Kirill (Patriarch of Moscow)
Date of Birth: 20.11.1946
Patriarch Kirill (secular name Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev) - a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia since February 1, 2009, and Metropolitan of Kaliningrad since August 24, 2023 (previously the acting administrator of the Kaliningrad Metropolis).
In 2022, he supported the extensive Russian invasion of Ukraine, being one of the key ideologues and proponents of the war.
Place of Birth. Education. Born in Leningrad in a priest's family. In 1964 he graduated from high school and entered the first class of the Leningrad Theological Seminary in 1965, where he graduated in 1967. In 1969, he graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy (LTA) with honors.
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Theological Doctor. In 1970 he defended his dissertation on 'The origin and development of church hierarchy and the doctrine of the Orthodox Church concerning its gracious character'. Kirill was a fellow of the Academy, a lecturer in dogmatic theology and an assistant to the inspector of the LTA.
Priestly career. Even during his studies, W. Gundyayev was actively involved in the social life of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). He participated in the annual sessions of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and so on.
On April 3, 1969, he was elevated to the rank of monk. The same year, he was ordained as a hierodeacon, and a year later as a hieromonk.
In August 1970, he was appointed personal secretary of the Metropolitan of Leningrad, Nikodim. Besides his duties as a lecturer at the Academy and secretary to the Metropolitan, Father Kirill continued to be actively involved in the external work of the Moscow Patriarchate. Throughout his life, he participated in all important church events worldwide.
In 1971, Father Kirill was appointed to the rank of Erzimonk and as representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the WCC in Geneva. He was the head of the parish of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Geneva.
In December 1974, Kirill was appointed rector of the LTA and of the seminary, and in 1975 he was elected chairman of the diocesan council of the Leningrad metropolis and elected to the Central and Executive Committees of the WCC.
In 1976, Kirill was consecrated bishop of Vyborg at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the vicar of the Leningrad diocese. That same year, he was appointed permanent representative of the ROC at the full commission of the WCC. In 1977, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
From 1976 to 1978, he was the deputy patriarchal exarch of Western Europe, after which he was tasked with overseeing the Patriarchal parishes in Finland.
In 1979, he was appointed a member of the Holy Synod commission for issues of Christian unity. Since December 1980, he has been a member of the commission for organizing the celebrations of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Russia.
In 1984, he was appointed archbishop of Smolensk and Vyazma. In 1989, the title was changed to 'Smolensk and Kaliningrad'. In the same year, by the order of the Holy Synod, he was appointed chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (he held this position until 2009) and a permanent member of the Holy Synod.
In 1991, he was elevated to metropolitan. From March to October 1999, he was the acting head of the Korsun diocese.
On December 6, 2008, Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev was elected as the administrator of the Patriarchal throne by secret ballot during an extraordinary session of the Holy Synod of the ROC after the death of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy II.
On January 27, 2009, he was elected at the Local Council of the ROC as the 16th head of the ROC, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia.
During the voting, Metropolitan Kirill received 508 votes from the Synod participants, while the other candidate, the director of the Moscow Patriarchate office, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Clement, received 169.
Awards. Honorary member of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, honorary doctor of the Reformed Theological Faculty in Budapest. He has received high awards from the Russian Orthodox Church and many local Orthodox churches. Among the secular awards are the Orders of Friendship of Peoples, Friendship, 'For Services to the Fatherland' of the IV class, and others.
Sanctions. Due to his support for the extensive Russian invasion of Ukraine, he is under sanctions from the UK, Lithuania, Canada, Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, and Estonia.
On November 4, 2023, the Ukrainian intelligence service raised accusations against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill for violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity, justification of Russian aggression, and planning, preparation, and conduct of an aggressive war.
08.11.2023