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Entering the monastery, he established himself as a [[hermit]] on the nearby Anzersky island that was a dependency of Solovetsky. He later joined the Kozhuzersky monastery, in the Novogorod [[diocese]], after breaking with the Solovetsky [[monk]]s over allegations of misuse of alms. In 1643, [[Hieromonk]] Nikon was named hegumen. In his duties as hegumen he often visited Moscow, where in 1646 he met the pious Tsar Alexis. Impressed by Nikon, Alexis, who had become tsar in 1645, soon included Nikon among his close advisors.
In rapid succession Alexis raised Nikon to the dignity of [[archimandrite]] and assigned him to head the Novospassky monastery in Moscow in 1646. Then in 1648 the tsar appointed him [[metropolitan]] of Novgorod. In Novgorod, Nikon was active founding almshouses and pursuing good works and even was responsible for suppressing a revolt in 1650. Then, after yielding to strong persuasion, Nikon was elected [[Patriarch of Moscow]] on [[August 1]], 1652, succeeding Patr. Joseph who had died earlier in the year.
Nikon became patriarch in the midst of the opening of Russia to the ideas and culture of western Europe after centuries of isolation due to the Tatar yoke and the ''Times of Trouble.'' With the opening of Russia the service books and customs of the Orthodox church in Russia came under question from the Orthodox patriarchs of the ancient world. But the initial reforms that were considered by the church in Russia were minor and were enforced weakly by Patr. Joseph. Patr. Nikon, however, approached the reforms more vigorously. He embarked on a more thorough reform after having consulted with the Patriarchates of Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Alexandria. In a country that had been ingrown, insular, and backward for centuries the reaction was great. As the resistance to the reforms mounted among primarily the “white
