Gundyaev Kirill biography state. Kirill Gundyaev: little-known biography pages

Evgraf Duluman
(According to documents and official
messages on the Internet)

Lidia Mikhailovna Leonova

The Patriarch declared her to be his non-existent second cousin.

None of the official biographies of Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev will ever include the story of his acquaintance with Lidia Mikhailovna Leonova, the young and pretty daughter of the head of the catering department of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU. For 30 years now, they have had the warmest relations, which, by the way, gave rise to some Western journalists who are poorly versed in Orthodox canons to call Vladyka Kirill an "exemplary family man." They say that now a number of commercial enterprises are registered at the home address of Lidia Mikhailovna in Smolensk, one way or another connected with the business of the metropolitan himself.

... The name of Lydia Leonova first surfaced in the late 90s - when it turned out that several commercial structures were registered to her in Smolensk, where the current Patriarch Kirill was the diocesan bishop. These structures, in particular, were also engaged in the notorious tobacco business - they controlled some kind of tobacco trade there, they were engaged in investments of various kinds.

There is reason to believe that Lidia Leonova, whom the future patriarch brought with him to Smolensk from Leningrad, is his kind of financial agent, at least, and a fairly close person, since they live in the same apartment.

... She may be a distant relative, perhaps a spiritual child, or simply a tenant. In any case, for true believers, a wave of provocative articles is obvious as a result of the fight against Putin and United Russia. And the believer will not be shaken in faith even by a patriarch with three sixes on his forehead. For they do not believe in the patriarch, but in God. The Church is an institution for preserving knowledge and its purity, as well as helping those who go to God with advice and rituals. As long as Cyril does not introduce new trends from himself into the church, it does not matter what the newspapers write about him. Moreover, the former official in question, apparently, is on good terms with the authorities, including Putin. Why didn't Putin "protect" him then?

... It's a family thing for them, to manage other people's money. After all, the “sister” should receive compensation. Or Kirill is scorched and he and his "sister" still have common housekeeping, and he really, how innocently the Western press wrote, "a decent family man."

... The official historiography is silent about Mrs. Leonova. Therefore, its status is incomprehensible to us: so we could at least refer to some official document. There is an unofficial historiography that originates from the publication of the German magazine "Stern" around 1993-1994, where Metropolitan Kirill is described as "an exemplary family man." And it is even claimed that he has children. Further, our portal, citing various sources - in particular, Sergei Bychkov from Moskovsky Komsomolets, who conducted various investigations regarding the life of the future patriarch - wrote for several years that this Mrs. Leonova is the daughter of a certain official from the Leningrad regional party committee. The future patriarch met her back in the early 70s, when he was a student at the Leningrad Theological Academy. And now, supposedly since then, she has accompanied him everywhere - she lived in Smolensk, and now in Moscow. Therefore, the word "sister", perhaps, should be understood in a spiritual sense, and not in a physiological one.

Official biography

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 renovationism in the Nizhny Novgorod region under the leadership of Metropolitan Sergius (Stargorodsky, later Patriarch), was arrested in 1922, served time in Solovki; after returning from prison, in the mid-1950s he became a priest. Father, Archpriest Mikhail Vasilyevich Gundyaev - was repressed in the 30s, in the 40s he was the leading engineer of one of the military factories of besieged Leningrad, ordained a priest in 1947, served in the Leningrad diocese. Brother, Archpriest Nikolai Mikhailovich Gundyaev, since 1977 rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg, professor at St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Sister - Elena, an Orthodox teacher.

At school, due to religious beliefs, he did not join the pioneers and the Komsomol; became the hero of an anti-religious publication in the city newspaper.

In 1961 he left his parental home (since 1959 the family lived in Krasnoe Selo near Leningrad) and went to work in the cartographic bureau of the Leningrad Complex Geological Expedition. In parallel, he studied at an evening school, which he graduated in 1964.

In 1965-67, with the blessing of Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod, he studied at the Leningrad Theological Seminary (LDS).

In 1967-69 he studied at the Leningrad Theological Academy (LDA), from which he graduated with honors. On June 1, 1970, he received a Ph.D. in theology for his essay "The Formation and Development of the Church Hierarchy and the Teaching of the Orthodox Church about Her Gracious Character."
In his student years in March-April 1968, he participated in the 3rd All-Christian Peace Congress (VMK) in Prague; in July 1968 - in the IV Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Uppsala. He was a participant 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, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodim (Rotov) was tonsured a monk, on April 7, 1969 he was ordained a hierodeacon, on June 1, 1969 - a hieromonk.

After graduating from the academy, he was left at the LDA as a professorial fellow, teacher of dogmatic theology and assistant inspector of the LDAiS.

From 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 appointed representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the All-Russian Church in Geneva, rector of the parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1971, he represented the theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church at the General Assembly of the world Orthodox youth organization SINDESMOS (at this assembly, the 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 C with the dismissal of the representative of the MP at the All-Russian Central Church.

From December 1975 he was a member of the Central Committee and the Executive Committee of the All-Russian Central Committee. On September 9, 1976, he was appointed permanent representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the plenary commission of the WCC.

In December 1975 he was elected a member of the Central and Executive Committees of the WCC.

On April 27-28, 1976, as part of the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate, he participated in negotiations and interviews with representatives of Pax Christi Internationalis.

From November 18, 1976 to October 12, 1978 - Deputy Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe (according to a report dated November 4, 1976 from Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe, about 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 participated 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 diocese at the anniversary of the Patriarchal Communities in Finland.

From July 19 to 26, 1977, at the head of a delegation from the theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church, he attended the IX General Assembly of the Syndesmos in Chambesy.

From October 12 to October 19, 1977, together with Patr. Pimen was on an official visit to Patras. Demetrius I (Patriarchate of Constantinople). From November 23 to December 4, 1977, he visited Italy at the head of a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church. On December 23-25, 1977, with a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Patriarch Pimen, he participated 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. October 6-20, 1978 participated 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 appointed manager 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 July 12 to July 24 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 November 9 to 24, 1979, as part of a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the invitation of the French Episcopal Conference, he visited France.

From January 28 to 31, 1980, he was present in Budapest at a meeting of representatives of Churches from the socialist countries of Europe and leading figures of the WCC.

On May 29, 1980, he participated from the Russian Orthodox Church at the first meeting of the Mixed Orthodox-Roman-Catholic Commission on about. 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 the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he participated in the celebration of the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian state in Bulgaria.

From November 30 to December 12 of the same year, he led a pilgrimage group of LDA representatives and students 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 Russia d 1988.

October 30-November 3, 1981 at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) he 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.

November 23-27 in Amsterdam (Netherlands) from the Christians of the USSR was part of the hearing group on nuclear disarmament.

January 3-16, 1982 in Lima (Peru) participated in the meeting of the Commission of the WCC "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, he was a member of 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 participated in the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia.

From February 20 to 29, 1984, he took part in a meeting of the Executive Committee of the WCC in Geneva.

From May 31 to June 7, from the Russian Orthodox Church, he participated in the meeting of the Mixed Theological Commission between the Roman Catholic Church and
Local Orthodox Churches, held on about. Crete.

