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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.

What is an antimension?

In the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Church, an antimension (Greek, literally "instead of the table") is rectangular piece of cloth without which a priest is forbidden to celebrate the Eucharist. It is consecrated and signed by a bishop, and has a small relic of a martyr sewn into it (usually in a small pocket on the back). The name comes from the fact that an antimension can serve as a substitute for the altar table, allowing a priest to celebrate the Eucharist outside of a consecrated church. The antimension remains the property of the bishop, and in effect serves as the bishop's license to hold divine services.

When not in use, an antimension is folded in thirds both vertically and horizontally and stored underneath the Gospel book on the altar. During the Divine Liturgy, it is unfolded part-way, then fully, and the vessels holding the Eucharistic bread and wine are placed on the antimension. It is then re-folded at the conclusion of the Liturgy.

An antimension need not contain any special imagery, and some early antimensia were very minimalist in their designs. Traditionally, however, an antimension will have symbolic images of the Evangelists in the corners, and typically (though not always) some variant of the Deposition in the Tomb as a central image.

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Antimension of Filaret (Amfiteatrov) and Paladii (Vidybida-Rudenko), 1849/1944 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"

Palladii Vidybida was ordained within the Orthodox Church of Poland in 1941, and he played a key role in the 1942 Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church by supporting the renewal of the All-Ukrainian Orthodox Church Council. Obviously, this inscription was written by Palladii when he was already in the United States and the parish in Utica was presumably in his eparchy.

The two inscriptions written more than an century apart attest to this object's 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
Antimension of Varlaam (Iasyns'kyi), 1692 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
The 1942 Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church 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 continuation of the Kyiv Metropolia.

No longer tied to the Moscow Patriarchate, Orthodox church leaders of what is today northwestern Ukraine and western Belarus could now exercise local jurisdictional control. The Volyn' and Polissia regions soon became a hotbed of Ukrainianization, including the use 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 the 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 of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA would go on to have a major role in the rebirth that would come decades later.
Antimensia as historical documents The antimension as a liturgical item is central to the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Church, but it can also serve as a fascinating historical document. This exhibition is constructed around four such antimensia.

Unlike, say, vestments or chalices, an antimension always contains text. At the very minimum, it bears a date, the name and location of the parish to which it was assigned, the name of the bishop who consecrated it, and in many cases also the name of the secular ruler of the state in which the bishop and parish were located.

The four antimensia in this exhibition span a period from the middle of the 1600s to the post-World War II period. They show transitions in political rule from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the Russian Empire, and finally to 20th century wartime occupation and migration. In some cases, parts of the text (such as dates and parishes) have been lost due to age, but they remain remarkable time travelers from other eras.