Metropolitan Gelasius of Krutitsy (1586–1601) and the Russian Church elite in the Early Modern Period

The article is devoted to the biography of the significant leader of the Russian Church of the 16^th century, the Krutickii metropolitan Gelasius (1586-1601). It is shown that he came from the Suzdal Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery, a disciple of its abbot Job (in 1585 – c. 1592 – the Archbishop of Suzdal). It has been established that with his support Gelasius, before being appointed to the Krutitsky (Sarsky and Podonsky) Diocese, headed the Shuisky Nikolsky Shartomsky and Moscow Simonov monasteries. Having become patriarch Iov's chief assistant for 15 years, Gelasius nevertheless never became a "Muscovite", retaining a personal connection exclusively with his "small homeland" – the Suzdal region. The work is based on the material of Gelasius the will (duhovnaya gramota), unknown in historiography, as well as other sources (documents, book entries, etc.).