As part of the Soviet public delegation, he participated in an international conference of scientists and religious figures from November 19 to 23, 1974 in Italy.

The transfer to Smolensk was a demotion for Archbishop Kirill and testified to disgrace on the part of state supervisory authorities (“... Various rumors circulate about the reasons why he fell out of favor. Some attribute this to his reformist activity in the sphere of worship: he is not only practiced the use of the Russian language in worship, but also served vespers in the evening, and not in the morning, as is customary in the Russian Orthodox Church until now.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 Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, he did not vote "for" either, he only "abstained", which, however, was also almost a feat at that time. "- Natalia Babasyan. Star of Metropolitan Kirill / / "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 Russia, for excessive activity as rector of the Theological Academy: during his rectorship, access to LDA and C was opened for graduates of secular universities , and in 1978, a regency department was created, to which women could also enter.

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 2-year educational institutions that train clergy and are designed to facilitate the solution of the personnel problem.

By the definition of the Holy Synod of April 10-11, 1989, the archbishop's title of Cyril was changed: instead of "Smolensky and Vyazemsky" - "Smolensky and Kaliningrad".

On 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 Biblical Commission. July 16, 1990 appointed member of the Commission of the Holy Synod to promote efforts to overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. On October 27, 1990, he was appointed chairman of the Synodal Commission for the preparation of amendments to the Charter on the management of the ROC.

In early 1993, with the sanction of Patriarch Alexy II, he joined 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"). Becoming one of the five co-chairs of the Preparatory Committee, he held May 26-28, 1993 in St. Danilov Monastery I World Russian Council.

In February 1995 he led the II World Russian Council. Shortly before this, President Yeltsin, during an informal conversation with Kirill, promised him to return the lands confiscated from her after the revolution to the Church, and then (under pressure from Anatoly Chubais) took back the promise. At the Council, Cyril made a thinly veiled criticism of the authorities for immoral and anti-national policies. The establishment of the "World Russian Council" as a "permanent supra-party forum" under the auspices of the Church was declared, four co-chairs of the Council were elected (Metropolitan Kirill, I. Kolchenko, V. Ganichev, Natalya 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 Cyril did not interfere with.

In the interval between February and December 1995, Kirill moderated the opposition of the "non-party forum" he headed, and at the III World Russian Council in early December 1995 did not allow the adoption of any harsh political statements. 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 Metropolitan Kirill was one of his deputies.

Since August 2, 1995 - Member of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation.

In 1996 he was a member of the Joint Commission of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow on the "Estonian issue".

From June 6, 1996 - Chairman of the working group of the Holy Synod to develop a draft concept, reflecting 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 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 1994-96 the importation 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" - journalist Sergei Bychkov). It is believed that the unspoken initiator of these accusations was the then head of the affairs of the MP, Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk (Fomin). To investigate these reports, an intra-church commission headed by Archbishop Sergius (Fomin) was created.

However, the position of Metropolitan Kirill, who denied the deliberate importation of cigarettes into the country and said that the church could not refuse the gift imposed on it, was supported by the 1997 Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Actively participated in the preparation of the law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations", approved by President Yeltsin on September 26, 1997.

In March 2001, he proposed to transfer part of the income tax of Russians to the budget of religious organizations, including the Russian Orthodox Church.

Recruitment, "family life" and business of the new Patriarch
Material from 2008 with elements of an unofficial biography

1. Privacy. This side of the unofficial biography of Metropolitan Kirill is the least studied - fragmentary information about it
appeared mainly in the foreign press and almost never published in Russian. The metropolitan himself, talking about his hobbies, prefers to limit himself to the above list of hobbies, most of which are quite aristocratic in nature and require a high level of income. It is known, in particular, that, in order to satisfy his passion for skiing, the chairman of the DECR MP stays at his own house in Switzerland. There are suggestions that he has real estate in other countries, but in most cases it is not registered directly to the metropolitan. In Moscow, by his own admission, the hierarch lives in a spacious apartment in one of the "Stalinist" skyscrapers, but often stops at the DECR dacha in Serebryany Bor, a picturesque dacha village within the city.

A couple of times vague allusions to the "family" life of the head of the DECR leaked into the press. First, one German magazine called him "an exemplary family man", then one Russian publication tried to suggest what is behind such rumors circulating in the church environment, including within the Department, which is headed by Metropolitan Kirill. According to Ogonyok's version, we can talk about Metropolitan Kirill's long-standing acquaintance with Lidia Mikhailovna Leonova, the daughter of the cook of the Leningrad regional committee of the CPSU. "For 30 years now, they have had the warmest relationship," the magazine article said. Currently, Lidia Mikhailovna lives in Smolensk and a number of commercial enterprises are registered at her home address.

At the same time, among the ill-wishers of Metropolitan Kirill in the ROC-MP and beyond, mainly representing radical conservative church movements, there is a widespread opinion that the head of the DECR MP, it is no coincidence that he patronizes church activists of "non-traditional orientation", including former employees of the DECR, at present holding various episcopal sees. But, despite the abundance of rumors about the "blue lobby" in the episcopate of the ROC-MP, practically not a single accusation of this kind was documented and recorded in the court verdict. Many experts also find indirect signs of the existence of this phenomenon convincing enough - for example, the story of the recall of Bishop Guriy (Shalimov) from Paris, who was accused of "sexual harassment" by his own subdeacons (one of them now heads the unrecognized Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the rank of metropolitan) and parishioners. Having listened to these accusations and punished the bishop, the DECR and the Holy Synod of the ROC MP gave reason to speak about their justice and validity.

2. Commercial activities . Metropolitan Kirill's first attempts to do business through cooperatives subordinated to the Smolensk diocese took place as early as the late 1980s, but they did not bring any significant income. By 1994, the business of the DECR MP, which is not always possible to separate from the private business of Metropolitan Kirill, reached serious turnover. Taking advantage of tax incentives provided for business structures established by religious organizations or deducting part of their profits for the activities of religious organizations, DECR MP acted as the founder of the Peresvet commercial bank, the Nika charitable foundation, International Economic Cooperation JSC (MES), JSC Free People's Television (SNT) and a number of other structures. The Nika Foundation turned out to be a key link in the famous "tobacco scandal", which is still remembered by the Metropolitan by his most irreconcilable opponents, who are trying to fix the nickname "Tobacco" for the chairman of the DECR MP. "Nika" carried out the bulk of the wholesale sales of cigarettes imported into Russia by the DECR MP under the guise of humanitarian aid and therefore exempt from customs duties. The amount of tobacco products imported by Metropolitan Kirill's structures amounted to billions of cigarettes, and the net profit - hundreds of millions of US dollars. Having captured a significant part of the market, the structures of Metropolitan Kirill caused serious damage to the business of other tobacco importers, who were forced to pay customs duties and therefore could not compete on equal terms with church cigarette dealers. Most likely, it was the competitors who leaked to the press information about the tobacco business of Metropolitan Kirill, which became the subject of journalistic investigations in dozens of Russian and foreign publications, badly undermining the reputation of the chairman of the DECR MP. However, despite the scandal, the turnover of the DECR-MP tobacco business continued to grow: in just 8 months of 1996, the DECR-MP imported into Russia about 8 billion duty-free cigarettes (these data were made public by the Commission of the Government of the Russian Federation on International Humanitarian and Technical Assistance), which amounted to 10% of the domestic market of tobacco products. The piquancy of this scandal was given by the fact that traditionally in the church environment, especially Russian, tobacco smoking is condemned as a sin, and hundreds of thousands of people die every year from diseases caused by this bad habit in Russia. At the same time, every tenth smoked by Russians in 1994-96. the cigarette was brought into the country through the "humanitarian" corridor of the DECR MP. Directly "customs clearance" and the implementation of "humanitarian aid" were supervised by the deputy chairmen of the DECR MP, Archbishop Kliment (Kapalin) (now the head of the ROC MP, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation) and Archpriest Vladimir Veriga - a kind of commercial director in the team of Metropolitan Kirill.

