Saint Theognostus, Metropolitan of Kiev

Life

Theognostus was greek by origin and the successor of Saint Peter of Kiev. He suffered greatly at the hands of the Mongol horde under Djanibek. For he had been slandered before the Mongol khan by his own people, Russians, that he paid the khan no tribute whatsoever on account of his rank. When the khan summoned him and inquired of this, he said: "Christ our God has redeemed His Church from the pagans with His honorable blood. Why then should we now pay tribute to pagans?" At last he was somehow freed and returned home. He governed the Church for twenty-five years. He reposed in the Lord in the year 1353.