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• 1 media/antimension-filaret-amfiteatrov.jpg 2021-03-11T19:42:49-05:00 Antimension of Filaret (Amfiteatrov) and Paladii (Vidybida-Rudenko), 1849/1944 33 plain 2021-05-18T15:44:07-04:00 Engraving on silk (19 in × 23 in)
  UHEC Patriarch Mstyslav Museum permanent collection
  
  
  
  
  This antimension was issued by Metropolitan of Kyiv Filaret to the parish of the Holy Transfiguration in the town of Polychyntsi in 1849. However, this object is perhaps even more significant for what is written on the reverse:
  
  
  The text is in Ukrainian (with some Church Slavonicisms) and reads: "This antimension, sanctified by the insertion of relics of Holy Great Martyr Barbara at the Metropolitan [Cathederal] of the Holy Myrrh-bearer Maria Magdalena in Warsaw, 25/12 June, 1944 by the member of the Holy Council of Bishops Archbishop Palladii. This antimension is the Holy Table for the church of the Holy Protection in the city of Utica, New York. [signed] The humble Palladii, Archbishop"
  
  Obviously, this inscription was written by Paladii when he was already in the United States and the parish in Utica was presumably in his eparchy. but it attests to its remarkable journey from Ukraine, via Poland and Germany, to the United States.
   

  Text transcription (front)

  Сей Антімінсъ, сіесть Трапеꙁа с[вя]щенная, на приношеніе беꙁкровныя ж[е]ртвы въ Б[о]жественнѣй Літургіи, ѡс[вя]тися бл[а]годатію прес[вя]тагѡ и животворящагѡ Д[у]ха: сегѡ ради имѣетъ власть с[вя]щеннодѣствовати во храмѣ Преображенія Господня въ селѣ Поличинцахъ — неподвижно.
  
  При Державѣ Бл[а]гочестивѣйшагѡ Самодержавиѣйшагѡ Великагѡ Г[осу]д[а]ря Нашегѡ ІМПЕРАТОРА НІКОЛАЯ ПАѴЛОВИЧА всея Рѡссіи: Бл[а]гословеніемъ С[вя]тѣйшагѡ Правительствующагѡ Сѵнода, с[вя]щеннодѣйствованъ Тогѡже С[вя]тѣйшагѡ Сѵнода Членом, Преѡс[вя]щеннымъ ФІЛАРЕТОМЪ, Митрополітомъ Кіевскимъ и Галицкимъ, и С[вя]щенно-Архімантритомъ Кіево-Печерскія Лаѵры, и Кавалеромъ. Лѣта міроꙁданія 7357, ѿ Р[о]ж[дес]тва же Хр[ис]това 1849 года, Індікта 8, Мѣсяца Ноемвріа въ [...] день.

  Text translation (front)

  This antimension is a holy Table for the bringing of the bloodless sacrifice in the Divine Liturgy, sanctified by the grace of the Most Holy and Life-creating Spirit for the sake of having power to celebrate in the temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the village of Polychyntsi — permanent[?].
  
  During the reign of our Most Pious, Most Sovereign and Great Ruler EMPEROR NIKOLAI PAVLOVICH of all Russia, with the blessing of the Most Holy Governing Synod, celebrated by the member of the selfsame Most Holy Synod, the most reverend FILARET, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galich, and Hiero-Archimandrite of the Kiev-Pechers'k Lavra, and Knight. In the year 7357 from the creation of the world and the year 1849 from the Nativity of Christ, the 8th indiction, in the month of November on the day [...].
  
  View this antimension in its historical context
• 1 media/kosiv-antimension-small.jpg 2021-03-12T14:37:58-05:00 Antimension of Sylvester Kosov, circa 1650 28 plain 2021-05-18T16:52:37-04:00 Woodblock print on linen (14 in × 19.5 in)
  UHEC Patriarch Mstyslav Museum Permanent Collection
  
  
  While most antimensia have some variant of the icon depicting the Deposition in the Tomb, this antimension is quite unusual in that its central image is derived from the icon form known as Extreme Humility or Man of Sorrows, for which there is some precedent in Greek antimensia. Here, it is rendered as a beautiful Baroque woodcut. 
  
