Konisskii, Grigorii

Born Nov. 20 (Dec.l), 1717, in Nezhin, now in Chernigov Oblast; died Feb. 13 (24), 1795, in Mogilev. Ukrainian author and church figure. Son of a member of the dvorianstvo (nobility or gentry).

Konisskii graduated from the Kiev Religious Academy in 1744 and took monastic vows. In 1751–55 he was rector of the academy, and later a professor; in 1783 he became the archbishop of Byelorussia. He fought against the Uniates and for the Orthodox Church. Konisskii advocated the incorporation of Byelorussia into Russia. He favored religious toleration. Konisskii wrote many sermons (”words”), verses, speeches, historical compositions, and textbooks on philosophy, theology, and poetry. For a long time, Konisskii was mistakenly considered the author of the History of the Ruthenians, written by G. A. Poletika. His collected works were first published in two volumes in St. Petersburg in 1835; they were greeted with approval by A. S. Pushkin.