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Autonomy Lost and Regained: The Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolia of Kyiv, 1633-2019 This exhibition was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

© 2021 by the Ukrainian History and Education Center, all rights reserved.

Bishop Nikanor logbook, title page and page 1

This page is referenced by:

The logbook of an extremely busy bishop Logbook of Bishop Nikanor (Abramovych)
Ukrainian History and Education Center Archives, Metropolitan Nikanor Papers

The new bishops of the 1942 Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church wasted absolutely no time, knowing that the Nazis could ban their activities at any moment. This notebook by Nikanor Abramovych (who would later become Metropolitan of the exiled UAOC in Europe) clearly demonstrates that breakneck pace.

The inside cover is labeled "Book of resolutions of Bishop of Chyhyryn Nikanor" and "Book from Ukraine; Bishop's responsibilities". The entries on the first page are all from one day (March 14, 1942), and most report on decisions regarding the ordination of new priests.

But that's not all.

Entries for March 14 continue onto the next page, for a total of eight clergy ordination approvals or assignments all in one single day!

He continued to use this notebook into the post-War period, and it has episcopal decisions and other matters from his leadership of the UAOC in Exile.

Nikanor's original episcopal seat in the city of Chyhyryn also has an interesting connection to the history of the Kyiv Metropolia in the 17th century: not only was Chyhyryn intimately connected to the Hetmanate, it was also where the Kyiv Metropolia was relocated after Moscovy took control of Kyiv in 1658.