When the "tobacco scandal" broke out at full capacity, Metropolitan Kirill tried to shift the responsibility to the government of the Russian Federation. In an interview, he stated: “The people who were doing this (that is, Metropolitan Kirill himself, Archbishop Clement and Archpriest Vladimir Veriga) did not know what to do: burn these cigarettes or send them back? We turned to the government, and it made a decision: recognize it as a humanitarian cargo and provide an opportunity to implement it." Sources in the government of the Russian Federation categorically denied this information, because of which Patriarch Alexy II had some difficulties in relations with the authorities. As a result, the Commission for Humanitarian Aid under the Holy Synod was created, headed by the vicar of the Patriarch, Bishop Alexy (Frolov), and which was granted the exclusive right to contact the government for humanitarian assistance.

Another, even more profitable business, with which Metropolitan Kirill was associated, was the export of oil. Bishop Viktor (Pyankov), a business partner of the Metropolitan, who now lives as a private person in the United States, was a member of the Board of Directors of JSC MES, which exported several million tons of oil a year from Russia in the mid-90s. The annual turnover of the company was about $ 2 billion. Under the petitions of the MES to the government of the Russian Federation for the exemption from duties of the next hundreds of thousands of tons of export oil, often there was the signature of the Patriarch himself, who, thus, took part in this business. The scope and extent of Metropolitan Kirill's involvement in the oil business is currently unknown, because such information in "Putin's" Russia is no longer available to journalists. However, the trips of Metropolitan Kirill's business partners (for example, Bishop Feofan (Ashurkov)) to Iraq on the eve of the US operation and its allies against the Hussein regime give some grounds for supposing that this business has reached a wider international level than in the mid-1990s. .

In 2000, information appeared in the press about Metropolitan Kirill's attempts to penetrate the market of marine biological resources (caviar, crabs, seafood) - the relevant government structures allocated quotas to the company established by the hierarch (JSC "Region") for catching king crab and shrimp (total volume - more than 4 thousand tons). The profit from this enterprise is estimated at 17 million dollars. Crab meat went mainly to the United States, since half of the company's shares belonged to American partners. Several years ago, in his interviews, Metropolitan Kirill spoke with an ironic grin about how his ill-wishers were so mad that they even tried to accuse him of trying to destroy several valuable species of crab. It's hard to disagree that, compared to financial inflows from other sources, the profits from the crab trade look ridiculously low.

The journalists also found out that the metropolitan, as the ruling bishop of the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Kaliningrad region, participated in the automobile joint venture in Kaliningrad. In addition to the already mentioned Archbishop Kliment and Archpriest Vladimir, the metropolitan's business team also includes other people: for example, a former KGB general who personally heads a number of affiliated commercial structures.

The DECR MP is the founder of a number of media outlets, but these are mostly small-circulation church publications. In the mid-1990s, Metropolitan Kirill established Free People's Television, which claimed to be the 11th decimeter channel in Moscow, but never appeared on the air. With the participation of the head of the DECR MP, the "Orthodox Information Television Agency" was created, later transformed into the IA ROC, which releases the program "The Word of the Shepherd" on Channel One. Metropolitan Kirill's office controls the main part of the official information of the ROC MP through the DECR-MP Communication Service, which regularly issues press releases and bulletins, accredits journalists for church events, arranges press conferences and interviews with Metropolitan Kirill, maintains the most active of the official ROC website MP. The Chairman of the DECR MP willingly participates in rating talk shows on popular TV channels and gives interviews to major Russian and foreign media.

3. The political activity of Metropolitan Kirill can be conditionally divided into two parts: church-political (relations with other Churches and personnel policy within the ROC-MP) and secular political (contacts with top Russian officials, influence on the political leaders of the country). In both directions, there are both successes and failures.

The main achievements of Metropolitan Kirill in the field of church politics can be considered "reunification" with ROCOR (L) on the terms formulated by the DECR MP, the rapid growth in the number of parishes of the ROC MP in far abroad countries, including the exotic North Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Iran, Iraq, the UAE , South Africa, Iceland, etc., preventing the transfer of most parishes of the Diocese of Sourozh (Great Britain) to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and curbing the growth of the Russian Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the relative stabilization of relations between the ROC MP and the Vatican after the death of Pope John Paul II. A certain success for Metropolitan Kirill is also the retention of the membership of the ROC MP in the World Council of Churches, which ROCOR (L) and some conservative bishops in the ROC MP itself insisted on leaving three or four years ago. This membership is important both in terms of maintaining the general geopolitical positions of the ROC MP, and from a purely practical point of view - the main part of humanitarian programs to support the ROC MP from abroad is carried out through the WCC. Undoubtedly, the main direction of the foreign policy of the ROC MP under Metropolitan Kirill is the fight against the "pro-American" Patriarchate of Constantinople for leadership in the Orthodox world, where Moscow's position began to weaken after the collapse of the socialist bloc (within the boundaries of which 8 local Orthodox Churches operated) and after a large-scale church schism in Ukraine. It can be recognized that the ROC MP still has a tactical advantage in this competition, but the strategic positions look more preferable near Constantinople. The latter won a number of minor but symbolically important victories during Metropolitan Kirill's leadership of the external relations of the Moscow Patriarchate: the recognition of two "parallel" jurisdictions in Estonia (due to a dispute over jurisdiction over parishes in this country, Moscow and Constantinople even broke canonical communion in 1996) , the acceptance into the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the "fugitive" Bishop of the ROC MP Vasily (Osborne) together with a group of parishes in Great Britain, the beginning of the recognition of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church through the acceptance into the jurisdiction of Constantinople of the hierarchy of this Church in the Diaspora. Obviously, Ukraine will become the main field for the struggle of the two patriarchates in the coming years, since jurisdiction over this country provides one or another patriarchy with numerical leadership in the Orthodox world.

