The real name and surname of Cyril the Patriarch. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

Job(in the world John) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. On the initiative of Saint Job, transformations were carried out in the Russian Church, as a result of which 4 metropolises entered the Moscow Patriarchate: Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov and Krutitskaya; new dioceses were established, more than a dozen monasteries were founded.
Patriarch Job was the first to set the printing business on a broad basis. With the blessing of St. Job, the following were published for the first time: the Lenten Triode, the Tsvetnaya Triod, the Octoichus, the General Menaion, the Official of the Bishop's Ministry and the Service Book.
During the Time of Troubles, St. Job was actually the first to lead the opposition of the Russians to the Polish-Lithuanian invaders. On April 13, 1605, Patriarch Job, who refused to swear allegiance to False Dmitry I, was deposed and, having endured many reproaches, was exiled to the Staritsa Monastery. After the overthrow of False Dmitry I. to return to the Primary See, in his place he blessed Metropolitan Hermogenes of Kazan. Patriarch Job died peacefully on June 19, 1607. In 1652, under Patriarch Joseph, the incorruptible and fragrant relics of St. Job were transferred to Moscow and laid next to the tomb of Patriarch Joasaph (1634-1640). Many healings took place from the relics of St. Job.
His memory is celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on April 5/18 and June 19 / July 2.

Hermogen(in the world Ermolai) (1530-1612) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The patriarchate of Saint Hermogenes coincided with a difficult time in the Time of Troubles. With special inspiration, His Holiness the Patriarch opposed the traitors and enemies of the Fatherland, who wanted to enslave the Russian people, introduce Uniatism and Catholicism in Russia, and eradicate Orthodoxy.
Muscovites, led by Kozma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, raised an uprising, in response to which the Poles set fire to the city, and they themselves took refuge in the Kremlin. Together with the Russian traitors, they forcibly removed the holy Patriarch Hermogenes from the Patriarchal Throne and imprisoned him in the Chudov Monastery. " Patriarch Hermogenes blessed the Russian people for a feat of liberation.
For more than nine months Saint Germogen languished in grievous confinement. On February 17, 1612, he died as a martyr of hunger and thirst. The liberation of Russia, for which Saint Germogen stood with such indestructible courage, was successfully completed by the Russian people through his intercession.
The body of the Holy Martyr Hermogenes was buried with due honor in the Chudov Monastery. The sanctity of the Patriarchal feat, as well as his personality as a whole, was illuminated from above later - at the opening in 1652 of the shrine with the relics of the monk. 40 years after his death, Patriarch Hermogenes lay as if alive.
With the blessing of Saint Hermogenes, the service to the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was translated from Greek into Russian and the celebration of his memory was restored in the Assumption Cathedral. Under the supervision of the Primate, new presses were made for printing liturgical books and a new printing house was built, damaged in a fire in 1611, when Moscow was set on fire by the Poles.
In 1913, the Russian Orthodox Church glorified Patriarch Hermogenes as a saint. His memory is celebrated on May 12/25 and February 17 / March 1.

Filaret(Romanov Fedor Nikitich) (1554-1633) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, father of the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty. Under Tsar Theodore Ioannovich - a noble boyar, under Boris Godunov fell into disgrace, was exiled to a monastery and tonsured a monk. In 1611, being with the embassy in Poland, he was taken prisoner. In 1619 he returned to Russia and until his death was the de facto ruler of the country under his sickly son, Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich.

Joasaph I- Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, notifying the four Ecumenical Patriarchs about the death of his father, also wrote that “the Great Russian Church was elected and installed by the Patriarch of the Pskov Archbishop Joasaph, a prudent, truthful, reverent and taught man of every virtue.” Patriarch Joasaph I was elevated to the cathedra of Moscow. with the blessing of Patriarch Filaret, who himself indicated a successor to himself.
He continued the publishing works of his predecessors, doing a tremendous job of collating and correcting liturgical books. During the relatively short reign of Patriarch Joasaph, 3 monasteries were founded and 5 former ones were restored.

Joseph- Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Strict observance of church statutes and legalizations became a characteristic feature of the ministry of Patriarch Joseph. In 1646, before the onset of Great Lent, Patriarch Joseph sent out a district mandate to all the clergy and all Orthodox Christians to observe the upcoming fast in purity. This district letter from Patriarch Joseph, as well as the decree of the tsar in 1647 prohibiting work on Sundays and holidays and restricting trade on these days contributed to the strengthening of faith among the people.
Patriarch Joseph paid great attention to the work of spiritual enlightenment. With his blessing, in 1648 a theological school was founded in Moscow at the St.Andrew Monastery. Under Patriarch Joseph, as well as under his predecessors, liturgical and church teaching books were published throughout Russia. In total, during the reign of Patriarch Joseph, 36 titles of books were published in 10 years, of which 14 had not previously been published in Russia. During the years of the Patriarchate of Joseph, the relics of the holy saints of God and the glorification of miraculous icons were repeatedly made.
The name of Patriarch Joseph will forever remain on the tablets of history due to the fact that it was this archpastor who managed to take the first steps towards the reunification of Ukraine (Little Russia) with Russia, although the reunification itself took place in 1654 after the death of Joseph under Patriarch Nikon.

Nikon(in the world Nikita Minich Minin) (1605-1681) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia since 1652. The Patriarchate of Nikon made up a whole epoch in the history of the Russian Church. Like Patriarch Filaret, he had the title of "Great Sovereign", which he received in the early years of his Patriarchate due to the special affection of the tsar towards him. He took part in the decision of almost all national affairs. In particular, with the active assistance of Patriarch Nikon in 1654, the historic reunification of Ukraine with Russia took place. The lands of Kievan Rus, once seized by the Polish-Lithuanian magnates, became part of the Muscovite state. This soon led to the return of the primordially Orthodox dioceses of South-Western Russia to the bosom of the Mother - the Russian Church. Soon Belarus was reunited with Russia. The title of the Patriarch of Moscow "Great Sovereign" was added to the title "Patriarch of All Great and Small and White Russia".
But Patriarch Nikon showed himself especially zealously as a church reformer. In addition to streamlining the divine services, he replaced two fingers with three fingers at the sign of the cross, corrected the liturgical books according to Greek models, which is his immortal, great service to the Russian Church. However, the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon engendered an Old Believer schism, the consequences of which darkened the life of the Russian Church for several centuries.
The Primate in every possible way encouraged church building, he himself was one of the best architects of his time. Under Patriarch Nikon, the richest monasteries of Orthodox Russia were built: the Resurrection near Moscow, called "New Jerusalem", the Iversky Svyatoozersky in Valdai and the Cross Kiyostrovsky in the Onega Bay. But Patriarch Nikon considered the height of the personal life of the clergy and monasticism to be the main foundation of the earthly Church. Throughout his life, Patriarch Nikon never ceased to strive for knowledge and learn something. He collected the richest library. Patriarch Nikon studied Greek, studied medicine, painted icons, mastered the skill of making tiles ... Patriarch Nikon strove to create Holy Russia - a new Israel. While preserving a living, creative Orthodoxy, he wanted to create an enlightened Orthodox culture and studied it from the Orthodox East. But some of the measures carried out by Patriarch Nikon infringed on the interests of the boyars and they slandered the Patriarch before the Tsar. By the decision of the Council, he was deprived of the Patriarchate and sent into captivity: first to Ferapontov, and then, in 1676, to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. At the same time, however, the church reforms carried out by him were not only not canceled, but were approved.
The deposed Patriarch Nikon spent 15 years in exile. Before his death, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in his will asked Patriarch Nikon for forgiveness. The new Tsar Theodore Alekseevich made a decision to return Patriarch Nikon to his rank and asked him to return to the Resurrection Monastery founded by him. On the way to this monastery, Patriarch Nikon peacefully departed to the Lord, surrounded by manifestations of the great love of the people and his disciples. Patriarch Nikon was buried with appropriate honors in the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery. In September 1682, the letters of all four Eastern Patriarchs were delivered to Moscow, authorizing Nikon from all restraints and restoring him to the rank of Patriarch of All Russia.

Joasaph II- Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The Great Moscow Council of 1666-1667, which condemned and deposed Patriarch Nikon and anathematized the Old Believers as heretics, elected a new Primate of the Russian Church. Archimandrite of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Joasaph became the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Patriarch Joasaph paid a very significant attention to missionary activity, especially on the outskirts of the Russian state, which were just beginning to develop: in the Far North and Eastern Siberia, especially in Transbaikalia and the Amur basin, along the border with China. In particular, with the blessing of Joasaph II, the Spassky Monastery was founded near the Chinese border in 1671.
The great merit of Patriarch Joasaph in the field of health improvement and the intensification of the pastoral activity of the Russian clergy should be recognized the decisive actions taken by him aimed at restoring the tradition of preaching the sermon during the service, which by that time in Russia had almost died out.
During the patriarchate of Joasaph II, extensive book publishing activities continued in the Russian Church. During the short period of Patriarch Joasaph's priesthood ministry, not only numerous liturgical books were published, but also many editions of doctrinal content. Already in 1667, the Legend of the Acts of the Council and the Rod of Government, written by Simeon of Polotsk to expose the Old Believer schism, were published, then the Great Catechism and Small Catechism were published.

Pitirim- Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Patriarch Pitirim took the priesthood at a very old age and ruled the Russian Church for only about 10 months, until his death in 1673. He was close to Patriarch Nikon and after his deposition became one of the contenders for the throne, but he was elected only after the death of Patriarch Joasaph II.
On July 7, 1672, in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod was elevated to the Patriarchal See, being already very ill, Metropolitan Joachim was called to the affairs of administration.
After a ten-month, unremarkable patriarchate, he died on April 19, 1673.

