Isidore of Kyiv: Vodka as the Genesis of Moscow Orthodoxy

Russian vodka was invented by the Kyivan Metropolitan Isidore as early as 1441, according to one of the most renowned Russian researchers of national cuisine history, William Pokhlyobkin. According to him, Isidore (that was the name of the metropolitan) taught local monks to produce pure grain alcohol and a beverage from it during his time at the Moscow Chudov Monastery.

Photo: Isidore of Kyiv. Source: Wikipedia.


This does not seem incredible. After all, the metropolitan was not only a priest but also a prominent scientist of his time, born in Greece and for some time living in Italy, where alcohol had been produced from grapes or fruit for several centuries. In fact, half a century before Isidore's invention, Italians brought aquavit to Moscow, but did not share the recipe. But what made the metropolitan do this? And what was he doing in the current Russian capital?

A "Mobile" Metropolis

The Kyiv Metropolis was established in 988, when Prince Volodymyr the Great finally established Christianity as the state religion. And although according to some sources the first residence of the bishop was Pereyaslav (now a city in the Kyiv region of Ukraine), after the baptism of the entire state, he lived in its capital, as evidenced by his title of "Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus". His omophorion, however, included not only Rus' (i.e., modern northern Ukraine), but also all the lands under the authority of the Kyivan princes, including Novgorod, Polotsk, and Zalissia (future Russia). And he himself was subordinate to and confirmed on his throne by the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Photo: Vasyl Perov. The first Christians in Kyiv. Source: Wikipedia.

The disintegration of the unified state, which began under Volodymyr's grandsons, eventually led to the separation of these lands, where their own princely dynasties emerged (and Novgorod became, in fact, a republic). However, in the ecclesiastical sense, the territory of the Kyiv Metropolis remained unchanged and intact. It is another matter that local princes tried to move the metropolitan's residence to their own land - Galicia, Lithuania, or the same Zalissia. In the end, Bishop Maxim chose Vladimir-on-the-Klyazma as his residence, his successor Peter chose Moscow, Cyprian lived in Moscow and Kyiv, Gregory lived in Novogrudka, Lithuania, and Vilnius, and Hennadii lived in Smolensk. But they all called themselves "metropolitans of Kyiv".

Photo: Metropolitan Cyprian excommunicated a Moscow prince. Source: Wikipedia.

The Moscow princes, who had unlimited power over their subjects, were not satisfied with this "mobility" of church leaders. Metropolitans who were not "tied" to a particular place of residence demonstrated "excessive" independence. Metropolitan Cyprian excommunicated Prince Dmitry Donskoy from the church and complained about him to the Patriarch. It is not surprising that Dmitry responded by trying several times to appoint his own metropolitan, but never received the consent of Constantinople.

Union for the Sake of Salvation

After Metropolitan Hennadii was burned alive by the arbitrary Lithuanian prince Svydryhailo, the grandson of Dmitry Donskoy, the ruler of Moscow, Vasily II the Dark, nominated his own candidate for the "vacated" church throne, Bishop Jonah. But the patriarch had other plans. The metropolis was headed by Isidore. 

Photo: Jonah of Moscow. Source: Wikipedia.

At that time, Constantinople was not concerned with clarifying the relationship between the contenders for the succession of Vladimir the Great. It was about the survival of Byzantium itself, which was threatened by the Turks. Allies were sought primarily in the West. However, a condition for assistance from the Catholic rulers and the Pope himself was religious unification - a union between the two Christian Churches.

Photo: Pope Eugene IV with the bishops. Source: Wikipedia.

Isidore was among those who conducted these negotiations on behalf of the Emperor of Byzantium and the Patriarch of Constantinople, including at the Council of Basel. He secured agreement to convene a new council of the Catholic Church, which was to be entirely devoted to uniting with the Orthodox and assisting them against the "infidels". Before that, however, it was desirable to gain support for the future union from the co-religionists of Eastern Europe, for whom the Kyivan Metropolis was "responsible". Isidore headed it for this purpose.

Photo: Vasily II receiving Isidore in Moscow. Source: Wikipedia.

At first, everything seemed to be going according to plan. Even Vasily II received him with all respect, providing money and companions for his trip to the West. What can we say about Novgorod or Pskov? So Isidore arrived at the council convened by the pope in Ferrara and then moved to Florence with great hopes. However, it turned out that Catholics were unwilling to compromise on matters of faith. The Orthodox had to give way - but they had little choice, because the Turks were already under the walls of Constantinople.

Photo: Ferrara Council. Source: Wikipedia.

