Archbishop-elect Mitrofan

Who he is

Name

Mitrofan

Title

archbishop-elect of Novgorod

Since

Autumn 1199: after Martirii died on 24 August 1199, Vsevolod 'installed Mitrofan, a man chosen by God' and Novgorod received him to await the metropolitan's summons (chronicle under 6707). Consecrated 3 July 1201 (later).

Born

not pinned

Family

not pinned

Confidence

high

Novgorod chronicle under 6707, 6709, 6719 and the 1220s; en.wikipedia Archbishop of Novgorod.

Overlord

The metropolitan of Kiev, who must consecrate him; chosen at Vsevolod III's will and received by the town.

What it holds

• the archbishop's court in the fortress and the cathedral of St Sophia with its treasury
• the monastery of the Transfiguration at Rusa
• the church courts and the market's weights and measures
• the dues of the northern pogosts under the statute of 1137
• St Sophia's estates (not recorded for 1200)

How it was acquired

Chosen at Vsevolod's will in the autumn of 1199.

Allies and rivals

Vsevolod and the posadnik Miroshka's party. His later enemy is Mstislav Mstislavich, who will expel him in 1211.

How things stand that morning

Archbishop-elect, installed in the court, not consecrated. No archbishop's regiment is attested this early; the see's men are the household and clergy of St Sophia.

Wealth

Dues of the northern pogosts, court fees, offerings and estates; no figures.

Military

None attested for 1200.

Threats

• His dependence on Vsevolod: when Vsevolod's power fades the town turns on him (1211).

Seat note

The archbishop's court in the fortress beside St Sophia, with the church of the Purification that Archbishop Gavrilo built in his court in 1191.

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

1. 1201 (after this year)Goes to the metropolitan with Novgorod's and Vsevolod's men, consecrated 3 July 1201, back in Novgorod on 14 September 1201.Depends on: The metropolitan's summons. Stopped by: A breach between Novgorod and Vsevolod.
2. 22 January 1211 (after this year)Expelled to Toropets at Mstislav Mstislavich's instigation; restored in 1219 and dies on 3 July 1223.Depends on: Mstislav's rule in Novgorod. Stopped by: Vsevolod's line keeping Novgorod.

Places of note

• Archbishop's court and St Sophia: seat
• Monastery of the Transfiguration at Rusa: founded by Martirii; stone church 1198
• Olonets pogost: named in the statute of 1137
• Vel pogost: named in the statute of 1137

Where the sources disagree

• The brief asks for the archbishop's regiment: none is attested for 1200 (the archbishop's regiment of the sources belongs to the 15th century).

Evidence: The succession is precisely dated in the chronicle; the estates and revenues of St Sophia in 1200 are known only in general.

On the map: Not drawn: St Sophia's lands in 1200 cannot be located; the archbishop's authority runs through the whole realm.

Primary sources for Novgorod

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

• The Chronicle of Novgorod (kept year by year; the Synodal manuscript written in the 13th and 14th centuries). Novgorod's own record, kept at St Sophia. Read online
• The Laurentian Chronicle (the Suzdal continuation kept in the late 12th and 13th centuries; manuscript 1377). The court record of Vsevolod III of Vladimir. Read online
• The Livonian Chronicle of Henry, Henry of Livonia (1225 to 1227). The chief source for the Baltic mission. Read online
• The birch-bark letters (11th to 15th centuries). Excavated letters and notes on birch bark, dated by the layer they lie in. Read online
• The law of the Gotlanders; The saga of the Gotlanders (Guta lag about 1220, Guta saga about 1220 to 1275; manuscript of about 1350). The law and the short history of the self-governing island. Read online