John of Tobolsk was an Eastern Orthodox metropolitan and theologian of Ukrainian Cossack descent who lived from 1651 to 1715. Born in Nizhyn, he rose through the ecclesiastical ranks, serving as the archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversk before being appointed by Tsar Peter I to lead the Siberian see in Tobolsk. Throughout his career, he was a prolific writer and educator, significantly influencing the religious and cultural landscape of Siberia through his missionary work and the introduction of Ukrainian artistic traditions to the region.