Feofan Prokopovich
Feofan Prokopovich, originally named Eleazar Prokopovich, was born in 1681 in Kiev, which is now part of Ukraine. Coming from a merchant family, he received a robust education, attending a Jesuit-run school where he converted to Catholicism, specifically within the Eastern Rite. He furthered his studies at the Kiev Academy, emerging as one of its notable alumni, and later studied in Rome at a Jesuit college. In 1704, Prokopovich returned to Ukraine, reconverted to Russian Orthodoxy, and took monastic vows, adopting the name Feofan. His academic career flourished as he became a professor and eventually the rector of the Kiev Academy, gaining the attention of Czar Peter the Great. Prokopovich played a crucial role in the reform of the Russian Orthodox Church, aligning it more closely with the state. He was also a prolific writer, producing historical works, poetry, and plays, including “Vladimir,” which subtly addressed the broader societal reforms enacted by Peter. Prokopovich passed away in 1736, leaving a significant legacy in both education and ecclesiastical reform.
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Feofan Prokopovich
Archbishop
- Born: June 18, 1681
- Died: 1736
Biography
Feofan Prokopovich was born Eleazar Prokopovich in 1681 in Kiev, Russia (now in Ukraine). His family were merchants and he was able to attend a school run by the Jesuits. As a result of this exposure, he converted to Catholicism, although he belonged to the Eastern Rite (sometimes called the Uniate) rather than the Latin Rite. He also studied at the Kiev Academy and is often considered one of its most famous graduates. After his religious conversion he went to Rome, where he studied at the Jesuit College there. In 1704 he returned to Ukraine, reconverted to Russian Orthodoxy, and took monastic orders with the name of Feofan. He became a professor at the Kiev Academy, teaching philosophy and natural history as well as theology. In 1710 he became the academy’s rector and attracted the attention of Czar Peter the Great, who called him to St. Petersburg in 1715. However, the clergy opposed this move, suspecting Prokopovich of closet Protestantism.
Prokopovich became one of the major figures in Peter’s reform of the Russian Orthodox Church, which firmly subordinated it to the crown. He wrote a number of historical works, several notable poems, and the playVladimir, ostensibly about the introduction of Christianity to the early Rus but in fact dealing with the reforms Peter the Great was forcing onto Russian society. He also wrote several lengthy panegyrics praising the triumphs of the czar. Prokopovich died in 1736.