Lazar Baranovych (the secular name Luke; 1620, place unknown – September 13, 1693, Chernihiv) – a writer, church and political figure, teacher, Archbishop of Chernihiv and Novhorod-Siverskyi, professor and Rector of the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium. He studied at the Kyiv Brotherhood School and, at the sponsorship of Petro Mohyla, in the collegiums of Vilnius (Lithuania) and Kalisz (Poland). From 1642 he taught at the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium in elementary grades, later he became a professor of poetics, rhetoric, and philosophy. Since 1650 he was Rector of the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium and at the same time the Hegumen of the Kyiv Epiphany Monastery. From 1653 he headed the Yelets Monastery of the Chernihiv Diocese. In 1657 he was consecrated Bishop of Chernihiv and Novhorod-Siverskyi. Simultaneously, for over 20 years, he was Head of the Kyiv Metropolitan Cathedra. He took an active part in the political and cultural life of the Hetmanate. On May 27, 1657 , he consecrated the hetman’s regalia at the Kyiv Brotherhood Monastery and handed them to newly elected Hetman I. Vyhovskyi. Around 1666 he was appointed Bishop of the Kyiv Metropolitanate. In 1667 he was promoted to Archbishop. In 1674 he established a printing house at Transfiguration Monastery in Novhorod-Siversk, which he transferred to Chernihiv in 1679. A literary center, later known as “Chernihiv Athenians,” was formed around the printing house. During Baranovych’s life, more than 50 books were published – primers, liturgical books, secular and religious works. He opened schools at temples and supported the Chernihiv school. He was buried in the Chernihiv Borisohlibskyi Monastery.

During the national liberation war of the Ukrainian people of 1648-1658, he made efforts to protect the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium and the Kyiv Brotherhood Epiphany Monastery from downfall, involving Hetman B. Khmelnytskyi, I. Vyhovskyi, D. Mnohohrishnyi, and other secular and church figures. In Kyiv Brotherhood Monastery he created a choir and a choral school, where the students of the collegium studied.

Works:
1. Spiritual Sword [Меч духовний]. Kyiv,1666.
2.Lutnia Appollinowa. Collection of poetry. Lviv, 1671.
3 Trumpets of Preaching Words. [Труби словес проповідних]. – Kyiv, 1674.
4.Nowa Miara Stary wiary. – Lviv, 1676.

Source: Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Reflected in Names: XVII-XVIII, 2001.