Joachim(Savelov-First Ivan Petrovich) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. In view of the illness of Patriarch Pitirim, Metropolitan Joachim was involved in the affairs of the Patriarchal Administration, and on July 26, 1674, he was elevated to the Primary See.
His efforts were aimed at combating foreign influence on Russian society.
The Primate was distinguished by his zeal for the strict observance of church canons. He revised the ranks of the liturgy of St. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, eliminated some discrepancies in liturgical practice. In addition, Patriarch Joachim revised and published the Typicon, which is still used in the Russian Orthodox Church in an almost unchanged form.
In 1678, Patriarch Joachim expanded the number of almshouses in Moscow, supported by church funds.
With the blessing of Patriarch Joachim, a theological school was founded in Moscow, which laid the foundation for the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, which in 1814 was transformed into the Moscow Theological Academy.
In the field of public administration, Patriarch Joachim also showed himself to be an energetic and consistent politician, actively supporting Peter I, after the death of Tsar Feodor Alekseevich.

Adrian(in the world? Andrey) (1627-1700) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia since 1690. On August 24, 1690, Metropolitan Adrian was elevated to the All-Russian Patriarchal See. In his speech during his enthronement, Patriarch Adrian called on the Orthodox to keep the canons inviolable, to observe peace, and to protect the Church from heresies. In his 24-point "District Epistle" and "Admonition" to the flock, Patriarch Adrian taught each of the estates spiritually useful instructions. He did not like the shaving, smoking, the abolition of Russian national dress and other similar everyday innovations of Peter I. The useful and really important undertakings of the tsar aimed at the good order of the Fatherland (building a fleet, military and socio-economic transformations), Patriarch Adrian understood and supported.

Stefan Yavorsky(Yavorsky Simeon Ivanovich) - Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom, patriarchal locum tenens of the Moscow throne.
He studied at the famous Kiev-Mohyla College, the focus of the then South Russian education. In which he studied until 1684. To enter the Jesuit school, Yavorsky, like his other contemporaries, converted to Catholicism. In southwestern Russia, this was common.
Stefan studied philosophy in Lvov and Lublin, and then theology in Vilna and Poznan. In Polish schools, he thoroughly became acquainted with Catholic theology and acquired a hostile attitude towards Protestantism.
In 1689, Stephen returned to Kiev, brought repentance in his renunciation of the Orthodox Church and was accepted again into her fold.
In the same year he accepted monasticism and underwent monastic obedience at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
In the Kiev Collegium, he rose from a teacher to a professor of theology.
Stephen became a famous preacher and in 1697 was appointed hegumen of the St. Nicholas Desert Monastery, which was then located outside Kiev.
After a sermon delivered on the occasion of the death of the Tsar's governor A.S. Shein, which was noted by Peter I, he was ordained a bishop and appointed Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom.
On December 16, 1701, after the death of Patriarch Adrian, by order of the tsar, Stephen was appointed locum tenens of the patriarchal throne.
The church-administrative activity of Stephen was insignificant, the power of the locum tenens, in comparison with the patriarch, was limited by Peter I. In spiritual matters, in most cases Stephen had to consult with a council of bishops.
Peter I kept him with him until his death, carrying out under his sometimes forced blessing all the reforms unpleasant for Stephen. Metropolitan Stephen did not have the strength to openly break with the tsar, and at the same time he could not come to terms with what was happening.
In 1718, during the trial of Tsarevich Alexei, Tsar Peter I instructed Metropolitan Stephen to come to St. Petersburg and did not allow him to leave until his death, depriving him of even that insignificant power, which he partly enjoyed.
In 1721 the Synod was opened. The tsar appointed Metropolitan Stephen, who sympathized with this institution least of all, as President of the Synod. Stephen refused to sign the minutes of the Synod, did not attend its sessions and had no influence on the Synodal affairs. The tsar, obviously, kept it only in order, using his name, to give a certain sanction to the new institution. During his entire stay in the Synod, Metropolitan Stephen was under investigation for political affairs as a result of constant slander against him.
Metropolitan Stephen died on November 27, 1722 in Moscow, on the Lubyanka, in the Ryazan courtyard. On the same day, his body was taken to the Trinity Church at the Ryazan courtyard, where it stood until December 19, that is, until the arrival of Emperor Peter I and members of the Holy Synod in Moscow. On December 20, in the Church of the Dormition of the Most Pure Theotokos, called Grebnevskaya, the funeral service for Metropolitan Stephen took place.

Tikhon(Belavin Vasily Ivanovich) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. In 1917, the All-Russian Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church restored the Patriarchate. A most important event in the history of the Russian Church took place: after two centuries of forced headlessness, she again found her Primate and Primate.
Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow and Kolomna (1865-1925) was elected to the Patriarchal See.
Patriarch Tikhon was a true defender of Orthodoxy. Despite all his gentleness, benevolence and complacency, he became unshakably firm and adamant in the affairs of the church, where it was necessary, and above all in the defense of the Church from her enemies. The true Orthodoxy and firmness of character of Patriarch Tikhon were especially vividly revealed at the time of the "renovationist" schism. He stood as an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the Bolsheviks in front of their plans to disintegrate the Church from within.
His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon took important steps to normalize relations with the state. The Epistles of Patriarch Tikhon proclaim: "The Russian Orthodox Church ... must be and will be the One Catholic Apostolic Church, and all attempts, from whatever side they come from, to plunge the Church into political struggle, must be rejected and condemned" (from the Appeal from 1 July 1923)
Patriarch Tikhon aroused the hatred of the representatives of the new government, which constantly persecuted him. He was either imprisoned or kept under "house arrest" in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery. The life of His Holiness was under threat all the time: three times there was an attempt on his life, but he fearlessly went to perform divine services in various churches in Moscow and beyond. The entire Patriarchate of His Holiness Tikhon was a continuous feat of martyrdom. When the authorities made him an offer to go abroad for permanent residence, Patriarch Tikhon said: "I will not go anywhere, I will suffer here together with all the people and fulfill my duty to the limit set by God." All these years he actually lived in prison and died in struggle and sorrow. His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon died on March 25, 1925, on the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, and was buried in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery.

Peter(Polyansky, in the world Peter Fedorovich Polyansky) - Bishop, Metropolitan of Krutitsky patriarchal locum tenens from 1925 until the false announcement of his death (end of 1936).
According to the will of Patriarch Tikhon, Metropolitans Cyril, Agafangel or Peter were to become locum tenens. Since Metropolitans Kirill and Agafangel were in exile, Metropolitan Peter Krutitsky became the locum tenens. As a locum tenens, he rendered great assistance to prisoners and exiles, especially to clergy. Vladyka Peter decisively opposed renovation. He refused to issue an appeal for loyalty to the Soviet regime. Endless prisons and concentration camps began. During interrogation in December 1925, he declared that the church could not approve of the revolution: "The social revolution is based on blood and fratricide, which the Church cannot recognize."
He refused to relinquish his title of patriarchal locum tenens, despite threats to extend his imprisonment. In 1931, he rejected the offer of the Chekist Tuchkov to sign on cooperation with the authorities as an informant.
At the end of 1936, the Patriarchate received false information about the death of the patriarchal locum tenens, Peter, as a result of which, on December 27, 1936, Metropolitan Sergius assumed the title of patriarchal locum tenens. In 1937, a new criminal case was initiated against Metropolitan Peter. On October 2, 1937, a troika of the NKVD in the Chelyabinsk region was sentenced to death. On October 10 at 4 pm he was shot. The burial place remains unknown. He was glorified in the face of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia by the Council of Bishops in 1997.

Sergius(in the world Ivan Nikolaevich Stragorodsky) (1867-1944) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Renowned theologian and spiritual writer. Bishop since 1901. After the death of Saint Patriarch Tikhon, he became the patriarchal locum tenens, that is, the de facto primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1927, at a difficult time for both the Church and the entire people, he addressed the clergy and laity with a message in which he called on the Orthodox to be loyal to the Soviet regime. This message caused ambiguous assessments both in Russia and in the emigre environment. In 1943, at a turning point in the Great Patriotic War, the government decided to restore the patriarchate, and at the Local Council Sergius was elected Patriarch. He took an active patriotic position, called on all Orthodox Christians to tirelessly pray for victory, organized a fundraiser to help the army.

Alexy I(Simansky Sergey Vladimirovich) (1877-1970) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Born in Moscow, graduated from the Law Faculty of Moscow University and the Moscow Theological Academy. The bishop since 1913, during the Great Patriotic War served in Leningrad, in 1945 at the Local Council he was elected Patriarch.

Pimen(Izvekov Sergey Mikhailovich) (1910-1990) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia since 1971. Participant of the Great Patriotic War. For the confession of the Orthodox faith, he was persecuted. Twice (before the war and after the war) he was imprisoned. Bishop since 1957. He was buried in the crypt (underground chapel) of the Assumption Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.

Alexy II(Ridiger Alexei Mikhailovich) (1929-2008) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy. Bishop since 1961, since 1986 - Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod, in 1990 at the Local Council elected Patriarch. Honorary member of many foreign theological academies.

Kirill(Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich) (born 1946) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy. In 1974 he was appointed rector of the Leningrad Theological Academy and Seminary. Bishop since 1976. In 1991 he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. In January 2009 he was elected Patriarch at the Local Council.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia (in the world Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev) was born on November 20, 1946 in Leningrad.