  
  It is entirely possible that one of the woodcut artists who created the images in Petro Mohyla's 1646 Trebnyk was also responsible for this print.
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

  Text transcription

  Б[о]ж[ес]твенный и с[вя]щенный олтаръ Г[оспод]а Б[ог]а и Сп[а]са н[а]шегѡ ИІ[су]са Х[рист]а, ѡс[вя]щен бл[а]г[ода]тію Все[свя]та[го] и житвотворяща[го] д[у]ха: рукодѣстве[н] же й бл[агосло]вен преѡс[вя]щен[н]ым Г[о]спо]д[и]но[мъ] ѡ[т]це[м] Си[л]вестро[м] Косово[м] Правосла[вним] архі[е]п[иско]пом Митрополито[м] Кіе[вскым] Гали[ц]ки[м] и всея Рѡссіи Еѯа[р]хою с[вя]тѣйша[го] Ап[осто]лскагѡ Ѳрѡну Кѡ[н]ста[н]тінопо[л]скогѡ да Лѵтургисается на немъ в Храмѣ [...] Сеже бы[стъ] за Де[р]жавы На[и]яснѣша[го] Коро[ля] По[лского] Іѡа[н]на Казимера: в лѣ[то]: ѿ вопло[щенію] X[рист]a 16[?] М[ѣсяца] […] [additional illegible handwritten text]

  Text translation

  The Holy and Sanctified Altar of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, sanctified by the grace of the All-holy and Life-creating Spirit. By the hand and blessing of the Most Holy Master Father Sylvester Kosov, Orthodox Archbishop [and] Metropolitan of Kyiv, Halych, and all Rus', exarch of the most holy Apostolic Throne of Constantinople. For the serving of the Liturgy in the temple [...]. This being under the rule of the Most Glorious King of Poland John Casimir in the year 16[?] from the Incarnation of Christ in the month [...] [additional illegible handwritten text]
  
  View this antimension in its historical context
• 1 media/varlaam-small.jpg 2021-03-11T22:38:48-05:00 Antimension of Varlaam (Iasyns'kyi), 1692 23 plain 2021-05-18T15:42:56-04:00 Woodblock print on linen (17 in × 20 in)
  UHEC Patriarch Mstyslav Museum Permanent Collection
  
  
  
  This antimension demonstrates in no uncertain terms the change in the status of the Kyiv Metropolia that occurred in 1686. Unlike Sylvester Kosov and Dionisii Balaban just a few decades earlier, Varlaam is no longer "exarch of the Most Holy Apostolic Throne of Constantinople" and he is acknowledging the political rule of Moscow.
  
  Iasyns'kyi studied at the Kyiv Collegium, then continued with further studies in Poland and Bohemia. He went on to become the rector of the Collegium, a monk at the Monastery of the Caves, where he managed the monastery's printing shop. Although Varlaam was elected locally and attempted to shield the Kyiv Metropolia from Moscow's interference, he was ultimately powerless in the face of the forces against him.

  Text transcription

  Б[о]ж[ес]твенный и С[вя]щенный Олтарь Г[оспо]да Б[о]га и Сп[а]са н[а]шего І[су]са Хр[ис]та, Ѡс[вя]щен Бл[а]г[ода]тію Всес[вя]т[о]го и Животворящаго Д[у]ха. Рукодѣйстве[нъ] же и Бл[а]г[осло]вен Правосла[в]ным М[и]л[ос]тію Б[о]жіею Митрополитом Кіевски[м] Галіцки[м] и Все[я] Малы[я] Росіи, ВАРЛААМОМЪ. При Державѣ Пресвѣтлѣйшихъ державнѣйшихъ и Бл[а]гоч[eс]тивѣйшихъ Великихъ Г[осу]д[а]рей н[а]шихъ Ц[а]рeй и Великихъ Кн[я]зей ІѠАННА АЛЕѮѢЕВИЧА ПЕТРА АЛЕѮѢЕВИЧА, Всея Великія и Малыя и Бѣлыя Рѡссіи Самодержцeвъ.
  