Within the ROC MP, Metropolitan Kirill has significantly strengthened his position over the past four years. First, the role played in church life by its Department, the most organized and professional subdivision of the ROC MP, continues to grow. The department generally oversees all contacts of the ROC MP with the outside (for the Church) world: political, economic, cultural. Secondly, in 2003, against the backdrop of a long serious illness of the Patriarch, a “personnel revolution” took place in the top leadership of the ROC MP, which significantly strengthened the position of Metropolitan Kirill. The influential metropolitans Sergius and Methodius were removed from their posts, they were considered as fairly balanced competitors of Metropolitan Kirill in the struggle for the patriarchal throne. The former first deputy of Metropolitan Kirill, Metropolitan Kliment (Kapalin), became the manager of the affairs of the ROC MP, who, however, took a relatively independent position in his new position. Along with the improvement of Metropolitan Kirill's image within the ROC-MP due to the radicalization of his conservative rhetoric, these factors make him the most likely candidate for the Patriarchate should it become necessary to elect a new primate of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The contacts of the head of the DECR MP with the highest authorities in Russia are twofold: on the one hand, they support the business of the "church oligarch", and on the other hand, they ideologically support officials, supply them with concepts that serve the policy of "conservative synthesis" and imperial revenge in modern Russia . A vivid example of the last function of these contacts is the popularization among senior officials of the "Fundamentals of the Social Concept" of the ROC MP developed under the leadership of the Metropolitan. As the Russian Constitution turns into a decorative declaration, the obviously anti-constitutional statements of the chairman of the DECR MP, such as this: “We should generally forget this common term: “multi-confessional country.” Russia is an Orthodox country with national and religious minorities, become more and more popular. Although, in the event of excessive inter-confessional and inter-ethnic tension in Russia, Metropolitan Kirill willingly softens such formulations. Supporting radical church and social movements (such as the "Union of Orthodox Citizens" or the "Eurasian Movement"), the head of the DECR MP often makes very radical calls: to restitute church property, to introduce the study of Orthodoxy in secular schools, the institution of military clergy, church taxes, etc. .P. Often Metropolitan Kirill's ideas are formulated or voiced by his deputy in charge of public relations, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin.

The chairman of the DECR MP has considerable political ambitions - at his insistence, a provision on the possibility of civil disobedience of Orthodox authorities was introduced into the Fundamentals of the Social Concept, Orthodox concepts of human rights and economic activity were developed, and recently the metropolitan admitted that he was thinking about nominating his candidacy in elections President of the Russian Federation in 1996. However, in the fall of 2005, observers noted some cooling in Metropolitan Kirill's relations with the Kremlin, which was most clearly expressed in the refusal to include him in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. However, in recent months these relations have normalized and even intensified.

Owns a villa in Switzerland
Material from 2009

[...] A man who had been friends with Father Kirill for more than twenty years, Vadim Melnikov, at one time was the consul of the USSR representative office in Geneva .:
...
- You didn't ask him why he became a monk?

Cyril said that Metropolitan Nikodim, his teacher and mentor, pushed him to this step. After all, Cyril grew up as a believing boy from childhood. At school he refused to join the pioneers, and did not become a member of the Komsomol. Then fate brought him to Nicodemus. He, in turn, advised him to enter the seminary. And then the mentor said: “If you want to reach a high position, then you have to be a monk.”

Have you met Metropolitan Nikodim?

Yes, we met in Geneva. He came there as part of a delegation. Kirill warned him that I was a consul, but I was related to the special services. I was afraid of this meeting, I knew that Nicodemus hated organs. But, oddly enough, the first thing the metropolitan said upon meeting him was: “That's it, Vadim Alekseevich, you are with us, with us!”
...
- Father Cyril always aspired to power?

Yes, and did not hide. But it's natural! If you're an officer, why don't you be a general!
...
Spouse Melnikova Tamara Konstantinovna.

He was generally kind, Cyril. When my husband crashed his car, he gave him a thousand francs to fix it. [mid 1970s. K.Ru]. And when we tried to return the debt, Cyril flatly refused! [...]

Ascesis of Patriarch Kirill. He wears a watch for 30 thousand euros. Photo
The watch strap is made of crocodile skin (2009 material)

We provide a photo as proof that the Breguet watch really belongs to Patriarch Kirill. The footage was taken at the moment when His Holiness leaned towards the icon.

Watch Breguet

Such a detail makes us perceive Cyril's words about the need to limit the needs of one's flesh and remember the asceticism that he said on the air of the Inter TV channel in a completely different way. Let us remind them: “It is very important to learn Christian asceticism. Asceticism is not life in a cave. Asceticism is not a permanent post. Asceticism is the ability to regulate one's consumption, including ideas and the state of one's heart. This is the victory of man over lust, over passions, over instinct. And it is important that both the rich and the poor possess this quality. Here is the church's response. We must learn to control our instincts, we must learn to control our passions. And then the civilization that we build will not be a civilization of consumption.”

Against the backdrop of the "wiretapping" scandal, Patriarch Kirill officially blessed General Shamanov
"Your authority will help strengthen the military spirit and defense capability of our Fatherland" (from 2009)

The story of "leaks" to the press of scandalous talks between Commander-in-Chief of the Airborne Forces, General Shamanov, and his subordinates took an unexpected turn. While the "democratic public"

Recent publications on related topics

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Date of Birth: November 20, 1946 The country: Russia Biography:

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

Father - Mikhail Vasilievich Gundyaev, priest, died in 1974. Mother - Raisa Vladimirovna Gundyaeva, German language teacher at school, in recent years a housewife, died in 1984. Elder brother - Archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev, professor, rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Kazan. St. Petersburg. Grandfather - Priest Vasily Stepanovich Gundyaev, a prisoner of Solovki, for church activities and the struggle against renovationism in the 20s, 30s and 40s. 20th century subjected to imprisonment and exile.

After graduating from the 8th grade of secondary school, Vladimir Gundyaev joined the Leningrad Complex Geological Expedition of the North-Western Geological Administration, where he worked from 1962 to 1965 as a cartographer, combining work with studying at a 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, as part of official delegations, he visited all the Local Orthodox Churches, including accompanying them on their trips abroad.

As Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, he officially visited the Local Orthodox Churches: Constantinople (2009), Alexandria (2010), Antioch (2011), Jerusalem (2012), Bulgarian (2012), Cypriot (2012) d.), Polish (2012), Hellas (2013).

Inter-Christian Relations and Cooperation

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill took part in the work of inter-Christian organizations. Participated as a delegate 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); at the Salvation Today World Missionary Conference (Bangkok, 1973); he was President of the World Conference "Faith, Science and the Future" (Boston, 1979) and the World Convocation "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 keynote 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 CEC European Assembly "Peace and Justice" (Basel, 6- May 21, 1989).

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

He was a participant in four rounds of bilateral discussions 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 a dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Since 1980, he has been a member of the International Theological Commission for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue. In this capacity, he took part in four plenary meetings of this commission: (Patmos-Rhodes, Greece, 1980; Munich, Germany, 1982; Crete, 1984; Valaam, Finland, 1988) and in the work of its Coordinating committee.

He was co-chairman of the second round of the Orthodox-Reformed Dialogue (Debrecen II) in 1976 in Leningrad and a member of 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.

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

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

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 Committee and author of the draft Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted by the Jubilee Council.