Father - Gundyaev Mikhail Vasilyevich, priest, died in 1974. Mother - Gundyaeva Raisa Vladimirovna, teacher of German at school, in recent years a housewife, died in 1984. Older brother - Archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev, professor, honorary rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. St. Petersburg. Grandfather - Priest Vasily Stepanovich Gundyaev, a prisoner of Solovkov, for church activity and the struggle against renovationism in the 20s, 30s and 40s. XX century subjected to imprisonment and exile.

After graduating from the 8th grade of secondary school, Vladimir Gundyaev went to work in the Leningrad Integrated Geological Expedition of the North-Western Geological Department, where he worked from 1962 to 1965 as a cartographer technician, combining work with education in secondary school.

After graduating from high school in 1965, he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, and then the Leningrad Theological Academy, from which he graduated with honors in 1970.

As chairman of the DECR, he visited all Local Orthodox Churches as part of official delegations, including accompanying them on their trips abroad.

As the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, he officially visited * Local Orthodox Churches: Constantinople (2009, 2014), Alexandria (2010), Antioch (2011), Jerusalem (2012), Serbian (2013). , 2014), Romanian (2017), Bulgarian (2012), Cyprus (2012), Greek (2013), Polish (2012).

Inter-Christian relations and cooperation

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill took part in the work of inter-Christian organizations. As a delegate participated in IV (Uppsala, Sweden, 1968), V (Nairobi, Kenya, 1975), VI (Vancouver, Canada, 1983) and VII (Canberra, Australia, 1991) General Assemblies of the WCC and as a guest of honor at the IX General Assembly of the WCC (Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2006); in the World Missionary Conference "Salvation Today" (Bangkok, 1973); President of the World Conference "Faith, Science and the Future" (Boston, 1979) and the World Conference "Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation" (Seoul, 1990); participated in the assemblies of the commission "Faith and Order" of the WCC in Accra (Ghana, 1974), in Lima (Peru, 1982), in Budapest (Hungary, 1989). He was the main speaker at the World Missionary Conference in San Salvador, Brazil, in November 1996.

He was a delegate to the XI General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (Stirling, Scotland, 1986) and the XII General Assembly of the CEC (Prague, 1992), as well as one of the main speakers at the European Assembly of the CEC "Peace and Justice" (Basel, 6- May 21, 1989).

Participated in the Second European Assembly of CEC in Graz, Austria (23-29 June 1997) and the Third in Sibiu, Romania (5-9 September 2007).

He took part in four rounds of bilateral interviews between theologians of the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches (Leningrad, 1967, Bari, Italy, 1969, Zagorsk, 1972, Trento, Italy, 1975).

Since 1977 - Secretary of the International Technical Commission for the Preparation of Dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Since 1980 - Member of the International Theological Commission for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue. In this capacity, he took part in four plenary sessions of this commission: (Patmos-Rhodes, Greece, 1980; Munich, Germany, 1982; Crete, 1984; Valaam, Finland, 1988) and in the work of its Coordination committee.

He was a co-chairman of the second round of the Orthodox-Reformed dialogue (Debrecen II) in 1976 in Leningrad and a participant in the Evangelical Kirchentags in Wittenberg (GDR, 1983) in Dortmund (1991) in Hamburg (1995).

Participant of the dialogue with the delegation of the Old Catholic Church in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Rotterdam-Petersburg Commission, Moscow, 1996.

As chairman of the DECR, on behalf of the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, he took part in contacts with the Churches of the USA, Japan, East Germany, Germany, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, France, Spain, Norway, Iceland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ethiopia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos, Jamaica, Canada, Congo, Zaire, Argentina, Chile, Cyprus, China, South Africa, Greece.

As the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, he held a number of meetings with the heads and representatives of heterodox Churches and Christian organizations.

In August 2012, a signing took place by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Chairman of the Polish Catholic Episcopal Conference.

In February 2016, Cuba hosted the first ever meeting of the Primates of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, during which His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis signed.

Participation in the Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church

He was a member of the Local Jubilee Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (June 1988, Zagorsk), chairman of its Editorial Commission and the author of the draft Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted by the Jubilee Council.

He was a member of the Council of Bishops dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate (October 1989) and the extraordinary Council of Bishops on January 30-31, 1990, as well as the Local Council on June 6-10, 1990, of the Council of Bishops on October 25-26, 1991. ; March 31 - April 4, 1992; June 11, 1992; November 29 - December 2, 1994; February 18-23, 1997; August 13-16, 2000; October 3-6, 2004, June 24-29, 2008

He chaired the Bishops' (2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017) and Local Councils (2009), at the other said Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church he was the chairman of the Editorial Commission.

As the chairman of the DECR, he made reports on the work of the DECR. At the Jubilee Council in 2000, as chairman of the respective Synodal Working Group and the Synodal Commission, he presented the Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church.

At the Council of Bishops on October 3-6, 2004, he also delivered a report "On relations with the Russian Church Abroad and the Old Believers."

Administration of the Smolensk-Kaliningrad Diocese (1984-2009)

During the stay of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, 166 parishes were opened at the Smolensk-Kaliningrad cathedra (94 in Smolensk and the region, 72 in Kaliningrad and the region). 52 Orthodox churches have been restored and 71 newly built.

In 1989, the Smolensk Theological School was opened, which was transformed in 1995 into the Smolensk Theological Seminary.

Since 1998, the Interdiocesan Theological School has been operating, training church choir directors, catechists, icon painters and sisters of mercy. Most parishes of the diocese have Sunday schools. There are Orthodox grammar schools and kindergartens.

Since 1992, the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture have been taught in public schools in the Smolensk and Kaliningrad regions.

Work as chairman of the DECR (1989-2009)

Represented the Russian Orthodox Church in the commissions for the development of the USSR Law "On freedom of conscience and religious organizations" of October 1, 1990, the RSFSR Law "On freedom of religion" of October 25, 1990 and the Federal Law of the Russian Federation "On freedom of conscience and on religious associations "of September 26, 1997

As chairman of the DECR, he took part in many international public and peacekeeping initiatives.

He took part in the development of the church position and peacekeeping actions during the events of August 1991 and October 1993.

He was one of the initiators of the creation of the World Russian People's Council in 1993. He took part and delivered key reports at the Councils (1993-2008). Since his election to the Patriarchal See, he has been the chairman of the ARNS (since 2009).

As the chairman of the Commission of the Holy Synod for the revival of religious and moral education and charity, he initiated the creation of synodal departments for religious education, social service and charity, for interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. He was the author of the Concept for the revival of charity and religious education, adopted by the Holy Synod on January 30, 1991.

Developed and submitted for approval to the Holy Synod the "Concept of Interaction between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Armed Forces" in 1994.

1996 to 2000 - supervised the development and presented to the Jubilee Bishops' Council of 2000 "The Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church."

He took an active part in the normalization of the ecclesiastical situation in Estonia. In this regard, he visited the Antioch and Jerusalem Patriarchates (trips to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel in 1996), and also participated in negotiations with representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Zurich (Switzerland) in March and twice in April 1996. , in Thessaloniki, Tallinn and Athens (1996), in Odessa (1997), in Geneva (1998), in Moscow, Geneva and Zurich (2000), in Vienna, Berlin and Zurich (2001) .), in Moscow and Istanbul (2003); He also visited Estonia on several occasions, where he negotiated with government representatives, parliament members and the country's business community.

He took an active part in peacekeeping actions in Yugoslavia. During the war, he visited Belgrade several times, negotiated with the leadership of this country, initiated the creation of an informal international Christian peacekeeping group on Yugoslavia (Vienna, May 1999) and the convening of an international inter-Christian conference on the topic: "Europe after the Kosovo crisis: further actions of the Churches" in Oslo (Norway) in November 1999.

He was the main speaker at the Parliamentary Hearings dedicated to the "Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church" (Moscow, 2001), and the topics "Religion and Health" (Moscow, 2003), "Improvement of legislation on freedom of conscience and on religious organizations: application practice, problems and solutions ”(Moscow, 2004).

He initiated a dialogue with European organizations in Brussels and created in 2002.

As chairman of the DECR, he visited Estonia (many times), Switzerland (many times), France (many times), Spain (many times), Italy (many times), Belgium (many times), Holland (many times), Germany (many times), Israel (many times), Finland (multiple times), Ukraine (multiple times), Japan (multiple times), Canada (multiple times), China (multiple times), Hungary (multiple times), Moldova (multiple times), Norway (multiple times), Lebanon and Syria (multiple times), Serbia (multiple times) ), USA (many times), Turkey (many times), Brazil (many times), Australia (1991), Austria (many times), Latvia (1992), Chile (1992), Bulgaria (1994, 1998, 2005 biennium), Czech Republic (1996, 2004, 2007), Slovakia (1996), Iran (1996), Lithuania (1997), Denmark (1997), Morocco (1997), Argentina (1997, 2006), Mexico (1998), Panama (1998), Peru (1998), Cuba (1998, 2004, 2008), Luxembourg (1999), Nepal ( 2000), Slovenia (2001), Malta (2001), Tunisia (2001), Mongolia (2001) , Croatia (2001), Vietnam (2001), Kampuchea (2001), Thailand (2001), Ireland (2001), Iraq (2002), Liechtenstein (2002), Philippines (2002), special regions of the PRC - Hong Kong (2001, 2002), Macau (2002), South Africa (2003, 2008), Malaysia (2003), Indonesia (2003), Singapore (2003), UAE (2004), Poland (2004), Netherlands (2004), Dominican Republic (2004), Yemen (2005), DPRK (2006), India (2006), Romania (2007), Turkmenistan (2008), Costa Rica (2008), Venezuela (2008), Colombia (2008), Ecuador (2008), Angola (2008), Namibia (2008). He paid official visits to Hungary, Mongolia, Slovenia, Iran, Iraq and Yemen at the invitation of the governments of these countries.

