Nikon
Patriarch of Moscow who revised the Russian service books and rites after Greek models. His changes were upheld by the council of 1666–1667, which also speaks of him as the former patriarch, and were refused by the Old Believers.
Nikon was metropolitan of Novgorod before he became patriarch, and Avvakum, who knew him, says the tsar chose him on the advice of his chaplain (Avvakum, Life p. 52). The Russian church dates his patriarchate to 1652–1666 (Russian Local Council of 1971, Act on the old rites preamble). Paul of Aleppo, who watched him at work, describes a synod at which Nikon had the order of the liturgy translated from Greek and declared that, though a Russian, his faith and religion were Greek (Paul of Aleppo, Travels of Macarius vol. 2, pp. 85–86).
The council that confirmed his corrected books in 1667 refers to him as the former patriarch (Moscow Council of 1667, decree of May 1667 (Materialy 2, pp. 214–215)). See Nikon’s Reforms and the Old Believer Schism.
In the timeline
- 1652 to 1667, firm dateNikon’s Reforms and the Old Believer Schism
Patriarch Nikon of Moscow brings Russian service books and rites into line with Greek usage. The archpriest Avvakum and others refuse the changes as a break with the faith of their fathers, a council of 1667 anathematises those who resist, and the Russian church divides.