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He was born into the rich Tzamplakon family in the Bulgarian capital of Tarnovo around 1364/1365.[1] His cousin was Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev.[1] He became a monk and received his education in the circle of the prominent hesychast writer Patriarch Euthymius,[1] in the centre of the cultural life in Bulgaria at that time. He probably lived for some time on Mount Athos, where he adopted the religious tenets of hesychasm.[1] Bulgaria would fall to the Ottomans in 1393, and Tsamblak may have lived in the capital during its siege and fall.[1]
Historical data about Gregory Tsamlak is quite sparse, hence much of his biography is uncertain, for example whether he went to Serbia before or after the mission to Moldavia, or his stay in Constantinople.[1] In Serbia he was probably sent with a diplomatic assignment by the Patriarch of Constantinople and became Father Superior of the Dečani Monastery,[2] one of the most important Serbian monasteries, in the heart of the Serbian Patriarchate, near Peć. During his sojourn in Serbia he wrote a biography of Stephen Uroš III,[2] a hymn for the church service honoring Stefan of Dečani, and a report on the transfer of the remnants of Saint Paraskeva to Serbia, for which he also rewrote the service. This probably happened between 1397 and 1398, after the defeat of Vuk Brankovic at the Battle of Nicopolis, and before 1402.[1]
In 1406, Metropolitan Cyprian summoned him to Moscow, but on the way, Cyprian died and Tsamblak remained for some time in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Three years later, Tsamblak issued the funeral oration for Metropolitan Cyprian. This act was related to the arrival from Byzantium of the new head of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Photius in 1409.[1]
In 1414, Grand Duke Vytautas attempted to re-establish the Metropolis of Lithuania. He arranged for a synod of bishops to elect Gregory as the Metropolitan of Lithuania.[3] The consecration took place without the consent of Patriarch Euthymius II of Constantinople who deposed and anathematized him and who confirmed the same in letters to Metropolitan Photius of Kiev, Emperor Manuel II Palaeologos and Grand Prince Vasily I. After Gregory’s death in the winter of 1419–1420, Photius made peace with Vytautas. As a result, the entire Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus', including Halych, was unified under Photius until his death in 1431.[1]
Gregory Tsamblak became a key figure in the effort to restore the Metropolitan See of Kiev as the central ecclesiastical authority in Russia. In 1414, he traveled to Constantinople with a proposal from the Grand Duke of Lithuania to be appointed as the head of the Kiev Department. This move caused a scandal as it led to a split within the Russian church, resulting in his anathema by both Metropolitan Photius of Moscow and the Patriarch of Constantinople. Nevertheless, Tsamblak was elected to the Kiev metropolitan throne by the Council of Bishops in 1415. The newly appointed Patriarch of Constantinople, Joseph, recognized Tsamblak's election as metropolitan in 1416, according to a later Ukrainian chronicle. This pivotal event set in motion the autocephaly of the Russian Church in the mid-15th century.[1]
After his election as Metropolitan of West Russia, Gregory Tsamblak sought to formalize his position and expand his diocese. He declared himself Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russ’. During his tenure, he compiled a collection of teachings titled Книга на Григорий Цамблак (Book of Gregory Tsamblak), which included 18 homilies dedicated to Orthodox feast days. Additionally, he established the veneration of Saint Paraskeva, who was honored in Moldavia, Wallachia, Serbia and Bulgaria since the time of Metropolitan Cyprian. All East Slavic versions of Sait Paraskeva's Vita and the Homily regarding her relics, authored by Tsamblak, reflect Serbian influence through their inclusion of prayers for Despot George Brankovic.[1]
In 1418, Gregory Tsamblak attended the Church Council in Constance, Germany, where discussions about unifying two Christian churches took place; however, there is no substantial evidence indicating that he supported this union. Following the council, Russian chronicles state that he returned to Lithuania and passed away in either winter 1419 or 1420 in Kiev.[1]
The rivalry between Vilnius and Moscow effectively ended in 1448 when Moscow began selecting the metropolitans independently without approval from the Ecumenical Patriachate, which collapsed in 1453.[4][1]
The literary contributions of Gregory Tsamblak primarily include eulogies and homilies associated with the triodion and menaion church cycles, as well as over 25 sermons focused on monastic life. Additionally, several anonymous works, individual interpretations of the Psalter found in West Russian manuscripts, and excerpts attributed to him from later centuries are also part of his literary legacy. Throughout his life, Gregory Tsamblak identified himself with various monastic titles such as monk, hieromonk, presbyter, father superior, archbishop, and metropolitan. This diversity in titles aids in dating and locating his works.[1]
As a church preacher, he was influenced by the stylistic elements of the Tarnovo Literary School from the late 14th century, particularly those of his mentor, Patriarch Euthymius. His extensive education encompassed Greek and Slavonic literature, the writings of the Holy Fathers, and texts concerning local saints, which he frequently referenced. In his roles as a diplomat and priest, he aligned himself with the interests of the regions where he served—whether as a Serbian hagiographer or a pioneer of Slavonic-Moldavian literature. His adaptability across various Orthodox Slavonic cultural contexts fostered his vision of a unified Orthodox Slavonic community. As a hymnologist, he revitalized acrostic hymns in services dedicated to figures such as Stefan of Decani and John the New of Suceava.[1]
Gregory Tsamblak's entire oeuvre survives in numerous manuscripts from the 16th to 17th centuries, highlighting the interconnectedness of Slavic and Moldavian-Wallachian literatures. His own collection gained considerable traction, with over ten known transcripts dating from the 15th to 17th centuries. Most of his liturgical writings were incorporated into Makari’s reading menaia, and many versions and adaptations of his hagiographic, rhetorical, and hymnographic works have been preserved in Russian literature.[1]
Tsamblak's writings were among the earliest included in printed books; for instance, Božidar Vuković featured his Office for Stefan of Dechani in the Festive Menaion published in Venice between 1536 and 1538. Additionally, Metropolitan Varlaam translated his work on John the New of Suceava into Romanian, which was published in Iași in 1643 as part of the Tarzhestvenik. The vitae authored by Gregory Tsamblak significantly influenced iconography in both Romania and Serbia.[1]
^ abĐorđe Radojičić (1971). Živan Milisavac (ed.). Jugoslovenski književni leksikon [Yugoslav Literary Lexicon] (in Serbo-Croatian). Novi Sad (SAP Vojvodina, SR Serbia): Matica srpska. p. 57.
