Patriarch Alexy II. Patriarch Alexy II

Peace and harmony in society, to which Patriarch Alexy tirelessly calls, necessarily include benevolent mutual understanding and cooperation between adherents of different religions and worldviews.

His Holiness His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' is the fifteenth Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church since the introduction of the Patriarchate in Rus' (1589). Patriarch Alexy (in the world - Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger) was born on February 23, 1929 in the city of Tallinn (Estonia) into a deeply religious family. Father of Patriarch Alexy, Mikhail Alexandrovich Ridiger (+1962), a native of St. Petersburg, studied at the School of Law, graduated from the gymnasium in exile in Estonia, in 1940 he graduated from the Theological three-year courses in Tallinn and was ordained a deacon, and then a priest; for 16 years he was the rector of the Tallinn Nativity of the Virgin of the Kazan Church, was a member, and later the chairman of the diocesan council. The mother of His Holiness the Patriarch is Elena Iosifovna Pisareva (+1959), a native of Revel (Tallinn).

Every year, making a pilgrimage to the Pyukhtitsky Holy Assumption Monastery for women and the Pskov-Caves Holy Assumption Monastery for men, the parents took their son with them. In the late 1930s, the parents and their son made two pilgrimage trips to the Holy Transfiguration Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga, which largely determined the spiritual life path of the future Patriarch. From early childhood, Alexei Ridiger served in the church under the guidance of his spiritual father, Archpriest John the Epiphany, later Bishop Isidore of Tallinn and Estonia (+1949); from 1944 to 1947 he was a senior subdeacon of the Archbishop of Tallinn and Estonia Paul (Dmitrovsky; +1946), and then of Bishop Isidore. He studied at a Russian high school in Tallinn. In 1945, subdeacon Alexy was instructed to prepare for the opening of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the city of Tallinn for the resumption of divine services in it (the cathedral was closed during the military occupation period). From May 1945 to October 1946 he was the altar boy and sacristan of the cathedral. Since 1946, he served as a psalmist in Simeonovskaya, and since 1947 - in the Kazan Church in Tallinn.

In 1947 he entered the St. Petersburg (at that time - Leningrad) Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in the first category in 1949. Being a freshman at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Alexey Ridiger was ordained a deacon on April 15, 1950, and a priest on April 17, 1950, and was appointed rector of the Church of the Epiphany in the town of Johvi, Tallinn diocese. In 1953, Father Alexy graduated from the Theological Academy in the first category and was awarded the degree of Candidate of Theology.

On July 15, 1957, Father Alexy was appointed rector of the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Tartu and dean of the Tartu district. On August 17, 1958, he was elevated to the rank of archpriest. On March 30, 1959, he was appointed dean of the united Tartu-Viljandi deanery of the Tallinn diocese. March 3, 1961 in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, he was tonsured a monk. On August 14, 1961, Hieromonk Alexy was appointed Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia, with the assignment of temporary administration of the Riga diocese. On August 21, 1961, Hieromonk Alexy was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. On September 3, 1961, in the Tallinn Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Archimandrite Alexy was consecrated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia.

On November 14, 1961, Bishop Alexy was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. On June 23, 1964, Bishop Alexy was elevated to the rank of archbishop. On December 22, 1964, Archbishop Alexy was appointed manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and became a permanent member of the Holy Synod. He remained at the post of business manager until July 20, 1986. On May 7, 1965, Archbishop Alexy was appointed chairman of the Educational Committee. Released from this position, according to a personal request, October 16, 1986. From October 17, 1963 to 1979, Archbishop Alexy was a member of the Commission of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on Christian unity and interchurch relations.

On February 25, 1968, Archbishop Alexy was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan. From March 10, 1970 to September 1, 1986, he carried out the general management of the Pension Committee, whose task was to provide pensions for the clergy and other persons working in church organizations, as well as their widows and orphans. On June 18, 1971, in consideration of the diligent efforts to hold the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1971, Metropolitan Alexy was awarded the right to wear a second panagia.

