikon was tried by a synod of church officials, deprived of all his sacerdotal functions, and reduced to the status of a simple monk.