Eventually, in July 1439, the union of the two Churches was proclaimed by the papal bull "Letentur celli" ("Rejoice in Heaven"). The text was signed by 33 Byzantine representatives, including Isidore.

The Price of Freedom?

However, unexpected difficulties arose with the organisation of the military campaign against the Turks. Suddenly, his commander, King Albrecht II of Hungary, Bohemia, and Germany (at that time, such "collecting crowns" was fashionable), died. Isidore had to go to Buda so that the Hungarian nobility could elect the Polish ruler Władysław III as their new king, and the campaign went ahead.

Photo: Vladyslav III. Source: Wikipedia.

So he returned to his metropolis only a year later. And it turned out that even the local Catholics were cool to the idea of the union, and the Orthodox were openly offended by the conditions on which it was concluded. Only the Kyivan prince Olelko Volodymyrovych welcomed Isidore.

Photo: Olelko Volodymyrovych. Source: Wikipedia.

Instead, the Moscow ruler decided that the time had come to finally assert his power at least over the Moscow church. Even if this forced him to break off relations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The main thing was that he now had what he thought was a decent excuse. So when Isidore arrived in Moscow, commemorated the Pope from the pulpit and announced the unification of the churches, Vasily II attacked him with curses and said that he would not recognise the union. The metropolitan was arrested and sent to the Chudov Monastery under lock and key.

Photo: Isidore's arrest. Source: Wikipedia.

It was actually then that the prisoner introduced the monks there to the recipe for "aquavit", which was used to create the first Russian vodka. Why? To get out of prison. So to speak, he exchanged a secret for personal freedom. Or maybe the drunken guards could no longer hold him. Whatever the case, Isidore did indeed escape from the monastery and was soon in Tver, and from there he left for Lithuania.

Photo: Chudov Monastery. Source: Wikipedia.

However, all this may be just a legend. Apparently, Vasily II simply "turned a blind eye" to the escape. Or maybe he even facilitated it. Because he could not deal with a respectable prisoner. He could not officially release him because he himself declared him a heretic. He did not dare to punish him, after all, he was a man of high rank, and he was appointed by the Patriarch himself... And the times of Ivan IV the Terrible had not yet come. Instead, the prince's unauthorised escape freed his hands. Now he could declare "his" Jonah metropolitan. Even in spite of Constantinople, which could now also be accused of "Latin heresy".

Different Paths

Isidore was also in a hurry to leave the Muscovy. Not only for the sake of personal freedom. He was more concerned with the fate of his own homeland, Byzantium. In 1443, he got the Pope to declare a "crusade" against the Turks. But despite the first successes and even a victory at Nis (in present-day Serbia), the expedition ended unsuccessfully. Near Varna (now Bulgaria), the "crusaders" suffered a crushing defeat, and Władysław III was killed, remaining in history with the nickname Varnenczyk (i.e., Varna).

Photo: The Battle of Varna. Source: Wikipedia.

By this time, the eastern patriarchates - Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria - had abandoned the union. And it was not formally announced in Constantinople itself. Interestingly, Moscow was in no hurry to restore relations with the Orthodox churches. On the contrary, in 1448 Jonah was "elected" metropolitan only by local bishops.

Photo: Jonah's unauthorised proclamation as metropolitan. Source: Wikipedia.

The Turks, meanwhile, were increasingly closing the ring around Constantinople. The tireless Isidore decided to join the defence of the city himself, gathering a detachment of two hundred archers. Eventually, he obtained permission from the Emperor and announced the union from the pulpit of Hagia Sophia.

Photo: The storming of Constantinople. Source: Wikipedia.

In May 1453, the Turks stormed the Byzantine capital. The Metropolitan of Kyiv fought along with everyone else. He fought desperately. But eventually he was taken prisoner. Fortunately, he was not recognised and, having bribed the guards (this time with money, not recipes), he found himself on an Italian ship sailing west.

Photo: Constantinople in the first years of Ottoman rule. Source: Wikipedia.

After capturing the city, Mehmed II ordered the restoration of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but without any connection to Rome. Thus, there were two patriarchs. But the Moscow bishops did not even try to contact either the "union" or the new head of the "mother" church. Only when Isidore abdicated and Hryhorii Bolharynovych was appointed Metropolitan of Kyiv did they protest, demanding that the Lithuanian prince not accept the "heretic". But in vain. A few years later, the unauthorised metropolitanate was even officially called the "Moscow" metropolitanate.

Interestingly, Gregory soon passed under the omophorion of the "canonical" patriarch in Constantinople (and this return, as we know, was not the last). And Moscow remained in the "breakaway" for another 120 years, during which it formed the traditions and habits of its "own" Orthodoxy that still amaze the world.