He was a member of the Bishops' Council dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate (October 1989) and the extraordinary Bishops' Council on January 30-31, 1990, as well as the Local Council on June 6-10, 1990, the Bishops' Councils 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 presided over the Bishops' Councils (2009, 2011, 2013) and the Local Councils (2009), at the other Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church he was 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 relevant 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 Bishops' Council on October 3-6, 2004, he also delivered a report "On Relations with the Russian Church Abroad and the Old Believers."

Management of the Smolensk-Kaliningrad diocese (1984-2009)

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

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

Since 1998, the Interdiocesan Theological School has been operating, preparing church choir directors, catechists, icon painters and sisters of mercy. Most parishes in the diocese have Sunday schools. There are Orthodox gymnasiums 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 commissions drafting the USSR Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” of October 1, 1990, the Law of the RSFSR “On Freedom of Religion” of October 25, 1990, and the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” associations” dated 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 a 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 keynote speeches at the Councils (1993-2008). Since his election to the Patriarchal Throne, he has been the Chairman of the VRNS (since 2009).

As 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, for 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 by the Holy Synod "The concept of interaction between the Russian Orthodox Church and the armed forces" in 1994.

From 1996 to 2000 - supervised the development and presented to the Jubilee Bishops' Council in 2000 "Fundamentals of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church."

He took an active part in the normalization of the church 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 repeatedly visited Estonia, where he negotiated with representatives of the government, parliament deputies and with the business community of this country.

He took an active part in peacekeeping actions in Yugoslavia. He repeatedly visited Belgrade during the war, 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 on "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 the creation in 2002 of .

As chairman of the DECR, he visited Estonia (repeatedly), Switzerland (repeatedly), France (repeatedly), Spain (repeatedly), Italy (repeatedly), Belgium (repeatedly), Holland (repeatedly), Germany (repeatedly), Israel (repeatedly), 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 (multiple times), Turkey (multiple times), Brazil (multiple times), Australia (1991), Austria (multiple times), Latvia (1992), Chile (1992), Bulgaria (1994, 1998, 2005 1996, 2004, 2007), 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), North Korea (2006), India (2006), Romania (2007), Turkmenistan (2008), Costa Rica (2008), Venezuela (2008), Colombia (2008), Ecuador (2008), Angola (2008), Namibia (2008). He visited Hungary, Mongolia, Slovenia, Iran, Iraq and Yemen on official visits at the invitation of the governments of these countries.

Patriarchal Ministry. Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church

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

In 2012-2013 the formation of metropolises continues, the increase in the number of bishops and dioceses. The implementation of the instructions of the Bishops' Councils of 2011 and 2013 is being monitored. Based on the adopted documents on social, missionary, youth work, religious, educational and catechetical service in the Russian Orthodox Church, a detailed database of documents was developed, as well as partially provisions regulating the special training of ministers in these areas. There is a spread of transformations from the central apparatus of the Church to the level of dioceses. The subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" is included in the curriculum of secondary schools in all regions of Russia.

During the Patriarchal service formed:

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

— Organs of the church executive power:

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

— All-church collegiate bodies:

Patriarchal Commission for Family and Motherhood Protection (2012), formerly Patriarchal Council for Family and Motherhood Protection (2011)

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

– Interdepartmental Coordinating Group for Teaching Theology in Universities (2012)

- Church-Public Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the perpetuation of the memory of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church (2013), former name - Church-Public Council for the perpetuation of the memory of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia (2012)

As the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, in 2009-2013. visited countries: Azerbaijan (2009, 2010), Armenia (2010, 2011), Belarus (2009, 2012, 2013), Bulgaria (2012), Greece (2013 d) Egypt (2010), Israel (2012), Jordan (2012), Kazakhstan (2010, 2012), Cyprus (2012), China (2013), Lebanon (2011), Moldova (2011, 2013), Palestinian Authority (2012), Poland (2012), Syria (2011), Serbia (2013), Turkey (2009) .), Ukraine (2009, 2010 - 3 times, 2011 - 5 times, 2012, 2013), Montenegro (2013), Estonia (2013), Japan (2012 .).

By February 2014, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill made 124 trips to 67 dioceses, 156 trips to 26 stauropegial monasteries, in 21 of them repeatedly. He visited 7 courtyards of stavropegic monasteries. Made 432 visits to 105 churches in Moscow (data as of January 31, 2014).

During the service of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill formed:

46 metropolias of the Russian Orthodox Church;
113 dioceses, including 95 dioceses in Russia*;
Central Asian metropolitan district (2011);
vicariates in the Moscow diocese (2011).

The number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church increased from 159 at the beginning of 2009 to 273 at the beginning of 2014 (from 69 to 164 in Russia).

At the beginning of 2009 there were 200 bishops in the Russian Orthodox Church, at the beginning of 2014 there were 312*.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill headed 109 episcopal consecrations, including: in 2009 - 5; in 2010 - 9; in 2011 - 31; in 2012 - 41; in 2013 - 22; in 2014 - 1*.

Also, over the 5 years of his Patriarchal service, he performed 144 ordinations to the deacon and presbyter (18 to the deacon and 126 to the presbyter)*.

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 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 St. Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves (I degree) (Ukrainian Orthodox Church)
2006 - Order "Blessed Voivode Stefan the Great and Saint" (II degree) (Orthodox Church of Moldova)
2009 - Order of Hieromartyr Isidore 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 Volyn Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God (Ukrainian Orthodox Church)
2011 - Order of St. Theodosius of Chernigov (Ukrainian Orthodox Church)

Awards of the Local Orthodox Churches

2007 - Order of St. Savva the Sanctified (II degree) (Alexandria Orthodox Church)
2009 - St. Innocent Gold Medal (Orthodox Church in America)
2010 - Commemorative medal of the 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) (Antioch Orthodox Church)
2012 - Order of the Holy Tsar Boris (Bulgarian Orthodox Church)
2012 - Golden Order of the Apostle Barnabas (Cypriot Orthodox Church)
2012 - Order of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene (I degree) (Polish Orthodox Church)
2012 - Order of the Life-Giving Sepulcher "Grand Cross of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher" (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 "Sheikh-ul-Islam" (Office of Muslims of the Caucasus)
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 - Anniversary medal "300 years of the Russian Navy"
1997 - Medal "In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow"
2001 - Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (III degree)
2006 - Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (II degree)
2011 - Order of Alexander Nevsky

State awards of foreign states

2009 - Order of Friendship of Peoples (Republic of Belarus)
2010 - Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic)
2010 - Order "Sharaf" (Republic of Azerbaijan)
2011 - Order of the Republic ("OrdinulRepublicii") (Republic of Moldova)
2011 - Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots (Republic of Armenia)
2012 - Order of the Star of Bethlehem (Palestinian National Authority)

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was also awarded a number of other federal, departmental and regional state awards; has more than 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.