Metropolitan Alexy performed responsible functions as a member of the Commission for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 50th anniversary (1968) and 60th anniversary (1978) of the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church; a member of the Commission of the Holy Synod for the preparation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1971, as well as the chairman of the procedural and organizational group, the chairman of the secretariat of the Local Council; since December 23, 1980, he has been deputy chairman of the Commission for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' and chairman of the organizational group of this commission, and since September 1986 - the theological group. On May 25, 1983, he was appointed chairman of the Responsible Commission to develop measures for receiving the buildings of the Danilov Monastery ensemble, organizing and carrying out all restoration and construction work to create the Spiritual and Administrative Center of the Russian Orthodox Church on its territory. He stayed in this position until his appointment to the St. Petersburg (at that time - Leningrad) department. On June 29, 1986, he was appointed Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod with instructions to manage the Tallinn diocese. On June 7, 1990, at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was elected to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne. The enthronement took place on June 10, 1990.

The activities of Metropolitan Alexy in the international arena: as a member of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he participated in the work of the III Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in New Delhi (1961); was elected a member of the Central Committee of the WCC (1961-1968); was President of the World Conference "Church and Society" (Geneva, Switzerland, 1966); member of the commission "Faith and organization" of the WCC (1964 - 1968). As the head of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, he participated in theological interviews with the delegation of the Evangelical Church in Germany "Arnoldshain-II" (Germany, 1962), in theological interviews with the delegation of the Union of Evangelical Churches in the GDR "Zagorsk-V" (Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 1984 ), in theological interviews with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in Leningrad and the Pyukhtitsky Monastery (1989). For more than a quarter of a century, Metropolitan Alexy devoted his works to the activities of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). Since 1964, Metropolitan Alexy has been one of the presidents (members of the presidium) of the CEC; was re-elected president at subsequent general assemblies. Since 1971, Metropolitan Alexy has been Vice-Chairman of the Presidium and Advisory Committee of the CEC. On March 26, 1987, he was elected chairman of the Presidium and Advisory Committee of the CEC. At the VIII General Assembly of the CEC in Crete in 1979, Metropolitan Alexy was the keynote speaker on the theme "In the power of the Holy Spirit - to serve the world." Since 1972, Metropolitan Alexy has been a member of the Joint Committee of the CEC and the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe (SECE) of the Roman Catholic Church. On May 15-21, 1989, in Basel, Switzerland, Metropolitan Alexy was co-chairman of the First European Ecumenical Assembly on the theme "Peace and Justice", organized by the CEC and SEKE. In September 1992, at the Tenth General Assembly of the CEC, the term of office of Patriarch Alexy II as chairman of the CEC expired. His Holiness spoke at the Second European Ecumenical Assembly in Graz (Austria) in 1997. Metropolitan Alexy was the initiator and chairman of four seminars of the Churches of the Soviet Union - members of the CEC and the Churches that maintain cooperation with this regional Christian organization. Seminars were held at the Assumption Pyukhtitsky Convent in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1989.

Metropolitan Alexy took an active part in the work of international and domestic peacekeeping public organizations. Since 1963 - a member of the board of the Soviet Peace Fund, a member of the founding meeting of the Rodina society, at which he was elected a member of the society's council on December 15, 1975; re-elected on May 27, 1981 and December 10, 1987. On October 24, 1980, at the V All-Union Conference of the Society of Soviet-Indian Friendship, he was elected vice-president of this Society. On March 11, 1989, he was elected a member of the board of the Foundation for Slavic Literature and Slavic Cultures. Delegate of the World Christian Conference "Life and Peace" (April 20-24, 1983, Uppsala, Sweden). Elected at this conference as one of its presidents. Since January 24, 1990 - Member of the Board of the Soviet Fund for Mercy and Health; since February 8, 1990 - member of the Presidium of the Leningrad Cultural Foundation. From the Charity and Health Foundation in 1989 he was elected a people's deputy of the USSR.

As a co-chairman, he entered the Russian organizing committee for the preparation for the meeting of the third millennium and the celebration of the two thousandth anniversary of Christianity (1998-2000). On the initiative and with the participation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, an inter-confessional conference "Christian Faith and Human Enmity" was held (Moscow, 1994). His Holiness the Patriarch chaired the conference of the Christian Interfaith Consultative Committee ""Jesus Christ the Same Yesterday and Today and Forever (Heb. 13:8)". Christianity on the Threshold of the Third Millennium" (1999); Interreligious peacemaking forum (Moscow, 2000).