  В лѣто ѿ Соꙁданія Міра 7200 от Воплощенія же Б[о]га Слова 1692 М[ѣся]ца Марта, дня 24, Воіже С[вя]щеннодѣйствовати на немъ Б[o]ж[ес]твенную Лѵ[ту]ргіи В храмѣ [...]
  
  [signature of Metropolitan Varlaam]

  Text translation

  The Holy and Sanctified Altar of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, sanctified by the grace of the All-holy and Life-creating Spirit. By the hand and blessing of the Orthodox (by the grace of God) Metropolitan of Kyiv, Halych, and all Little Russia VARLAAM. Under the rule of our most glorious, powerful, most benevolent and great rulers Tsars and Great Princes IVAN ALEKSEEVICH [and] PETER ALEXEEVICH, Monarchs of All Great, Little, and White Russia.
  
  In the year 7200 from the creation of the world and the year 1692 from the Incarnation of God the Word, on the 24th day of the month of March, for the celebration on it of the Divine Liturgy in the church [...]
  
  [signature of Metropolitan Varlaam]
  
  View this antimension in its historical context
• 1 media/DSC_0203-wb-small.JPG 2021-01-28T16:30:09-05:00 The 1942 Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church 15 plain 2021-05-18T16:38:22-04:00 After the frenzy of border redrawing that followed World War I, many Orthodox Ukrainians and Belarusians suddenly found themselves living in the Second Polish Republic. Since they were no longer in the same state as Moscow, a number of Orthodox bishops in Poland petitioned the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for autocephaly. Despite the strenuous objections of the Russian Orthodox Church, this was granted in 1924, on the basis that it was the functional successor of the Kyiv Metropolia.
  
  No longer tied to the Moscow Patriarchate, Orthodox church leaders of what is today north-western Ukraine and western Belarus could now exercise local jurisdictional control. The Volyn' and Polissia regions soon became a hotbed of Ukrainianization, including the introduction of vernacular Ukrainian as a liturgical language.
  
  
  
  With the outbreak of yet another war, the hierarchs took advantage of the grudging toleration of the occupying Nazi forces to make a second attempt at Ukrainian autocephaly. Two new Ukrainian bishops — Nikanor (Abramovych) and Ihor (Huba) — were ordained in Pinsk in February 1942, and this time there was absolutely no question about the validity of their ordinations. The subsequent Council of Bishops then decided to send Archbishop Polikarp (Sikorsky) to be an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan of Kyiv and to assign the other bishops to Ukrainian eparchies.
  
  
  Once in Ukraine, the new hierarchs wasted no time in ordaining additional bishops, including Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), and additional priests to assign to parishes. 
  
  
  
  Knowing that their lives would be in peril if they fell into Soviet hands, nearly the entire church hierarchy along with many priests fled west ahead of the advancing Red Army. Amazingly, they were able to bring with them all of the necessary vestments, vessels, and other ritual objects, including antimensia, needed to minister to the thousands of Ukrainians also fleeing the atrocities of the Stalin regime.
  
  
  
  
  Many of the priests and bishops would end up in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and as far away as Australia. They would maintain the dream of an independent Orthodox jurisdiction in Ukraine, and Metropolitan Mstyslav would go on to have a major role in the rebirth that would come decades later.
  
  
   
• 1 2021-05-18T15:34:51-04:00 Insertion of relics 2 plain 2021-05-18T15:36:02-04:00 An antimension always contains a tiny fragment of relics of a saint, usually inserted into a small pocket in the back. This antimension has had its relics removed prior to being accessioned as a museum item.