Publications on the Patriarchy.ru portal

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: It is impossible to stop wars in a world of dislike [Patriarch: Interview]

"Religious Education in the Postmodern Era". Speech by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, at the XV Christmas Readings [Documents]

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (2009-), former Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad,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- by profession a railway mechanic, one of the active fighters against renovationism in the Nizhny Novgorod region under the leadership of Metropolitan Sergius (Stargorodsky, later Patriarch), was arrested in 1922, served time in Solovki; after returning from prison, in the mid-1950s he became a priest. Father, archpriest Mikhail Vasilievich Gundyaev- in the 30s he was repressed, in the 40s he was the leading engineer of one of the military factories of the besieged Leningrad, in 1947 he was ordained a priest, he served in the Leningrad diocese. Brother, archpriest Nikolai Mikhailovich Gundyaev, since 1977 rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral of St. Petersburg, professor of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Sister - Elena, an Orthodox teacher. At school, due to religious beliefs, he did not join the pioneers and the Komsomol; became the hero of an anti-religious publication in the city newspaper. In 1961 he left his parental home (since 1959 the family lived in Krasnoe Selo near Leningrad) and went to work in 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 Nikodim (Rotova) studied at the Leningrad Theological Seminary (LDS). In 1967-69 he studied at the Leningrad Theological Academy (LDA), from which he graduated with honors. On June 1, 1970, he received the degree of candidate of theology for his essay "The Formation and Development of the Church Hierarchy and the Teaching of the Orthodox Church about its Gracious Character." In his student years in March-April 1968, he participated in the 3rd All-Christian Peace Congress (VMK) in Prague; in July 1968 - in the IV Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Uppsala. He was a participant 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, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodim (Rotov) was tonsured a monk, on April 7, 1969 he was ordained a hierodeacon, on June 1, 1969 - a hieromonk. 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 appointed representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the All-Union Church 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. December 26, 1974 appointed rector rum LDA and S with the dismissal of the representative of the MP at the All-Union Central Church. On 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 All-Union Central Committee. 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 about the persecution of believers in the USSR and denied the facts of violation of the rights of believers. In December 1975 he was elected a member of the Central and Executive Committees of the All-Russian Central Committee.

On March 3, 1976, at a meeting of the Holy Synod, he was appointed Bishop of Vyborg, Vicar of the Leningrad Diocese. At the same time, he was included in the Commission of the Holy Synod on Christian unity and inter-church relations. Hirotonisan March 14, 1976. On April 27-28, 1976, as part of a delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate, he participated in negotiations and interviews with representatives of Pax Christi Internationalis. Exarch of Western Europe (according to a report dated November 4, 1976 by Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe, about the need to appoint a deputy for him in connection with the fifth heart attack - with the proposal of the candidacy of Kirill). On November 21-28, 1976, he participated in the First Pre-Council Pan-Orthodox meeting in Geneva. From January 22 to January 31, 1977, he headed a delegation from the Leningrad and Novgorod diocese at the anniversary of the Patriarchal communities in Finland. From July 19 to July 26, 1977, at the head of a delegation from the theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church, he attended the IX General Assembly of Sindesmos in Chambesy.

On September 2, 1977, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. From October 12 to October 19, 1977, together with Patr. Pimen was on an official visit to Patras. Demetrius I (Patriarchate of Constantinople). From November 23 to December 4, 1977, he visited Italy at the head of a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church. On December 23-25, 1977, with a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Patriarch Pimen, he participated 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 participated in negotiations with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. On October 12, 1978, he was relieved of the post of Deputy Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe and appointed manager of the patriarchal parishes in Finland (he served them until 1984). From March 27 to March 29, 1979 participated in the Consultation "The Responsibility of the Churches of the USSR and the USA for Disarmament". As part of the 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 Commission of the Holy Synod on Christian unity. .On May 29, 1980, he participated from the Russian Orthodox Church at the first meeting of the Mixed Orthodox-Roman-Catholic Commission on about. 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 the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he participated in the celebration of the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian state in Bulgaria. From November 30 to December 12 of the same year headed a pilgrimage group of representatives and students of the LDA during 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 Russia d 1988. From August 16 to 26, 1981 - a participant in the 33rd meeting of the Central Committee of the All-Russian Central Committee 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 meetings of the Committee for the preparation of 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 USA. November 23-27 in Amsterdam (Netherlands) from Christians of the USSR was a member of the hearing group on nuclear disarmament. January 3-16, 1982 in Lima (Peru) participated in the meeting of the Commission of the WCC "Faith and Church Order". In the same year (July 19-28) 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 participated in the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia. From 20 to 29 February 1984 took part in the meeting Institute of the Executive Committee of the WCC in Geneva. From May 31 to June 7, from the Russian Orthodox Church, he participated in a meeting of the Mixed Theological Commission between the Roman Catholic Church and the Local Orthodox Churches, held on Fr. Krit.July 9-18, 1984 - participant in the meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC in Geneva. As part of the Soviet public delegation, he participated in an international conference of scientists and religious figures from November 19 to 23, 1974 in Italy.

On December 26, 1984, he was appointed Archbishop of Smolensk and Vyazemsky. The transfer to Smolensk was a demotion for Archbishop Kirill and testified to the disgrace of the state supervisory authorities ( "... Various rumors circulate about the reasons why he fell out of favor. Some attribute this to his reformist activity in the sphere of worship: he not only practiced the use of the Russian language in worship, but also served vespers in the evening, and not in the morning, as this is still accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church. 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 entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. Meanwhile, he also did not vote "for", just "abstained", which, however, at that time was also almost a feat.- Natalia Babasyan. Star of Metropolitan Kirill // "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 Russia, for excessive activity as rector of the Theological Academy : during his rectorship, access to LDA and C was opened for graduates of secular universities, and in 1978 a regency department was created, to which women could also enter.

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.

By the definition of the Holy Synod of April 10-11, 1989, the archbishop's title of Cyril was changed: instead of "Smolensky and Vyazemsky" - "Smolensky and Kaliningrad". From 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 May 1992, the American ROCOR priest Fr. Viktor Potapov in his pamphlet "God Is Surrendered to Silence" for the first time publicly accused Kirill of direct cooperation in Soviet times with the KGB and called his operational pseudonym - "Mikhailov" ( "At a meeting of students of Moscow State University, the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill(aka Mikhailov's agent) stated that the fact of the meeting of the clergy with representatives of the KGB was "morally indifferent" (Bulletin "Straight Way", N 1-2, 1992)").

In early 1993, with the sanction of Patriarch Alexy II, Metropolitan Kirill joined the International Preparatory Committee for the Convocation of the World Russian Council in Moscow (initiated by the "World Russian Congress" Igor Kolchenko, RAU Corporation Alexey Podberezkin, "Roman newspaper" Valeria Ganicheva, as well as the magazines "Our contemporary" and "Moscow"). Becoming one of the five co-chairs of the Preparatory Committee, he held May 26-28, 1993 in St. Danilov Monastery I World Russian Council.

In February 1995 he led the II World Russian Council. Shortly before this, the President Boris Yeltsin in the course of communicating with Cyril in an informal setting, he promised him to return to the Church the lands confiscated from her after the revolution, and then (under pressure Anatoly Chubais) took back the promise. At the Council, Cyril made a thinly veiled criticism of the authorities for immoral and anti-national policies. The establishment of the "World Russian Council" was declared as a "permanent supra-party forum" under the auspices of the Church, four co-chairs 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 Cyril did not interfere with. World Russian Council in early December 1995 did not allow the adoption of any harsh political statements. 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 Metropolitan Kirill was one of his deputies.

