Did you know that Maksym Vasylkivsky, the father of the famous church figure Ioann Tobolsky (Maksymovych), established close relationship between his family members and Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra?

Maksym Vasylkivsky (also known as Maksym Pechersky) was born in Poland. But already in 1676 he was mentioned as “Pechersk tenant” or “Kyiv-Pechersk inhabitant” from the Ukrainian city of Nizhyn, that is, a man who leased land from the monastery. Later, he received the tax farming right on goods imported into the Nizhyn Regiment in favor of the Hetman’s treasury. That is why, in 1688, Hetman Ivan Mazepa characterized Maksym Vasylkivsky as a “favorable man”. Two years later, in 1690, Maksym Vasylkivsky and his three sons (Vasyl, Petro and Dmytro) received the status of Cossack officers for the successful implementation of financial transactions.

Maksym Vasylkivsky was quite an educated and literate man. His wife’s name was Euphrosyne (maiden name is unknown). His sons received their surname Maksymovych after their father’s name. They held important senior and ecclesiastical positions. Ioann took monastic vows in Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery, was the hegumen of Svensk Monastery, Archbishop of Chernihiv and Novgorod-Siversk and Metropolitan of Tobolsk. Vasyl had the rank of Bunchuk comrade and was an Appointed Colonel of Pereyaslav. Dmytro was General Military Judge while Mykhailo, who also had the rank of Bunchuk comrade, contributed to the construction of the old Refectory church of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. It was built at his expense. The information about three other sons – Petro, Hryhorij and Anton, is very poor.

Caption to the illustration:

1. Joann Maksymovych. Tombstone portrait. After 1715

Hanna Filipova