Hieromartyr Macarius, Metropolitan of Kiev, was previously the Archimandrite of the Vilna Holy Trinity Monastery.
In 1495, after the death of Metropolitan Jonah (Glezny) of Kiev, he was elected and ordained in his place by the council of saints: Vassian of Vladimir, Luke of Polotsk, Vassian of Turov and Jonah of Lutsk. From Constantinople, Patriarch Niphon sent blessed plates confirming the election of St. Macarius to the metropolitan see.
Metropolitan Macarius made many efforts to ease internal strife among the clergy and laity, and took care of the development of the Kiev metropolis. At his own expense, he organized and decorated many churches and monasteries. He protected and defended the rights of the Orthodox from the Latins. To do this, he took measures to persuade the Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellonchik to become Orthodox.
The metropolitan lived in the capital of Lithuania, as Kiev was constantly raided by the Crimean Tatars.
In 1497, despite the danger, Metropolitan Macarius, obedient to his pastoral duty, decided to visit the Kiev department, which was particularly affected by the Tatars who invaded the Russian land, and was killed by them on his way. It was on May 1, 1497, in the village of Strigolovo (Skrygalovo), on the bank of the river, where the saint performed divine services. When the Tatars attacked, the saint called on the worshippers to escape, but he remained at the altar and suffered martyrdom: they hacked him down, cut off his foot and head. Many of his flock were killed and captured with him.
The faithful fervently mourned the death of the saint. His body was brought to Kiev and laid in the cathedral church of St. Sophia, where he became famous for miracles in 1625 and 1634. Candles were repeatedly miraculously lit in front of the iconostasis in the cathedral where the saint rested, and light and fire emanated from his tomb. The holy relics of St. Macarius, glorified by God with incorruption and miracles, rest in Kiev in the Vladimir Cathedral (now belongs to the non-canonical Kiev Patriarchate).
In 1897, a stele was built on the banks of the Pripyat River, where St. Macarius was killed, in memory of this tragic event, in Skrygalov there is a temple in honor of the holy Martyr Macarius of Kiev.