Patriarchal ministry. Management of the Russian Orthodox Church

In 2009, a reform of the central bodies of church government was undertaken. The activities of the Department for External Church Relations have been fundamentally reorganized, the scope of activities of the Department for External Church Relations has been clarified, new synodal departments have been created, the functions of the Russian Orthodox Church have been divorced, and analytical work has been carried out to formulate the necessary changes in the structure of the Holy Synod and in the system of spiritual education in general. Activity intensified.

In 2012, the formation of metropolises continues, an increase in the number of bishops and dioceses. Control is exercised over the implementation of the instructions of the Council of Bishops in 2011. On the basis of documents adopted in 2011 on social, missionary, youth work, religious, educational and catechetical ministry in the Russian Orthodox Church, a detailed base of documents was developed, as well as partly provisions governing special training ministers in these areas. Transformations are spreading from the central apparatus of the Church to the level of dioceses. The subject "Foundations of Orthodox Culture" is included in the curriculum of secondary schools in all regions of Russia.

In 2013, the course for the formation of new dioceses and metropolises was continued. Implementation of the adopted decisions and provisions in the field of social, missionary and catechetical activities is taking place. A system of training at theological educational institutions of diocesan, deanery and parish specialists in the field of mission, religious education and catechesis, youth and social work is being formed. Three stauropegic monasteries were opened. The documents on church-social issues were adopted: "The position of the Church in connection with the development of technologies for recording and processing personal data" and "On the baptism of infants born with the help of a" surrogate mother ".

In 2014, special attention was paid to issues of church governance. The process of creating new dioceses and metropolises continued, and a stauropegic monastery was formed. Much attention was paid to the creation and strengthening of parish communities, the development of parish life, and the attraction of lay people to active and responsible participation in diocesan and parish activities. The course on the development of church volunteering in the social and other spheres of the life of society was continued, the principles and directions of work with migrants were determined. The documents were adopted: "The concept of the Russian Orthodox Church on the approval of sobriety and the prevention of alcoholism", "Principles and directions of work with migrants."

In 2015, the following documents were adopted: “On the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist”, “Rite of the wedding of spouses, in the summer of many who exist”, “On the Christian burial of the dead”, “Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church for the spiritual nourishment and support of the Cossacks”, “Methodological recommendations on participation Of the Russian Orthodox Church in nature conservation ”. A stavropegic monastery was formed. Much attention was paid to the development of spiritual education, documents were adopted: "Regulations on the procedure for the distribution of graduates of theological educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church", "Regulations on educational courses for monastics of the Russian Orthodox Church", "Regulations on the diocesan council for theological education in the Russian Orthodox Church."

In 2015, the areas of responsibility of three synodal institutions were also clarified (Synodal departments for prison ministry, for church charity and social service, for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies) for the implementation of church care for the resocialization of persons released from prison, as well as on the social adaptation of juvenile offenders.

2016 was marked by a large number of foreign visits of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: to the countries of Latin America, incl. to Cuba, where he met with Pope Francis, as well as to Great Britain and France. Meetings were held with top officials of states, public figures, with believing compatriots living abroad. For the first time in history, the Primate of the Russian Church visited Antarctica.

In 2016, much attention was paid to the issues of spiritual education at all levels (from Sunday schools and teaching the Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture in secondary schools to advanced training courses for clergy and theological education), a number of documents were adopted, in particular, “Regulations on advanced training courses for clergy of the Russian Orthodox Churches". Moscow and St. Petersburg Theological Academies received state accreditation. The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation approved the composition of the Expert Council of the Higher Attestation Commission for Theology. A dissertation council on theology was created in the system of the Ministry of Education and Science. This was an important step in consolidating theology as a scientific specialty.

In 2016, an active dialogue with the state, secular society, heterodox and representatives of other religions continued. At the suggestion of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin established the Society of Russian Literature, headed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. The signing by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of an appeal banning abortion caused a great resonance in society.

During the Patriarchal service, the following were formed:

- Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church (2009)

- Bodies of ecclesiastical executive power:

• Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (2011)
• Synodal Department for Relations between Church and Society (2009)
• Synodal Information Department (2009)
• Financial and Economic Department (2009)
• Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks (2010)
• Synodal Department of Prison Ministry (2010)
• Patriarchal Council for Culture (2010)
• Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism (2012), transformed from the Synodal Commission for Monasteries (2010)
• The Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media through the merger of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and the Synodal Information Department (2015)

- Church-wide collegial bodies:

• Patriarchal Commission for Family, Motherhood and Childhood Protection (2013), former names - Patriarchal Commission for Family and Motherhood Protection (2012), Patriarchal Council for Family and Motherhood Protection (2011)
• Patriarchal Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (2015)

- Church-wide postgraduate study and doctoral studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles (2009)

- Interdepartmental Coordination Group for Teaching Theology in Higher Education (2012)

- Church-public council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for perpetuating the memory of the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church (2013), former name - Church-public council for perpetuating the memory of the new martyrs and confessors of Russia (2012)

- The Expert Council on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration (2016), established to replace the abolished General Church Commission on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration (2015)

- Church-public council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the development of Russian church singing (2016).

As the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, in 2009-2017. paid an official visit to the following countries: Azerbaijan (2009, 2010), Armenia (2010, 2011), Belarus (2009, 2012, 2013, 2015), Bulgaria (2012 g.), Brazil (2016), Greece (2013, 2016) Egypt (2010), Israel (2012), Jordan (2012), Kazakhstan (2010, 2012) .), Cyprus (2012), China (2013), Cuba (2016), Lebanon (2011), Moldova (2011, 2013), Palestinian Authority (2012), Paraguay (2016), Poland (2012), Romania (2017), Syria (2011), Serbia (2013, 2014), Turkey (2009, 2014), Ukraine ( 2009, 2010 - 3 times, 2011 - 5 times, 2012, 2013), Montenegro (2013), Switzerland (2016) Estonia (2013), Japan (2012 G.).

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill made 221 trips to 116 dioceses *.

During the ministry of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the following were formed:

• 60 metropolises of the Russian Orthodox Church *;
• 144 dioceses *;
• vicariate in the Moscow diocese (2011);
• Central Asian Metropolitan District (2011);
• Patriarchal Deanery of the Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kingdom of Thailand (2016);
• Patriarchal Deanery of the Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Armenia (2016).

The number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church increased from 159 (at the beginning of 2009) to 303 *.

At the beginning of 2009, there were 200 bishops in the Russian Orthodox Church, and at the beginning of 2018 - 378 *.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill headed 176 episcopal ordinations, including: in 2009 - 5; in 2010 - 9; in 2011 - 31; in 2012 - 41; in 2013 - 22; in 2014 - 18; in 2015 - 22; in 2016 - 13; in 2017 - 14; in 2018 - 1 *.

Awards

Awards of the Russian Orthodox Church

Church-wide awards

• 1973 - Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir (II degree)
• 1986 - Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh (II degree)
• 1996 - Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow (I degree)
• 2001 - Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna (II degree)
• 2004 - Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh (I degree)
• 2006 - Order of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia (II degree)

Orders of Self-Governing and Autonomous Churches of the Russian Orthodox Church

• 2006 - Order of the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves (I degree) (Ukrainian Orthodox Church)
• 2006 - Order “Blessed Governor Stephen the Great and Saint” (II degree) (Orthodox Church of Moldova)
• 2009 - Order of the Martyr Isidor Yuryevsky (I degree) (Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate)
• 2009 - Order in honor of the 450th anniversary of the bringing to the land of the Volyn Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God (Ukrainian Orthodox Church)
• 2011 - Order of St. Theodosius of Chernigov (Ukrainian Orthodox Church)

Awards of Local Orthodox Churches

• 2007 - Order of the Monk Sava the Sanctified (II degree) (Alexandrian Orthodox Church)
• 2009 - Gold Medal of St. Innocent (Orthodox Church in America)
• 2010 - Commemorative Medal of St. Vladimir Theological Seminary (Orthodox Church in America)
• 2010 - Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark (Alexandrian Orthodox Church)
• 2011 - Order of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (I degree) (Orthodox Church of Antioch)
• 2012 - Order of the Holy Tsar Boris (Bulgarian Orthodox Church)
• 2012 - Golden Order of the Apostle Barnabas (Cypriot Orthodox Church)
• 2012 - Order of St. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles (I degree) (Polish Orthodox Church)
• 2012 - Order of the Life-Giving Sepulcher of the Lord "Grand Cross of the Holy Sepulcher Brotherhood" (Jerusalem Orthodox Church)

Awards from other religious organizations and Christian denominations

• 2006 - Order of St. Gregory of Parumalsky (Malankara Church, India)
• 2010 - Order of St. Gregory the Illuminator (Armenian Apostolic Church)
• 2011 - Order of Sheikh-ul-Islam (Caucasus Muslims Office)
• 2012 - Order for Services to the Ummah, I degree (Coordination Center for Muslims of the North Caucasus)

State awards of the Russian Federation

• 1988 - Order of Friendship of Peoples
• 1995 - Order of Friendship
• 1996 - Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Fleet"
• 1997 - Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
• 2001 - Order of Merit for the Fatherland (III degree)
• 2006 - Order of Merit for the Fatherland (II degree)
• 2011 - Order of Alexander Nevsky
• 2016 - Order of Merit for the Fatherland (I degree)

