On August 30, 1379, at four o’clock after midday, the first man put to death publicly in Moscow was beheaded. Ivan, son of Vassili Velyaminoff, was taken to the Kutchkovo Polye. That great square was crowded with people, and when the criminal, whose father and whole family had been loved and honored by the city, was brought forth, tears stood in the eyes of many, and when [[372]]the sword glistened and fell, a groan filled the place. A little more than two years later there was a similar spectacle on the same spot. Nekomat had been found and he also was beheaded for high treason.
The battle on the Voja raised Moscow’s position immensely. “God assisted the Grand Prince; the Mongols turned and fled,” was the general statement, and was received as a harbinger of freedom from the Mongols, the dawn of a brighter and better period.
The great worker, the good metropolitan Alexis, died that same year, six months before the battle. As they stood around his grave, the people remembered, with tears, all his labors, and their petition was “Forget us not, in thy prayers, O Alexis, for thy words before God are effective.” Dmitri stood at the coffin with Vassili, his heir, then six years of age, and another son of four, with his cousin, Vladimir, and many other princes. Dmitri, the godson of Alexis, could remember well how he, a boy of eight years, had met the metropolitan on his return from the Horde after curing Berdibek’s mother, Taidula, bringing back her signet-ring, and great honor.
Alexis lived to the age of eighty-five. With his office he had inherited many difficult tasks from Feognost, who preceded him. There were many troubles in the Church at that time. Alexis had suffered much from intrigues at the Byzantine capital, where, through the influence of Poland, a metropolitan was appointed for Galitch; and another for Lithuania and Rus through the influence of Olgerd. Both of these laid claim to authority which belonged to Alexis by right and historically, hence the struggle was endless, and the final solution seemed exceedingly difficult, if not absolutely impossible.
But the greatest of all griefs and the worst was that caused by Dmitri, the Grand Prince. It came about as follows: In the time of Ivan Kalitá, the church Spas na Ború had been founded, and some years later a monastery was built near it. This monastery was favored beyond others by the Grand Prince; not only its abbot, but its monks had high honor. The people of Moscow esteemed very greatly a deep noble voice in church service. There was a priest then in Moscow whose voice surpassed all that men remembered. This priest so pleased the Grand Prince that he raised him from low degree to such a height that people fell to asking with curiosity: “Who is this Mityai? Why has he power [[373]]and importance?” It proved that Mityai was the son of a priest from Kolomna, who had a church in Tashilov. This priest had been able to rear his son carefully, and settle him in Kolomna. Men said of Mityai that he was skilled in letters, a master at reading and singing, and at quoting from records. He knew the church service to perfection. He could find a proverb for any case. In a word he was dexterous in many things. He so enchanted the Grand Prince that Dmitri made him his confidant, then seal-keeper, and sometime later his confessor. In this position he passed many years most successfully.
The Spas na Ború abbot, whom the people named “Drink Not,” because he not only drank nothing spirituous himself, but would not permit any monk under him to use liquor, was relieved of his office, and shut himself up in a cell for meditation and silence. Mityai became a monk, and then was made abbot in Ioann’s place. This happened when Alexis was aged and failing, about two years before his last day came. He was not, perhaps, greatly astonished to see the seal-keeper made abbot, but the haste in making him a monk had offended the metropolitan deeply. Notwithstanding all this, and while Mityai was no more than a novice, Dmitri said, in the presence of Alexis, that the abbot would make a grand metropolitan.
These were not chance words, which might be recalled upon second thought; they were said purposely to define the position. The only reply was silence. After that Dmitri asked the metropolitan to bless the abbot as his successor. Alexis was unwilling; Dmitri insisted, and thus it continued for a long time. The metropolitan listened with mildness, not wishing to offend by refusal, but he did not give the blessing.
Time passed; the insistence continued. Dmitri did not desist; the metropolitan, though mild, was unbending. Dmitri’s requests became more emphatic, more frequent, and finally seemed demands. He beset the metropolitan, he sent the oldest boyars to ask for the blessing, and Alexis said at last with vexation, or weariness: “I will consent if God, His Holy Mother, the Patriarch and an Oecumenical Council will bless him.” They took his words as consent, and announced that the metropolitan had named a successor.
As soon as Alexis was dead, Mityai left his position of abbot, [[374]]and, by order of Dmitri, took the highest office and performed most of the duties that pertained to it. The death of Alexis roused great excitement. Cyprian, then acting in Kief, declared himself Metropolitan of all Russia. But meanwhile there was a crisis in Tsargrad. The Patriarch Philotheos, who had ordained Cyprian, was expelled. Makarios, who succeeded him, did not hold the ordination of Cyprian as binding, and was quick to seize the situation. He wrote to Moscow immediately, asking them not to recognize Cyprian, but to send all the papers in Mityai’s case. He honored Mityai as the first priest of Moscow, and intrusted the Church to him till he could be installed as chief pastor in Russia; he also invited him to Tsargrad.
The dislike of the people for Cyprian was changed now to something like sympathy, though they knew little of his good or bad qualities. They were offended by the brusque, dictatorial way of the Patriarch at Tsargrad. The people thought that, inspired by hope of gain, Makarios was favoring Mityai, and they were deeply angered. At the report that he had been installed, Mityai became hateful to them. This meant favor for Cyprian.