Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' (1620–1686)

Since 1596, most Orthodox bishops in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth supported the Union of Brest which transferred their allegiance from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the Holy See.

In order to preserve their privileges before the Polish king, the nobility, in great numbers, started to convert from Orthodoxy to Greek and Roman Catholicism.

[3] The Cossacks' strong historic allegiance to the Eastern Orthodox Church put them at odds with the Catholic-dominated Commonwealth.

Tensions increased when Commonwealth policies turned from relative tolerance to the suppression of the Orthodox church, making the Cossacks strongly anti-Catholic.

According to Orest Subtelny, in his book Ukraine, sectarian violence over ownership of church property increased and "hundreds of clerics on both sides died in confrontations that often took the form of pitched battles.

He joined with the newly elected Archimandrite — Petro Mohyla — in preparing a synod of the Orthodox hierarchy to be held at Kyiv in the same year.

By restoring the cathedral of Saint Sophia in Kyiv and other monuments, Mohyla strengthened the Ukrainian Church’s position.

By the terms of the Treaty of Zboriv (1649) between the Cossacks and the Poles, the Kievan metropolis was to be guaranteed a seat in the Polish Senate.

To which they were told that from the beginning of the holy baptism of Vladimir, the Kievan metropolitans had received their blessings from the Patriarch of Constantinople.

In 1658, Metropolitan Balaban was forced to relocate his episcopal seat to Chyhyryn due to the occupation of Kiev by Muscovite troops.

[17] From that time onwards, Dionysius' rule was effectively limited to right-bank Ukraine; he was unable to govern the dioceses on the left bank of the Dnieper.

[18][19] Vyhovsky approved the consecration of Josyf Tukalsky-Neliubovych as bishop of "Orsha and Mstsislaw" (located in the modern state of Belarus).

Furthermore, since the Archbishop of Chernihiv hated the Bishop of Lutsk, the hetman thought it best to arrange for the Kievan clergy and laity to elect the new metropolitan, rather than to appeal directly to Moscow.

While the clergy did not wish to "leave the former obedience to the throne of Constantinople",[26] In October 1685, Chetvertinsky was appointed by Patriarch Joachim of Moscow to the newly-created title of "Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and Little Russia".

[32] After several hours of battle, Doroshenko asked his 2,000 Serdiuk garrison to lay down their arms as he had decided to abdicate, which he did on 19 September 1676.

[36] In his letter to the Moscow tsars, the patriarch of Constantinople asked to send a "salary" for the other bishops who signed the act.