State awards of foreign states

• 2010 - Medal "65 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945." (Transnistrian Moldavian Republic)
• 2010 - Order "Sharaf" (Republic of Azerbaijan)
• 2011 - Order of the Republic ("Ordinul Republicii") (Republic of Moldova)
• 2011 - Order of Saint Mesrop Mashtots (Republic of Armenia)
• 2012 - Order of Friendship of Peoples (Republic of Belarus)
• 2012 - Order of the Star of Bethlehem (Palestinian National Authority)
• 2013 - Grand Cross of the Order of Honor (Hellenic Republic)
• 2013 - Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise I degree (Ukraine)
• 2016 - Order of Jose Marti (Republic of Cuba)
• 2017 - Order of Friendship ("Dostyk") I degree (Kazakhstan)

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was also awarded a number of other federal, departmental and regional state awards; has over 120 awards from Russian and foreign public organizations; is an honorary citizen of the cities of Smolensk, Kaliningrad, Neman (Kaliningrad region), Murom (Vladimir region), Smolensk, Kaliningrad, Kemerovo regions, the Republic of Mordovia and other regions and settlements of the Russian Federation.

since 2010 - Honorary Doctor of Yerevan State University;

… KIRILL (in the world Vladimir Mikhailovich GUNDYAEV) Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne of the Russian Orthodox Church (2008-), Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Deputy Head of the World Russian People's Council Born November 20, 1946 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), in the family of a priest. Grandfather - Vasily Gundyaev- a railway mechanic by profession, one of the active fighters against renovation in the Nizhny Novgorod region under the leadership of Metropolitan Sergius (Stargorodsky, later Patriarch), was arrested in 1922, served time in Solovki; returning from prison, in the mid-50s he became a priest. Father, archpriest Mikhail Vasilievich Gundyaev- in the 30s he was repressed, in the 40s he was a leading engineer of one of the military factories of besieged Leningrad, in 1947 he was ordained a priest, served in the Leningrad diocese. Brother, archpriest Nikolay Mikhailovich Gundyaev, since 1977, rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral of St. Petersburg, professor at St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Sister - Elena, an Orthodox teacher. At school he did not join the pioneers and the Komsomol for religious convictions; became the hero of an anti-religious publication in a city newspaper. In 1961, he left his parental home (the family had lived in Krasnoe Selo near Leningrad since 1959) and went to work at the cartographic bureau of the Leningrad Integrated Geological Expedition. In parallel, he studied at an evening school, which he graduated in 1964. In 1965-67, with the blessing of the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodima (Rotova) studied at the Leningrad Theological Seminary (LDS). In 1967-69 he studied at the Leningrad Theological Academy (LDA), which he graduated with honors. June 1, 1970 received the degree of candidate of theology for the essay "The Formation and Development of the Church Hierarchy and the Teaching of the Orthodox Church on its grace-filled character." During his student years in March-April 1968 he took part in the 3rd All-Christian Peace Congress (CMP) in Prague; in July 1968 - at the IV Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Uppsala. He took part in the annual meetings of the Central Committee of the WCC as a young adviser, was vice-chairman of the youth commission of the Christian Peace Congress (KMK).

On April 3, 1969, he was tonsured a monk by Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod, on April 7, 1969 he was ordained a hierodeacon, and on June 1, 1969, a hieromonk.

After graduating from the academy, he was left at the LDA as a professor scholarship, teacher of dogmatic theology and assistant inspector of the LDA and S. Since August 30, 1970 - personal secretary of Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), ​​chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR). On September 12, 1971, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, then he was appointed representative of the Moscow Patriarchate at the WCC in Geneva, rector of the parish of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. In 1971, he represented theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church at the General Assembly of the world Orthodox youth organization SINDESMOS (at this assembly, theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church became members of SINDESMOS) and was elected a member of its executive committee. In 1972 he accompanied Patriarch Pimen on his trip to the countries of the Middle East, as well as to Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece and Romania. On December 26, 1974, he was appointed rector of the LDA and Ss by dismissal of the representative of the MP at the WCC. Since June 7, 1975 - Chairman of the Diocesan Council of the Leningrad Diocese. Since December 1975 - member of the Central Committee and the Executive Committee of the WCC. On September 9, 1976, he was appointed permanent representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the plenary commission of the WCC. In November 1975, at the Ecumenical Assembly in Nairobi, he condemned the letter of Fr. Gleb Yakunin on the persecution of believers in the USSR and denied violations of the rights of believers. In December 1975 he was elected a member of the Central and Executive Committees of the WCC. On March 3, 1976, at a meeting of the Holy Synod, he was determined to be bishop of Vyborg, vicar of the Leningrad diocese. At the same time, he was introduced to the Commission of the Holy Synod on Christian unity and interchurch relations. Khirotonisan March 14, 1976. On April 27-28, 1976, as a member of the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate, he took part in the negotiations with the representatives of Pax Christie Internationalis. September 9, 1976 approved as a permanent representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the plenary commission of the WCC. From November 18, 1976 to October 12, 1978 - Deputy Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe (according to the report of November 4, 1976, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), ​​Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe, on the need to appoint a deputy to him in connection with the fifth heart attack - with the proposal of Kirill's candidacy). On November 21-28, 1976, he took part in the First Pre-Council Pan-Orthodox Conference in Geneva. From January 22 to January 31, 1977, he headed a delegation from the Leningrad and Novgorod dioceses at the anniversary of the Patriarchal communities in Finland. From 19 to 26 July 1977, at the head of a delegation from theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church, he attended the IX General Assembly of Syndesmos in Chambesy.

