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A New Church for War Veterans Has Muscovites Struggling to Save Their Park

The powerful Russian Orthodox Church's new memorial cathedral is part of an ambitious expansion plan. Despite the odds, locals are uniting against it.

church and state

Russia Halts Issue of New 1,000-Ruble Bills After Church Complaints

The 1,000 ruble bill featured Kazan’s Söyembikä Tower, which is topped with an Islamic crescent, and a museum in a former Orthodox cathedral that is...

Russian Bishop Known as 'Putin’s Confessor' Named Head of Crimea Diocese

Metropolitan Tikhon’s links to Putin have been scrutinized since the late 1990s.

Russian Orthodox Leader Calls on Clerics to Forgo Luxurious Lifestyles

Numerous media reports have documented Patriarch Kirill's penchant for private air travel, expensive watches and other luxuries.

risky relocation

In Photos: Renowned Orthodox Icon Displayed at Moscow Cathedral

Andrei Rublev's "Trinity," one of the most important Russian icons, was moved despite its extremely fragile state.

Head of Kyiv Monastery Says Monks to Defy Eviction Order

The branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church announced it had broken with the Russian Orthodox Church after its leader Patriarch Kirill backed Moscow's...

'Fake ceasefire'

Little Let-Up in Fighting as Ukraine, Russia Mark Orthodox Christmas

Ukrainians and Russians on Saturday marked Orthodox Christmas under the shadow of war, as fighting persisted despite Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin...

Holiday loneliness

Lone Putin Observes Christmas at Kremlin Church

Russian President Vladimir Putin stood alone at a midnight service at a Kremlin church as he marked Orthodox Christmas darkened by Moscow's assault on...

Pope Says Meeting With Russian Orthodox Patriarch Scrapped

Pope Francis has condemned Russia's military operation in Ukraine while Patriarch Kirill has been a staunch supporter of the campaign.

Russian Patriarch, Pope Urge 'Just Peace' in Ukraine

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church is a key pillar of Putin's ruling apparatus.

Amsterdam's Orthodox Clergy Split From Moscow Patriarch

The church clergy said that they would no longer mention the name of the Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in their liturgy because...

Patriarch Kirill Spotted Wearing Mask at Church Synod

The Open Media news website reported that this is the first time the Russian Orthodox leader has been seen in a mask in public.

Russians Celebrate Epiphany With a Bone-Chilling Bath

Both believers and non-believers take the plunge.

Russia Probes Child Torture Reports at Seized Monastery

The Sredneuralsk women’s monastery is under the control of excommunicated priest Father Sergei Romanov.

Fire and Brimstone: The Rise and Fall of Russia’s Coronavirus-Denying Rebel Priest

The Russian Orthodox Church is trying to remove defrocked, ultraconservative Father Sergei Romanov from a monastery he has taken over by force.

Infected clergy

Russian Orthodox Priests Test Positive for Coronavirus

They are believed to be the first Russian Orthodox priests to be infected with the fast-spreading virus in Russia.

Russia’s Orthodox Church Sticks to Its Traditions Despite Coronavirus Threat

As institutions across Russia close down to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Church sees closing its doors as a last resort.

Moscow Monastery Launches Nightly Anti-Coronavirus Processions

Priests will walk the sidewalks reciting prayers, carrying an icon and splashing holy water on the monastery walls.

DISINFECTED DEVOTION

Russian Orthodox Church Adopts Sweeping Anti-Coronavirus Rules

Worshippers will not be allowed to kiss the cross at the end of a liturgy and icons will be disinfected each time they are kissed.

Is Russia’s Church About to Ban Priests From Blessing Nukes?

Soon, you might not be able to get a priest's blessing for a weapon of mass destruction in Russia.

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