Patriarchate of Moscow and all the Rus'
Coordinates: 55°45′4″N 37°37′2″E / 55.75111°N 37.61722°E
| Russian Orthodox Church (Patriarchate of Moscow) |
|
 Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow |
|
| Founder | Apostle Andrew, Vladimir the Great "Baptism of Rus'" in 988 |
| Independence | 1589 |
| Recognition | as a separate patriarchate in 1589 by Ecumenical Patriarchate |
| Primate | Patriarch Kirill |
| Headquarters | Moscow, Russia |
| Territory | Russian Federation |
| Possessions |  Russia Ukraine Belarus Moldova Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Tajikistan Azerbaijan Lithuania Latvia Estonia Israel |
| Language | Church Slavonic |
| Adherents | 150,000,000 adherents to Russian Orthodoxy estimated worldwide (2011)[1] |
| Website | www.patriarchia.ru |
The Patriarchate of Moscow (Russian: патриархат Московский и всея Руси) is headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, currently Kirill I of Moscow and is the supreme patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church. in 1589, Constantinople came to recognize Russia's independence and led the Orthodox Church in declaring Russia also to be a patriarchate, numbering Moscow's bishop as fifth in rank behind the ancient patriarchates. The Russian Orthodox Church became the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world. The name "Moscow Patriarchate" is often used to distinguish the religious association from other Orthodox organizations of the Russian tradition, are not in communion with the Patriarch of Moscow and have a greater degree of administrative independence from the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate. The seat of the Moscow Patriarchate is at Danilov Monastery.
[edit] History
In 1316 the Metropolitan of Kiev changed his see to the city of Vladimir, and in 1322 moved again to Moscow. In 1589, the see was elevated to a Patriarchate. The Patriarchate was abolished by Peter the Great in 1721 and replaced by the Most Holy Synod, and the Bishop of Moscow came to be called a Metropolitan again. The Patriarchate was restored in 1917 and suspended by the Soviet authorities in 1925. It was reinstituted for the last time in 1943 during World War II by the initiative of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
[edit] See Also
- Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus'
- Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow
- Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
- Christianization of Kievan Rus'