From 12 to 19 October 1977, together with Patr. Pimen was on an official visit to Patras. Demetrius I (Patriarchate of Constantinople). From November 23 to December 4, 1977, at the head of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he visited Italy. On December 23-25, 1977, with a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Patriarch Pimen, he took part in the enthronement of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. On June 22-27, 1978, he was present with a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Fifth All-Christian Peace Congress in Prague. On October 6-20, 1978 he took part in negotiations with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. On October 12, 1978, he was relieved of his post as Deputy Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe and was appointed administrator of the patriarchal parishes in Finland (he served them until 1984). From March 27 to March 29, 1979, he participated in the Consultation "The Responsibility of the Churches of the USSR and the USA for Disarmament." From 12 to 24 July of the same year, he headed the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the World Conference "Faith, Science and the Future" in Cambridge (USA). From 9 to 24 November 1979, as part of a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the invitation of the French Episcopal Conference, he visited France. On November 16, 1979, he was appointed a member of the Holy Synod Commission on Christian Unity. From 28 to 31 January 1980, he was present in Budapest at a meeting of representatives of Churches from the socialist countries of Europe and leaders of the WCC. On May 29, 1980, on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, he took part in the first meeting of the Mixed Orthodox-Roman Catholic Commission on Fr. Patmos and Rhodes. August 14-22, 1980 - participant of the 32nd meeting of the Center. Committee of the WCC in Geneva. August 22-25 - member of the delegation of representatives of the Churches in the USSR and the USA (Geneva). On November 25-27, 1980, as part of a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he took part in Bulgaria in the celebration of the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian state. From November 30 to December 12 of the same year, he led the pilgrimage group of representatives and students of the LDA on a trip to the Holy Land. On December 23, 1980, he was appointed a member of the Commission for organizing the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus d 1988. From August 16 to 26, 1981 - a participant in the 33rd meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC in Dresden. From August 31 to September 6, 1981, together with the Patriarch Pimen visited Finland. October 30-November 3, 1981 at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) took part in the meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the VI Assembly of the WCC. November 5-7, 1981 participated in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the National Council of Churches in the United States. On November 23-27, in Amsterdam (Netherlands), on behalf of Christians, the USSR was a member of the hearing group on nuclear disarmament. On January 3-16, 1982 in Lima (Peru) he took part in the meeting of the WCC Commission "Faith and Church Order". In the same year (July 19-28) he took part in the 34th meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC in Geneva. From September 28 to October 4, 1982 he was in Finland, and from October 25 to November 1 - in Japan. From July 24 to August 10, 1983 - a participant in the VI Assembly of the WCC in Vancouver (Canada), at which he was elected to the new composition of the Central Committee of the WCC. On November 26-27 of the same year, as part of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he took part in the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the courtyard of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia. From 20 to 29 February 1984 he took part in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the WCC in Geneva. From May 31 to June 7, on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, he participated in a meeting of the Mixed Theological Commission between the Roman Catholic Church and Local Orthodox Churches, held on Fr. Crete. July 9-18, 1984 - participant of the meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC in Geneva. As part of a Soviet public delegation, he took part in an international conference of scientists and religious leaders from November 19 to 23, 1974 in Italy. December 26, 1984 appointed Archbishop of Smolensk and Vyazemsk. The transfer to Smolensk was a demotion for Archbishop Kirill and testified to disgrace on the part of the state supervising bodies ( "... There are various rumors about the reasons why he fell out of favor. Some associate this with his reformist activity in the field of worship: he not only practiced the use of the Russian language in divine services, but also served Vespers in the evening, and not in the morning, as this is still accepted in the ROC. Another reason for the removal of Vladyka Kirill from the "northern capital" of Russia is his refusal to vote against the resolution of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, which condemned the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. Meanwhile, he also did not vote "for", only "abstained", which, however, at that time was also almost a feat. " - Natalia Babasyan. Metropolitan Kirill's star // "Russian Journal", 04/01/1999). Kirill himself believes that he fell victim to the closed resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU on the fight against religiosity, adopted on the eve of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, for excessive activity as rector of the Theological Academy: during his rector's office, access was opened to LDA and C graduates of secular universities , and in 1978 a regency department was created, to which women could also enroll. From June 2 to June 9, 1985, as part of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was at the VI All Christian Peace Congress in Prague. On November 30, 1988, Archbishop Kirill was entrusted with the development of the Regulations on Theological Schools - a new type of Orthodox two-year educational institutions that train clergy and are called upon to facilitate the solution of the personnel problem. By the decision of the Holy Synod of April 10-11, 1989, the archbishop title of Cyril was changed: instead of "Smolensk and Vyazemsky" - "Smolensk and Kaliningrad". Since November 14, 1989 - Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) and a permanent member of the Holy Synod. This appointment actually testified to the removal of "state disgrace" from him. On February 20, 1990, after the liquidation of foreign Exarchates, Archbishop Kirill was entrusted with the temporary administration of the parishes of the Korsun (until 1993) and The Hague-Netherlands (until 1991) dioceses. In 1990 he was a member of the Commission of the Holy Synod for the preparation of the Local Council. March 20, 1990 appointed chairman of the Commission of the Holy Synod for the revival of religious and moral education and charity. May 8, 1990 became a member of the Synodal Bible Commission. On July 16, 1990, he was appointed a member of the Commission of the Holy Synod to assist efforts in overcoming the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. On October 27, 1990, he was appointed chairman of the Synodal Commission for the preparation of amendments to the Charter on the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church. Since July 20, 1990 - Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Finland. On February 25, 1991 he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. In early 1993, with the sanction of Patriarch Alexy II, he entered the International Preparatory Committee for the convocation of the World Russian Council in Moscow (initiated by Igor Kolchenko's World Russian Congress, Alexei Podberezkin's RAU Corporation, Valery Ganichev's Roman Gazeta, as well as magazines "Our Contemporary" and "Moscow"). After becoming one of the five co-chairmen of the preparatory committee, he spent May 26-28, 1993 at the St. Daniel Monastery, the 1st World Russian Council. Since February 26, 1994 - Member of the Synodal Theological Commission. In February 1995, he headed the II World Russian Council. Shortly before that, President Yeltsin, during his conversation with Kirill in an unofficial setting, promised him to return the lands confiscated from her after the revolution to the Church, and then (under pressure Anatoly Chubais) took the promise back. At the Council, Kirill made a thinly veiled criticism of the authorities for their immoral and anti-national policies. The establishment of the "World Russian Council" was declared as a "permanent above-party forum" under the auspices of the Church, four co-chairmen of the Council were elected (Metropolitan Kirill, I. Kolchenko, V. Ganichev, Natalia Narochnitskaya). Under the influence of radicals ( Mikhail Astafiev , Ksenia Myalo, N. Narochnitskaya, I. Kolchenko) The Council adopted a number of purely political rather radical anti-Western declarations, the adoption of which the church hierarchs headed by Kirill did not interfere. In the interval between February and December 1995, Kirill tempered the opposition of the "above-party forum" he headed, and at the III World Russian Council in early December 1995 did not allow any harsh political statements to be adopted. The organization was renamed the World Russian People's Council, the head of which was unanimously elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, and one of his deputies was Metropolitan Kirill. Since August 2, 1995 - Member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation. In 1996 - a member of the Joint Commission of the Constantinople and Moscow Patriarchates on the "Estonian question". Since June 6, 1996 - Chairman of the working group of the Holy Synod on the development of a draft concept that reflects the general church view on issues of church-state relations and the problems of modern society as a whole. In 1996 he became a member of the board of directors of the Peresvet bank. In September 1996, the Moscow News newspaper (N34) published a report that the DECR, headed by Metropolitan Kirill, in 1994-96. organized in 1994-1996 the import of excisable goods (primarily cigarettes) bypassing customs duties, under the guise of humanitarian aid, in the amount of tens of millions of dollars and in the amount of tens of thousands of tons. The accusations were supported by other popular secular newspapers (in particular, Moskovsky Komsomolets, a journalist Sergey Bychkov). It is believed that the tacit initiator of these accusations was the then head of the MP, Archbishop of Solnechnogorsk. Sergiy (Fomin)... To investigate these messages, an intra-church commission was created, headed by the archbishop. Sergius (Fomin)... However, the position of Metropolitan Kirill, who denied the deliberate import of cigarettes into the country and said that the church could not refuse the gift imposed on it, was supported by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1997. He took an active part in the preparation of the law "On freedom of conscience and on religious associations", approved by President Yeltsin on September 26, 1997. In March 2001, he came up with a proposal to transfer part of the income tax of Russians to the budget of religious organizations, including the Russian Orthodox Church. In May 2001, the journalist of "Moskovsky Komsomolets" Sergey Bychkov published an article "The Metropolitan from the Snuffbox", in which he repeated the previous accusations against Metropolitan Kirill about the import of tobacco, and also for the first time publicly identified Kirill with the WCC leader "Agent Mikhailov", mentioned in previously published materials of the Supreme Soviet Commission ("Yakunin-Ponomarev Commission ") on the links between the KGB and the Russian Orthodox Church during the Soviet era. On December 6, 2008, at an emergency meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with the death of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Kirill was elected Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne by secret ballot. Supporter of active intervention of the Church in secular life and politics, including its influence on government from the position of "Priesthood above the Kingdom"

Since 1995, on Saturdays, he has been hosting the TV show "The Word of the Shepherd" on ORT.

Hobby - alpine skiing. Lives in the official residence of the DECR in Serebryany Bor (Moscow). In 2002 he bought a penthouse in the House on the Embankment overlooking the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (the apartment is registered to Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev, "what is the corresponding entry in the cadastral register"(The New Times. # 50, December 15, 2008). Appeared in the media "information about the purchase of a villa by the Metropolitan in Switzerland."(ibid.).

In August 1993, he was awarded the international Lovia Peace Prize, awarded to him by the Public Committee “Peace Forum of Loviisa” headed by Tellervo Koivisto, wife of the President of Finland (this prize is awarded every three years to a peacekeeping figure who has made a particularly significant contribution).

Decorated with the Church Orders of St. equalap. book Vladimir II degree, Venerable Sergius of Radonezh I and II degree, St. blgv. book Daniel of Moscow I degree, St. Innocent, Met. Moscow and Kolomna, II degree, St. Alexy of Moscow, II degree, orders of many Local Orthodox Churches; other church awards: commemorative panagia (1977), personalized panagia (1988). Has state awards: the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1988, to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus), the Order of Friendship (1996), "For Services to the Fatherland" III degree, medals "50 years of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "300 years to the Russian fleet "," In commemoration of the 850th anniversary of Moscow "; awarded the public order of St. George I degree (1998, from the Russian Chamber of Personality). Sources:
The official biography of Kirill on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church "Patriarchia.ru"; database "Prosopographer - face descriptor" materials by N. Mitrokhin in the database "Labyrinth"

Sergey Bychkov:
In 1992, the Bishops' Council formed its own commission, headed by Bishop Alexander of Kostroma and Galich. While the priest Gleb Yakunin and Lev Ponomarev, then deputies of the Supreme Soviet, were figuring out their nicknames and assignments, Vladyka Gundyaev ( nickname - agent Mikhailov) showed remarkable ingenuity and began to buy up archival documents. Having concentrated a powerful base of incriminating evidence, including on the patriarch, over the past 10 years he has deftly manipulated documents, shutting the mouths of overly zealous bishops. When the patriarch tries to reason with him, all of a sudden some papers appear in the media, tarnishing the reputation of His Holiness. Unfortunately, the work of the deputy commission ended in nothing. And the synodal one did not begin work at all.
http://www.mk.ru/blogs/idmk/2001/05/25/mk-daily/34819/

Mention of "agent Mikhailov" in the materials of the Yakunin-Ponomarev commission:
1973 year
January
l. 32. Agents of the KGB "Magister" and "Mikhailov"... These agents had a beneficial influence on the work of the Council and provided materials of operational interest about the situation in the WCC and characterizing the data on individual figures.
[...]
Deputy head of the 4th department of the 5th KGB Directorate under the USSR Council of Ministers, Lieutenant Colonel Fitsev.
NB:
the same material mentions "Mikhailov" as a Baptist:
Agent names of agents from among the Baptist leadership: "Mikhailov", "Abramov", "Fedorov", "Nevsky" "Kesarev". Mentions (albeit without a name) - according to Fr. Yakov Krotova- about Kirill Gundyaev in the book of memoirs about. Avgustina Nikitina: [Father Vitaly Borovoy about the denunciation of him in 1974]: "Oh, so this is Archpriest such and such, our secretary in Geneva hurried in advance and reported on me! After all, he was during this conversation. And, as always, he mixed everything up "(P. 170). [...]
“Fr. Vitaly recovered from the shocks, his health was noticeably shaken. Nevertheless, he“ sat out ”four chairmen in the DECR, and only under the fifth, in 1997, he became a freelance consultant to the DECR. [...] And the Geneva archpriest-secretary, who laid the father of the protopresbyter, still flashes on the "box" and teaches us pariotism from the screen.
Hush, hush, gentlemen!
Mr. Iscariot,
Patriot of patriots
Heading here! "
(S. 171-172).

Patriarch Kirill is a famous Russian religious figure. All his life this man, for certain reasons, devoted himself to serving God and the church. This patriarch was able to become one of the most famous religious figures in the Russian Federation, some people admire his personality, and some - censure.

It is worth noting that many rumors and a variety of gossip were previously associated with the patriarch. Some actually happened, some far-fetched. But what was at the origin? How did Cyril become a minister of the church? How well does he fulfill his obligations and does he generally love what he does?

Patriarch Kirill is not an American, and not even a domestic star, so he does not really need to chase the elusive youth or carefully monitor his figure. By the way, Patriarch Kirill's photo in his youth and now for comparison is very easy to find on the Internet. For him, as a church employee, it is much more profitable to look more respectable. So it becomes clear that he doesn't really care about his height, weight, age. How old is Patriarch Kirill is a simple question. He is now 71 years old. With a height of 178 centimeters, a man weighs 92 kilograms.

