By the ukase of the Synod on May 19, 1914, Bishop Anthony was appointed to the Khar'kov and Aktyr cathedra. After the February 1917 Revolution, he was forced to ask to be retired because of poor relations with the new authorities in his area and the discontent of certain members of his clergy. On May 1, 1917, he was retired and assigned to the [[Valaam Monastery]], where he wrote his book "The Doctrine of Redemption," which later caused many arguments among Orthodox theologians. In August of 1917 he was again elected Archbishop of Khar'kov and Akhtyr by the Diocesan council of Khar'kov.
ЕпиIn 1917-1918, he was a member of the Local Council of the Russian Church, where he was a staunch supporter of restoring the Patriarchy. His candidacy received the largest number of votes - 159 - but On November 5, 1918, Patriarch St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]] was elected by lot. On Novmeber 28, Archbishop Anthony was raised to the rank of Metropolitan; on December 7 - elected a member of the Holy Synod headed by Patriarch Tikhon. In January 1918, Metropolitan Anthony was present at the All-Ukrainian Church Council in Kiev. He then fled the city before the Bolshevik invasion. Following the killing of New Hieromartyr St. [[Vladimir of Kiev]], Metropolitan Anthony was elected to the Kiev cathedra, and returned when the city was occuppied by the Germans. However, his election was not approved by the authorities because of his opposition to Ukrainian [[autocephaly]].