Kirill III of Kiev

Kirill III of Kiev (Russian: Митрополит Кирилл III (died December 6, 1281) was a church figure, and the metropolitan of Kiev, close to the Horde king Meng-Timur. Russian chronicles record that King Meng-Timur and Metropolitan Kirill sent Sarai Bishop Theognostus to the Emperor Michael VIII and the Patriarch of Constantinople as their joint envoy with letters and gifts from each of them. This embassy was probably held around 1278, as Theognostus returned to Sarai in 1279.

It appears that relations with Egypt were also discussed by Theognostus with the emperor and the patriarch. Anyway, at about the same time, Meng-Timur tried to establish direct diplomatic ties with Egypt through Constantinople.

Prior to 1251 was close to Prince Daniil Galitsky.

In 1246 on the road to Nicaea he was negotiating with the Hungarian King Bela IV, which resulted in the marriage of a Hungarian princess to Daniel Galitsky.

Around 1251 Kirill left Daniel Galitsky, who in 1254 received the royal crown from the Pope.

In 1251 he went to Novgorod, where he first met with Alexander Nevsky.

Since 1251 Kirill almost continuously resided in the north-east of Rus', working closely with Prince Alexander Nevsky, constantly traveling around the country.

In 1252, Alexander Nevsky became a ruler of Vladimir instead of his brother Andrew Yaroslavich, and the Metropolitan solemnly met Alexander Nevsky, who returned from the Horde, and supported his reign. Prince Alexander Nevsky and Kirill chose to recognise Mongol domination, and opposed Western Catholic expansion.

Church

Around 1252 Cyril received a charter from Batu Khan, which guaranteed the inviolability of the Orthodox Church. A charter of 1267, issued by Berke Khan, has been authentically preserved. In 1258 he founded the bishopric in Tver. In 1261, with the assistance of Alexander Nevsky, an Orthodox diocese was founded in Sarai. In 1274 a council of bishops of the Russian Church was held in Vladimir, with the aim to order and restore the ecclesiastical legislation.

In 1279 Khan Meng-Timur issued a charter that defended the faith and the sanctity of the rights of clergy from abuse by Mongol officials. Kirill appointed bishops to Vladimir, Rostov and Sarai.