Despite all of the above, the man tries to keep track of his own weight, from time to time goes in for swimming, often walks. As you can see, he remembers the truth that you also need to take care of yourself. After all, "God protects those who are saved."

Biography of Patriarch Kirill

Patriarch Kirill (birth name - Vladimir Gundyaev) was born in the late autumn of 1946. An interesting case is worth noting. When, as a baby, his mother first came to church with him, the boy accidentally walked through the Royal Gate. The woman immediately took him to the pastor so that he would forgive the sin, but the priest only dismissed him with the words: "He will be a bishop." Probably, it was the fate of little Vladimir to take the long and thorny path of ministry to the church. Of course, it was still a long way from holding a big position, but at the same time, everything that happened in his life throughout his life, all these events ultimately led to one single conclusion - becoming an important person in the church. And to receive the title of patriarch, as well as to adopt a new name, Vladimir did not come immediately.

His mother - Raisa Gundyaeva - worked as a school teacher and taught German. And father - Mikhail Gundyaev - it is worth noting that he was also a clergyman. It is difficult to deny that this fact also had a certain influence on the choice of Vladimir's future path in life. Although, here we can say that the whole family of the future patriarch was associated with religion. His grandfather, for example, was often sent into exile as accused in connection with the Christian church. Brother - Nikolai - was a priest in the St. Petersburg cathedral. And my sister, Elena, held the post of director at a theological gymnasium.

Before starting his own religious activity, the future patriarch graduated from school in only eight classes. He tried in geology, but after a few years he entered the seminary, and then the theological academy.

The guy received the name Cyril after taking monasticism. From that very moment, the biography of Patriarch Kirill begins as a minister of the church.

Repeatedly he took part in what related to the development of the Moscow Patriarchate. Starting in the nineties, Kirill began to pay much more attention to relations with society, as well as much more energy to develop this activity. So, in the early nineties, a program appeared on television with his participation - "The Word of the Shepherd." Various religious topics were dealt with in it, and it was very popular not only among ordinary people, but also among high officials.

A year later, Patriarch Kirill began to actively cooperate with the Russian government. Often he even became a full-fledged member of a variety of advisory organizations. Organized various cultural events. For example, the celebration of two thousand years of Christianity. Moreover, according to information obtained as a result of a survey of the local population in 2012, most of the common people approve of the work of the patriarch.

Among other things, Patriarch Kirill maintains a Facebook profile. There he corresponds with visitors to his page, answers questions. Very often he gives answers to those questions that are of particular interest to other people. There are more than five hundred posts on his profile on this social network. He is also the author of books on religion and clergy.

Personal life of Patriarch Kirill

It is worth noting, first of all, that the personal life of Patriarch Kirill simply does not exist, at least according to official sources. He is obliged to serve the church, and all priests, as you know, take a vow of celibacy. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing strange in the fact that this person, despite his already rather advanced age, does not have his own family.

In modern parlance, he "married his job." After all, he has already spoken more than once about how important it is to spread the light of religion in the world. How true these words are, hardly anyone can seriously say. But one cannot but take into account the fact that this man is a church servant and a priori he should not have love affairs.

Family of Patriarch Kirill

Taking into account all of the above, it can be assumed that the family of Patriarch Kirill is the same clergy like himself. He has no official wife, as well as no children. The most important thing, in his opinion, is to spend life dedicating it to the development of the community of religious houses at the international level.

And he does it very well, because even in his young years he successfully overcame the path of a clergyman in order to eventually achieve who he is now. It is difficult to say whether he suffers from the fact that he did not leave behind heirs. But, if you look at it from the other side, he doesn't have much time for this either. And it cannot be said that he is lonely, because believers constantly come to him, for advice or with requests.

Patriarch Kirill on a yacht with girls

The patriarch, although he is not a singer or actor, nevertheless, he is a well-known throughout the country, a public person. It is not surprising that scandals gather around this person with enviable regularity. Very often he was accused of all sorts of sins. And it's difficult to make out where the truth is, and where the fiction is. Once there was even a rumor that Patriarch Kirill often spends his free time on a yacht with girls, and spends all church receipts on personal benefits.

The patriarch himself, of course, denies such rumors or even simply ignores them, claiming that these are only slander and slander on the part of ill-wishers and those who go against the church. Of course, everyone is sinful, but it is not easy to assert how reliable the accusations against Kirill are. After all, he serves God with faith and truth, but, be that as it may, he is a man.

Yaponchik and Patriarch Kirill are one person

It must be added that the personality of the patriarch is often associated not only with gossip, but also with a variety of rumors. Sometimes it even reaches the absurd. Take at least the recent rumor that Yaponchik and Patriarch Kirill are one person. This rumor mentions the famous thief Mishka Yaponchik, who died in the early 2000s.

Some people notice striking coincidences among these celebrities. So, for example, they say that the patriarch has a problematic past and thus he hid so as not to go to jail. This rumor was neither confirmed nor denied, but most of the parishioners believe that these are the tricks of the patriarch's ill-wishers who want to tarnish his dignity.

Children of Patriarch Kirill

As noted earlier, this person has no natural children. The children of Patriarch Kirill are believers. Parishioners and those in need of support or advice. This is what the patriarch himself asserts. He said many times that he could help those who came to him. For this, he also began to master social networks so that he could give answers to the most interesting questions.

There is a possibility, of course, that he would like to have children of his own. But the presence of dignity does not allow indulging in such worldly pleasures as a quiet life, a spouse and a child. But Vladimir preferred the path of a clergyman.

Patriarch Kirill's wife

The wife of Patriarch Kirill - for a man, this is a topic that it is better not to raise. After all, when he stepped on the path of a minister of the church, having made this choice, he completely deprived himself of love. And although you can often hear that Cyril committed a sin, that he was often seen surrounded by young girls, nothing has been officially proven.

Most people believe that this is only fiction, and that in reality the patriarch serves his church faithfully and does not plan to retreat from his path. According to official information, this priest has neither children nor a beloved wife. He considers the church to be his home, and calls the parishioners children.

How much does Patriarch Kirill's watch cost?

Some time ago, a clock could be seen at this churchman. And even an ordinary person, at one glance at them, can understand that the cost of a watch is far from small. Therefore, almost immediately after this, rumors spread that Cyril was very much abusing his existing powers, and wasting church receipts for personal purposes.

Many were interested in the question: how much does Patriarch Kirill's watch cost? The patriarch himself actively denied everything and even tried to hide the expensive thing from prying eyes, but nevertheless it became known that this watch by Patriarch Kirill Breguet is a fairly well-known brand, and they cost about 30 thousand euros. As you can see, the Holy Father does not mind sometimes pampering himself with too expensive trinkets.

Patriarch Kirill "Word of the Shepherd"

It has already been mentioned that Patriarch Kirill has already collaborated with society more than once in order to bring talk about God to the people. A similar project of his was the popular on television program "Word of the Shepherd" with his participation. Patriarch Kirill chaired the "Word of the Shepherd", considering a variety of religious topics, answering pressing questions. And although it seems that at present there are few people watching religious channels, or just programs, a little earlier this program gained immense popularity not only among lay people, but also among officials. The TV show was launched in order to help anyone who wants to reconsider their views on life or needs help.

The Patriarch never refused to help those who tried to fix their lives. Of course, it was not without evil tongues, which said that all this is required by Cyril only to attract more attention to himself. It is difficult to say how reliable this is, but, be that as it may, one must respect his dignity. As for rumors, they have always surrounded public people.

Patriarch is the highest title of clergy. Initially, this dignity was assigned to six bishops: Alexandria, Rome, Israel, Bulgaria, Constantinople and Antioch. Currently, the Patriarch is elected by the assembly of clergy. He is entrusted with power over all churches, cathedrals and temples in the country. At present, in the Russian Federation, this position is held by the clergyman Kirill. The biography of Patriarch Kirill is of interest to many Orthodox residents of the country.

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

Job, who was elected by the Moscow Council in 1589, became the first Patriarch of Russia, and remained in this position until 1607. The second priest to take this place was Hermogenes. The next Russian Patriarchs were Filaret, Nikon, Iosaph 1, Adrian.

In 1721, the Holy Synod was created, which abolished the Patriarchate. Instead, a new position was introduced - Guardian of the Patriarchal Throne, which lasted until 1917.

In 1917, the All-Russian Local Council restored the Patriarchate. The position was taken by the priest Tikhon, who died after 8 years. After that, the post of Patriarch was vacant for a long time.

In 1943, a Council of 19 hierarchs elected a new Patriarch. This position was taken by Metropolitan Sergius, who was the only candidate. After his death, the Patriarchs of All Russia were Alexy, Pimen, Alexy 2.

In 2009, this post was taken by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

A family

Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich was born in the city of Leningrad on November 20, 1946. His father Mikhail Vasilyevich worked as a chief mechanic at an engineering plant. He later completed courses in worship and dedicated his life to the church. Despite the fact that Mikhail Vasilyevich was prosecuted, he was able to achieve high achievements in the career of a priest. In 1960, he became rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church. We continue to talk about the biography of Patriarch Kirill.

The mother of the patriarch, Raisa Vladimirovna, worked as a teacher of the German language at school. Currently, the father and mother of Patriarch Kirill have passed away. They were buried at the Bolsheokhtinskoye cemetery in St. Petersburg. The location of the burials is connected with the fact that the father of Patriarch Kirill worked as a priest in the Nikolsky Church at this cemetery in the last years of his life.

The current patriarch of All Russia was not the only child of his parents. The family had three children. Nikolai is the eldest son, Vladimir and Elena are the younger sister.

