Khrapovitsky

Khrapovitsky was a Russian-born hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was born as Antonii Ivanovich Vadiushkevich into a family of clergymen on February 17, 1845, in the village of Lebida in Smolensk Governorate of the Russian Empire.

Antonii Vadiushkevich was ordained as a deacon in 1865 and as a priest in 1867. He received his higher theological education at the Moscow Theological Academy. After completing his studies, he served in various parishes in the Kyiv region. In 1871, he joined the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and was elevated to the episcopate in 1879.

As bishop, Antonii Vadiushkevich played a significant role in the early development of the Ukrainian autocephalous church. He was appointed as the Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia. In 1900, he was given the title of the Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia and a special permission to use the title of the Metropolitan of Wallachia, with the Patriarch of Constantinople being the rights holder of this title. This action was widely seen as an attempt to assert authority over the formerly autocephalous church.

The Khrapovitsky affair began when the decision became known, as the few people who aided the Tomos of 1685 realized the intention. Subsequently, the metropolitan left Kyiv and settled in Constantinople, but continued to propagate divisive ideas regarding the church. Eventually, this would lead to a split of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with supporters of Khrapovitsky, who sought greater autonomy for the Ukrainian branch of the Russian Orthodox Church, breaking away.