Since August 2, 1995 - Member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation. In 1996 - Member of the Joint Commission of the Constantinople and Moscow Patriarchates on the "Estonian Question". a general church view on the 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 church bank.

In September 1996, the Moscow News newspaper (N34) published a report that the DECR, headed by Metropolitan Kirill, in 1994-96. organized in 1994-96 the importation 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 unspoken initiator of these accusations was the then managing director of the MP, Archbishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergiy (Fomin). To investigate these reports, an intra-church commission headed by Archbishop Sergius was created. However, the position of Metropolitan Kirill, who denied the deliberate importation of cigarettes into the country and said that the church could not refuse the gift imposed on it, was supported by the 1997 ROC Bishops' Council.

Actively participated 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 proposed transferring part of the income tax of Russians to the budget of religious organizations, including the Russian Orthodox Church.

In May 2001, a journalist from Moskovsky Komsomolets Sergey Bychkov published an article "The Metropolitan from the Snuffbox", in which he repeated the previous accusations against Metropolitan Kirill regarding the import of tobacco, and also publicly identified Kirill with the figure of the All-Union Central Church "agent Mikhailov", mentioned in previously published materials of the Supreme Council Commission ("Yakunin-Ponomarev Commission" ) about the connections of the KGB and the Russian Orthodox Church in 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. On January 27, 2009, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Metropolitan Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia .

A supporter of the active intervention of the Church in secular life and politics, including its influence on power from the position "The Priesthood Above the Kingdom".

Since 1995, on Saturdays, he hosted the TV show "The Shepherd's Word" on ORT.

Hobby - mountain 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 was registered to Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev, "about what there is a corresponding entry in the cadastral register"(The New Times. No. 50 of December 15, 2008). appeared in the media "information about the Metropolitan's purchase of a villa in Switzerland."(ibid.).

In August 1993, he was awarded the international Lovi Peace Prize, awarded to him by the Loviisa Peace Forum Public Committee, headed by Mrs. Tellervo Koivisto, wife of the President of Finland (this prize is awarded every three years to a peacemaker who has made a particularly significant contribution). Awarded church orders of St. equal to ap. book. Vladimir II degree, st. Sergius of Radonezh I and II degree, St. blgv. book. Daniel of Moscow, 1st class, St. Innocent, Mr. Moscow and Kolomna, II degree, St. Alexis of Moscow II degree, orders of many Local Orthodox Churches; other church awards: a commemorative panagia (1977), a nominal panagia (1988). Has state awards: the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1988, on the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia), the Order of Friendship (1996), "For Merit to the Fatherland" III degree, medals "50 years of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "300 years of the Russian fleet", "In memory 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 Cyril on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church "Patriarchia.ru"; database "Prosopographer - a descriptor of persons" materials by N. Mitrokhin in the database "Labyrinth"

Sergei Bychkov (2001):
In 1992, the Council of Bishops formed its own commission, headed by the Bishop of Kostroma and Galich Alexander. While the priest Gleb Yakunin and Lev Ponomarev, then deputies of the Supreme Council, understood nicknames and tasks, Vladyka Gundyaev ( nickname - agent Mikhailov) showed remarkable ingenuity and began to buy archival documents. Having concentrated a powerful base of compromising evidence, including on the patriarch, for the past 10 years he has deftly manipulated documents, shutting up overly zealous bishops. When the patriarch tries to reason with him, all of a sudden, some papers get into the media that stain the reputation of His Holiness. Unfortunately, the work of the deputy commission ended in nothing. And the synodal did not start work at all.
Sergei Bychkov. Metropolitan from a snuffbox. After all, there’s no way without Gundyaev! // Moskovsky Komsomolets, 05/25/2001 - http://www.mk.ru/blogs/idmk/2001/05/25/mk-daily/34819/ (=http:// www.compromat.net/page_10804.htm

Mention of "agent Mikhailov" in the materials of the Yakunin-Ponomarev commission:

1973
January
l. 32. Agents of the KGB organs "Magistr" and "Mikhailov". These agents had a beneficial effect on the work of the Council and presented materials of operational interest on the situation in the WCC and characterizing data on individual figures.
[...]
Deputy head of the 4th department of the 5th Directorate of the KGB under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Lieutenant Colonel Fitsev.
NB:
the same materials mention "Mikhailov" the Baptist:
Undercover names of agents from among the Baptist leadership: "Mikhailov", "Abramov", "Fedorov", "Nevsky", "Kesarev".

Mentions (albeit without a name)- According to Fr. Yakova Krotova- Kirill Gundyaev in the memoirs of Fr. Augustina Nikitina:
[Priest Father Vitaly Borovoy about the denunciation against him in 1974]:
"Ah, so this is an archpriest such and such, our secretary in Geneva made a fuss and denounced me! After all, he was in this conversation. And, as always, got it all mixed up(S. 170). [...]
“O. Vitaly [Borovoy] recovered from the shocks, his health deteriorated noticeably. Nevertheless, he “sat out” in the DECR four chairmen and only under the fifth, in 1997, he became a freelance consultant of the DECR. [...] And the Genevan archpriest -the secretary, who laid down the priest protopresbyter, still flickers through the "box" and teaches us pariotism from the screen... Did they write about such people at the beginning of the 20th century?
Hush, hush, gentlemen!
Mr. Iskariotov,
Patriot of patriots
Heading over here!"
(S. 171-172).

Mention of the KGB agent "Mikhailov" in the "Private definition" of the commission of the Supreme Council:
The Commission draws the attention of the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church to the unconstitutional use by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the bodies of the KGB of the USSR of a number of church bodies for their own purposes by recruiting and sending KGB agents to them. So, through the Department of External Church Relations, agents, designated by the nicknames "Svyatoslav", "Adamant", "Mikhailov", "Topaz", "Nesterovich", "Kuznetsov", "Ognev", "Esaulenko" other. The nature of the assignments they carry out testifies to the inseparability of this Department from the state, to its transformation into a hidden center of KGB agents among believers.

On January 27, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church at the third plenary session elected the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The new Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev) of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.

Let us remind you that the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church gathered on January 25 to discuss candidates for the Patriarchal Throne at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which was attended by 198 delegates from 202 bishops of the Russian Church (four bishops – Archbishop Alipy of Chicago and Detroit (ROCOR), Bishop Daniel of Iria ( ROCOR), Metropolitan Nikodim of Kharkov and Bogodukhov and Bishop Panteleimon of Kirovograd and Novomirgorod were absent from the Council).
During the counting of votes, one ballot was declared invalid. Following the meeting, the Council of Bishops proposed to the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church the candidacies of the three bishops who received the largest number of votes: Kirill (Gundyaev), Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne; Kliment (Kapalin), Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk, manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate; Filaret (Vakhromeev), Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus. Metropolitan Kirill won 97 votes, Metropolitan Kliment - 32 votes, Metropolitan Filaret - 16 votes.