Brother and sister also linked their lives with Orthodoxy. Elena is the director of an Orthodox gymnasium, and her brother is a priest. For some time he taught at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, and later served as rector.

Age

Many believers are interested in the question, how old is Patriarch Kirill? Everyone knows that the post of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is held by clergy who are of advanced age. A person applying for this dignity must be a worthy priest and have some success. Achieving high results in the career of a priest takes a long time. Therefore, all people entering the honorary post of Patriarch are of old age.

At the time of taking office, Patriarch Kirill was 63 years old. Currently 72 years old. He does not follow fashion and innovations, he looks in accordance with his age. With a height of 178 cm, the weight is 92 kg.

Education

The biography of Patriarch Kirill is of interest to many residents of Russia. This is not surprising, because he is a well-known personality.

Born into an ordinary Soviet family, Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich graduated from school (8 classes) in Leningrad, received his secondary education. After that, he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, which he successfully graduated from. The Seminary became the main education of Patriarch Kirill. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, he became a priest. In 1969, the future Patriarch took monastic vows and received the name Cyril.

A family

Many people are interested not only in the biography of Patriarch Kirill, but also in his family. Due to the fact that in 1969 Vladimir Mikhailovich accepted monasticism, having given a voluntary oath of service to God, he has no wife and children. A person who has taken monastic vows cannot tie the knot and have children.

The family of Patriarch Kirill is a parishioner, each of whom he tries to pay attention to.

Carier start

As is already known, Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev devoted almost his entire life to divine services. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The beginning of his church career can be attributed to April 3, 1969. On this day, the priest became a monk. Then, on April 7, 1969, Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad conferred on him the rank of hierodeacon. And a little later, on July 1, 1969, Kirill received the rank of hieromonk. The priest's career developed rapidly.

In 1970, the hieromonk graduated from the Theological Academy in Leningrad. Having defended his dissertation, he received a Ph.D. in theology and was left at the academy as a teacher and assistant inspector.

In 1971, Cyril received a new rank - archimandrite. In the same year, the Geneva World Church Council appoints him as a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In 1974 the priest became the rector of the Leningrad Theological Seminary. He made a huge contribution to the development of the educational institution. For the first time, a class was opened for them, in which girls studied. Subsequently, they became mothers. And also Cyril introduced a new discipline - physical education.

Career stage - bishopric

In 1976, the priest was elevated to the rank of bishop by the metropolitans of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In September of the following year, Cyril becomes archbishop. During this period, he held such high positions as chairman of parishes in Finland and the Department for External Church Relations.

In 1983, the archbishop began teaching at the Moscow Theological Academy. The following year, Cyril becomes Archbishop of Vyazemsky and Smolensk. Not agreeing with the government of the USSR, he had to leave the post of rector of the Leningrad Theological Seminary. The transfer to the provinces was a kind of demotion. Five years later, the priest received a new appointment. He became Archbishop of Kaliningrad and Smolensk.

In 1990, the archbishop was appointed chairman of the Holy Synod. The next year he received the rank of Metropolitan. And since 1994, he became the host of the television program "Word of the Shepherd", which can be seen on Channel One.

Under his leadership, many projects related to family problems and church-state ones were developed and introduced.

In 2008, after the death of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, he was elected Patriarchal Locum Tenens.

Position of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens

After the death of Patriarch Alexy, Metropolitan Kirill assumed the post of Patriarchal Locum Tenens. The clergy needed to select worthy candidates for the post of the new Patriarch.

On January 15, 2009, candidates for the office were selected, and on January 27, 2009, the Local Council in Moscow elected a new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Cyril became it.

Procedure for Election to the Patriarchal Throne

There were only three applicants for the Patriarchal throne. Each of them was worthy of this high position.

On January 25, 2009, a meeting of clergy was held, at which Metropolitan Kirill was nominated as a candidate for the post of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. His candidacy won 50% of the vote.

The priest became the 16th Russian Patriarch. Upon taking office, he received congratulations from the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, as well as from Pope Benedict.

During the enthronement, which took place on February 1, 2009, the Patriarch of Alexandria and representatives of other churches (foreign): Albanian and Polish were present. The ceremony was also attended by Vladimir Putin, Dmitry and Svetlana Medvedev, Naina Yeltsina and President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin.

Patriarchate

Immediately after taking office, the head of the Russian church attended a reception in the Kremlin. This event was attended by high-ranking clergy (bishops), as well as the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. At the reception, problems related to the interaction of church and state were discussed. The newly minted Patriarch spoke out that these relations should be harmonious.

Taking the office of a clergyman began with visiting dioceses, the first of which was Smolensk. Patriarch Kirill spoke about the need to fill the souls and hearts of parishioners with kindness and enlightenment. That it is worth striving for this, and not for the temples to be filled.

At the end of March 2009, the priest announced his decision to retain the right to govern the Baltic and Kaliningrad diocese.

The beginning of July 2009 became significant for the Russian Orthodox Church in that relations between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates have finally improved. Patriarch Kirill paid an official visit to Turkey, where he met with the Ecumenical Patriarch, as well as with the Prime Minister of Turkey. At the meeting, the terms of communication and interaction were discussed.

At a meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, the clergyman said that Kiev is very important for the Russian Church. The official visit of the Patriarch to this country, which lasted for several days, was accompanied not only by public unrest, but also by criticism of the priest. He was accused of possessing too expensive things, which does not correspond to the position of the Patriarch. The subject for criticism was a watch of high value, which was noticed on the hand of a clergyman.

Despite all the accusations, the head of the Russian church behaved with dignity, not paying attention to criticism. He visited several monasteries and churches, declaring that he was ready to live in Kiev for some part of the year.

In September 2009, an official visit to Belarus was made. When meeting with the country's President Alexander Lukashenko, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia declared the need for a religious union between Russia and Belarus.

In 2010, the priest worked to improve relations with the Roman Catholic Church. And also participated in the inauguration of the President of Ukraine.

2011 became the year of wandering. The Patriarch visited 19 dioceses located not only in Russia, but in Moldova and Ukraine.

2012 was a sad year for the Russian Orthodox Church. Everyone remembers the illegal actions committed by a group of people in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The attacks and criticism from the press against the Patriarch did not stop for a long time, nevertheless, according to a sociological survey, the majority of the country's Orthodox population supported the priest and trusted him. In the same year, Kirill became a Facebook user. From this moment on, anyone can communicate with the Patriarch.

Patriarch Kirill introduced many innovations. The social activities, which he is engaged in at the present time, are varied.

Creativity and foreign policy

In addition to his main Orthodox activities, Patriarch Kirill is also actively involved in foreign policy activities. He also became the author of several books written in the religious genre:

1. "Faith and Unbelief".
2. "Seven words about the Russian world".
3. "Thoughts for every day of the year."
4. "The Mystery of Repentance. Lenten Confessions".
5. "Word of the Primate".

In addition to the fact that the Patriarch wrote several books, he became the author of over 500 religious publications.

The clergyman takes an active part in various inter-Christian conferences, communicates with representatives of other world religions.

The residence of Patriarch Kirill is located at the following address: Moscow, Central Administrative District, Khamovniki District, Chisty Lane, Building 5. The building is an architectural monument of federal significance. It has a rich and long history. Until the beginning of the Second World War, the building was intended to house German ambassadors and diplomats. The patriarchal residence has been located in the building since 1943. The mansion was provided by Joseph Stalin himself. He informed Metropolitans Sergius, Nicholas and Alexy about this at a personal meeting. In addition to the residence, transport was also provided.

At the end of the 80s, the Patriarchal Residence became unusable, the building required major repairs. By this time, a new residence had already been built, which was located on the territory of the Danilovsky Monastery. After the completion of the renovation, the mansion in Chisty Pereulok became only a working place for the Patriarchs, a meeting place for journalists and foreign delegations. After the death of Patriarch Alexy, many rooms here were sealed. Currently, the seals have been removed from all premises.

There is also another residence of Patriarch Kirill. She is in Peredelkino. Here he not only works, but also lives.

Awards

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of All Russia has received many awards over the long period of his church activity. These are not only church achievements, but also state ones.

State awards of Patriarch Kirill:

1. Commendation from the President of the Russian Federation in 1995.
2. Medal "Anniversary of the Russian Fleet" (for the 300th anniversary).
3. Medal in honor of the 850th anniversary of Moscow.
4. Order of Friendship.
5. Order of Merit to the Patronymic.
6. Order of Friendship of Peoples.
7. Medal "For Distinction in Service".

Church awards:

1. Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
2. Order of St. Daniel of Moscow.
3. Order of the Grand Duke Vladimir.
4. Medal of the Apostle Peter.
5. Order of the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Alexy.

Awards of Orthodox Churches:

1. Order of the Jerusalem Church.
2. Order of the Georgian Church.
3. Order of the Bulgarian Church.
4. Order of the Serbian Church.
5. Order of the Polish Church.
6. Order of the Alexandrian Church.

In addition to various awards, Patriarch Kirill is an honorary citizen of many regions of the Russian Federation:

1. Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region.
2. Smolensk and Smolensk region.
3. The city of the Nemunas.
4. Auber town in Argentina.

Cyril the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is a famous person known to every Orthodox person in the Russian Federation. His services to the state, church and the Russian Orthodox people are undeniable. Despite how old Patriarch Kirill is, he is doing an excellent job of his duties. The priest not only helps people, guiding them on the right path, but is also engaged in active social and foreign policy activities. He is the owner of many state and church awards. Moreover, Patriarch Kirill is a holder of academic degrees and an honorary citizen of several cities and regions of Russia. Many believers go to Moscow to Patriarch Kirill for help and Blessings.