Origins & Early Life

Isidore or Isidor of Kiev, also known as Isidore of Thessalonica (1385 – 27 April 1463), was a prelate of Byzantine Greek origin. From 1437 to 1441, he served as the metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', based in Moscow, after being chosen by Joseph II of Constantinople. As a supporter of the union with Rome, he left Moscow to attend the Council of Ferrara–Florence. On his return in 1441, he was imprisoned but allowed to escape later that year.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

A council of Russian bishops chose their own metropolitan in 1448, which amounted to a declaration of autocephaly by the Russian Orthodox Church. However, Isidore continued to be recognized by Constantinople as metropolitan until 1458, when Gregory the Bulgarian was made the first metropolitan of the Uniate church. Isidore was later dispatched to Constantinople and he proclaimed the union of the Greek and Latin churches at the Hagia Sophia on 12 December 1452. Following the fall of Constantinople, he returned to Rome. In the Latin Church, Isidore was the cardinal bishop of Sabina, Archbishop of Cyprus, Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals and the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Early views on his birthplace suggest that...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Catherine of Siena — Contemporary (Died in 1380) (1380): Italian mystic and diplomat whose letters influenced papal and Italian politics.
• Jamshid al-Kashi — Contemporary (Born in 1380) (1380): Master Persian astronomer and mathematician, renowned for advanced computations.
• Nguyễn Trãi — Contemporary (Born in 1380) (1380): Poet, scholar, and political advisor instrumental in the Lê Dynasty's fight against the Ming.
• François Villon — Contemporary (Died in 1463) (1463): Master poet of the Late Middle Ages, known for his raw, autobiographical verse.
• Giovanni Pico della Mirandola — Contemporary (Born in 1463) (1463): Renaissance philosopher famed for the Oration on the Dignity of Man and Christian Kabbalah.
• Anouk Aimée — Shared historical date (04-27 · Born) (1932): Iconic French actress known for her captivating roles from the 1940s to 2010s.
• Antonio Gramsci — Shared historical date (04-27 · Died) (1937): Italian Marxist philosopher known for his theory of cultural hegemony.
• Isaac Abarbanel — Historical peer (Born in 1437) (1437): Portuguese Jewish statesman, philosopher, and renowned Bible commentator.
• Pero Vaz de Caminha — Historical peer (Born in 1437) (1437): Portuguese knight famous for documenting the discovery of Brazil for Portugal.
• Jan van Eyck — Historical peer (Died in 1441) (1441): Pioneering Early Netherlandish master, celebrated for innovative oil techniques.
• 1380 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1380
• 1463 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1463
• April 27 (04-27) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 27