On January 27, the Local Council gathered in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to elect the 16th Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. At 12 noon, the first plenary session of the Council began, at which the Presidium of the Local Council was elected, greetings were announced to the Council, and the Patriarchal Locum Tenens delivered a report. At the meeting, a message of congratulations from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was read out.

At the second plenary session, which began at 15:30, the agenda, program and regulations of the meetings of the Local Council were approved, the working bodies of the Local Council were elected, and the procedure for electing the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia was approved. At the meeting, one of the three candidates, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk withdrew his candidacy for the election of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, calling to vote for Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. Metropolitan Kirill, in response, said that he bows his head to Metropolitan Filaret, whom he deeply reveres, and recalls with deep satisfaction the two decades during which they worked together as part of the Holy Synod under the leadership of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. After Metropolitan Filaret withdrew his candidacy, Bishop Feodosii (Bilchenko) of Polotsk and Glubokoe proposed to elect the Patriarch by lot. However, his proposal did not find support from other bishops. The Council did not approve other candidates for participation in the voting. As a result, the participants in the Local Council elected a new Primate from two candidates by secret ballot.

At 5:30 p.m., the third plenary session began, at which voting took place, after which the counting of votes began. At 10 p.m., members of the counting commission came out to the participants of the Council, and the chairman of the commission, Metropolitan of Krasnodar and Kuban Isidor, announced the results of the vote. According to the protocol, 702 delegates of the Council took part in the secret ballot. The number of ballots after the vote is 700, of which 677 are valid and 23 are invalid. Of the 677 votes, 508 Soborians voted for Metropolitan Kirill, and 169 voted for Metropolitan Kliment. When asked by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev whether Metropolitan Kirill accepts his election as Primate of the Church, Vladyka Kirill replied: “I accept my election as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, I thank you and in no way contrary to the verb,” and bowed

Patriarch Kirill is a famous domestic figure of religion. This man, for certain reasons, devoted his whole life to serving God and the church. This patriarch was able to become one of the most famous figures of religion in the Russian Federation, for some people his personality causes admiration, and for some - censure.

It is worth noting that a lot of rumors and a variety of gossip were previously associated with the patriarch. Some happened in reality, 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?

Height, weight, age. How old is Patriarch Kirill

Patriarch Kirill is not an American, and not even a domestic star, therefore he does not really need to chase after 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 for a church employee, it is much more profitable to look more solid. So it becomes clear that he doesn't care much about his height, weight, age. How old is Patriarch Kirill is a simple question. He is currently 71 years old. With a height of 178 centimeters, a man weighs 92 kilograms.

Despite all of the above, the man tries to monitor his own weight, swims from time to time, and often walks. As you can see, he remembers the truth that you also need to take care of yourself. After all, "God saves the safe."

Biography of Patriarch Kirill

Patriarch Kirill (name at birth - Vladimir Gundyaev) was born in the late autumn of 1946. It is worth noting an interesting case. When, as a baby, his mother first came to church with him, the boy accidentally passed through the Royal Gates. The woman immediately took him to the pastor so that he would forgive the sin, but the clergyman only waved him off with the words: "He will be a bishop." Probably, it was the fate of little Vladimir to embark on a long and thorny path of serving the church. Of course, it was still far from holding a big position, but at the same time, everything that happened in his life throughout his life, all these events led in the end to one single conclusion - becoming an important person in the church. And to receive the title of patriarch, as well as to the adoption of a new name, Vladimir came far from immediately.

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

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

The guy received the name Cyril after becoming a monk. 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. Since the nineties, Kirill began to pay much more attention to relations with society, as well as much more effort to develop this activity. So, in the early nineties, a program appeared on television with his participation - “The Word of the Shepherd”. It dealt with various religious topics, and it was very popular not only among ordinary people, but also among high ranks.

A year later, Patriarch Kirill began to actively cooperate with the government of the Russian Federation. Often he even became a full-fledged member of various advisory organizations. Organized various cultural events. For example, the celebration of two thousand years of Christianity. Moreover, in accordance with the 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 profile on Facebook. There he chats 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 the clergy.

Personal life of Patriarch Kirill

First of all, it is worth noting 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 the clergy, as you know, take a vow of celibacy. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing strange in the fact that this person, despite his already quite advanced age, does not have his own family.

In modern terms, he "married his work." After all, more than once he spoke about how important it is to spread the light of religion in the world. How true these words are, hardly anyone can seriously argue. But one cannot ignore the fact that this man is a church employee and a priori he should not have love affairs.

Family of Patriarch Kirill

Taking into account all of the above, we can assume that the family of Patriarch Kirill are the same clergy as he himself. He does not have an official wife, as well as no children. The most important thing, in his opinion, is to spend life devoting it to the development of the community of religious houses at the international level.

And he does it very well, because even in his youth he successfully overcame the path of a clergyman in order to achieve in the end what he is now. It is difficult to say whether he suffers from the fact that he left no heirs behind him. But, if you look at it from the other side, he doesn’t have much time for it 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 figure. It is not surprising that scandals gather around this person with enviable regularity. Very often he was accused of various sins. And it's hard to tell what's true and what's fiction. Once there was even a rumor that Patriarch Kirill often spends his free time on a yacht with girls, and spends all church income on personal benefits.

The patriarch himself, of course, denies such rumors or even simply ignores them, arguing 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 say how reliable the accusations against Kirill are. After all, he faithfully serves God, but, be that as it may, he is a man.

Yaponchik and Patriarch Kirill are one person

One cannot but add that the personality of the patriarch is often associated not only with gossip, but also with a variety of rumors. At times it even reaches the absurd. Take, for example, 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 similarities between these celebrities. So, for example, they say that the patriarch has a problematic past and thus he disappeared so as not to go to jail. This rumor was neither confirmed nor refuted, 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 man has no children of his own. The children of Patriarch Kirill are a believing people. Parishioners and those who need support or advice. So says the patriarch himself. Many times he said that he could help those who came to him. To do 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 one to indulge in such worldly pleasures as a quiet life, a spouse and a child. But Vladimir chose the path of a clergyman.

Wife of Patriarch Kirill

The wife of Patriarch Kirill - for a man this is a topic that is better not to raise. After all, when he set foot 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 these are just fictions, and that in reality the patriarch faithfully serves his church, and does not plan to deviate from his path. According to official information, this clergyman has neither children nor a beloved wife. He considers the church to be his home, and calls the parishioners his children.

How much is the watch of Patriarch Kirill

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

Many were interested in the question: how much do Patriarch Kirill's watches 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 of Patriarch Kirill Breguet is a fairly well-known brand, and it costs about 30 thousand euros. As you can see, the holy father does not mind sometimes pampering himself with too expensive trinkets.

Patriarch Kirill "The Word of the Shepherd"

It has already been mentioned earlier 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 "The Word of the Shepherd" with his participation. Patriarch Kirill led the "Word of the Shepherd", considering a variety of religious topics, answering pressing questions. And although it seems that at present, few people watch religious channels, and even 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 any person who wants to reconsider their views on life or needs help.

The Patriarch never refused to help those who tried to improve their lives. Of course, not without evil tongues, which said that all this is required for 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. The article was found on alabanza.ru