The Russian Orthodox Church is one of the largest churches in Eastern Orthodoxy and is historically centered in Moscow. Its development is tied to the Christianization of Rus’, Byzantine Christianity, the rise of Moscow, the creation of the Moscow Patriarchate, imperial Russia, Soviet persecution, post-Soviet revival, and a large network of dioceses and communities in several countries.
From the baptism of Rus’ to Moscow
The Christianization of Kievan Rus’ is traditionally associated with Prince Vladimir’s adoption of Byzantine Christianity in 988. The church initially belonged to the ecclesiastical world of Constantinople. Over centuries, political and ecclesiastical centers shifted northward, and Moscow became increasingly important.
Autocephaly and the Moscow Patriarchate
Russian bishops elected their own metropolitan in 1448 without confirmation from Constantinople, a major step toward autocephaly. In 1589 the metropolitan of Moscow was elevated to patriarchal rank. The patriarchate was later replaced by a governing synod under Peter the Great and restored during the revolutionary era in 1917.
Worship and spiritual tradition
The Russian Orthodox Church follows the Byzantine liturgical tradition. The Divine Liturgy, icons, fasting, monasticism, the sacraments, church chant, pilgrimage, and devotion to saints are central features of religious life. Church Slavonic remains important in worship, alongside local languages in some communities.
The Soviet period
After the Russian Revolution, the church experienced confiscation, arrests, executions, closures of monasteries and churches, and strict state control. Conditions changed at different moments, especially during the Second World War and later Soviet decades, but religious institutions operated under major restrictions.
Post-Soviet revival and current leadership
Since the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods, many churches and monasteries have reopened or been rebuilt. The Russian Orthodox Church is governed by the Patriarch of Moscow together with synodal and conciliar structures. Patriarch Kirill was elected in 2009 and remains patriarch as of 2026.
A church within modern conflict
The modern Russian Orthodox Church is also part of major political and ecclesiastical controversies, including tensions with other Orthodox churches and the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine. A cultural history of the church should distinguish its theology and worship from the political positions of particular leaders and institutions.