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy is an honorary member of the St. Petersburg and Moscow Theological Academies, the Cretan Orthodox Academy (Greece); Doctor of Theology, St. Petersburg Theological Academy (1984); doctor of theology honoris causa of the Theological Academy in Debrecen of the Reformed Church of Hungary and the Faculty of Theology of Jan Comenius in Prague; Doctor of Theology honoris causa from the General Seminary of the Episcopal Church in the USA (1991); Doctor of Theology honoris causa of the St. Vladimir Theological Seminary (Academy) in the USA (1991); doctor of theology honoris causa of the St. Tikhon Theological Seminary in the USA (1991). In 1992 he was elected a full member of the Russian Academy of Education. Doctor of Theology honoris causa from Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, Alaska, USA (1993). Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) named after A.E. Kulakovsky "For outstanding selfless activity to consolidate the peoples of the Russian Federation" (1993). In the same year, His Holiness was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Omsk State University for outstanding achievements in the field of culture and education. In 1993 he was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Moscow State University for outstanding services in the spiritual revival of Russia.

1994: Honorary Doctor of Philology from St. Petersburg University (January 24); Honorary Doctor of Theology from the Faculty of Theology of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade (May 15). Honorary Doctor of Theology from the Tbilisi Theological Academy (Georgia, April 1996); winner of the gold medal of the University of Kosice in the Faculty of Orthodox Theology (Slovakia, May 1996); honorary member of the International Foundation for Mercy and Health; Chairman of the Public Supervisory Board for the Reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. He was awarded the highest award of the Russian Federation - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, many orders of the Local Orthodox Churches and state orders of different countries, as well as awards from public organizations.

In 2000, His Holiness the Patriarch was elected an honorary citizen of Moscow, he is also an honorary citizen of St. Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod, the Republic of Mordovia, the Republic of Kalmykia, Sergiev Posad, Dmitrov.

His Holiness was awarded the national awards "Person of the Year", "Outstanding People of the Decade (1990-2000), who contributed to the prosperity and glorification of Russia", "Russian National Olympus" and the honorary public title "Person of the Epoch". In addition, His Holiness the Patriarch is a laureate of the international award "Perfection. Blessing. Glory" awarded by the Russian Biographical Institute (2001), as well as the Main Prize "Person of the Year" awarded by the holding "Top Secret" (2002).

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy is Chairman of the Patriarchal Synodal Biblical Commission, Chief Editor of the Orthodox Encyclopedia and Chairman of the Supervisory and Church Scientific Councils for the publication of the Orthodox Encyclopedia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Charitable Foundation for Reconciliation and Accord, heads the Board of Trustees of the National Military Fund.

During the years of his hierarchal service, Metropolitan Alexy visited many dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church and countries of the world, and was a participant in many church events. Several hundred of his articles, speeches and works on theological, church-historical, peacemaking and other topics have been published in the ecclesiastical and secular press in Russia and abroad.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy presided over the Councils of Bishops in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2000, and invariably presides over meetings of the Holy Synod. As Patriarch of All Russia, he visited 81 dioceses, many of them several times - more than 120 trips to dioceses in total, the goals of which were primarily pastoral care for remote communities, strengthening church unity and the testimony of the Church in society.

During his hierarchical service, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy headed 83 hierarchal consecrations (70 of them after being elected to the All-Russian See), ordained more than 400 priests and almost the same number of deacons.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy pays great attention to the training of clergy for the Russian Orthodox Church, the religious education of the laity, and the spiritual and moral education of the younger generation. To this end, with the blessing of His Holiness, theological seminaries, theological schools, parochial schools are opened; structures are being created for the development of religious education and catechesis. In 1995, the dispensation of church life made it possible to approach the reconstruction of the missionary structure. His Holiness pays great attention to the establishment in Russia of new relations between the state and the Church. At the same time, he firmly adheres to the principle of separation between the mission of the Church and the functions of the state, non-interference in each other's internal affairs. At the same time, he believes that the soul-saving service of the Church and the service of the state to society require mutually free interaction between church, state and public institutions.

After many years of persecution and restrictions, the Church was given back the opportunity to carry out not only catechism, religious, educational and educational activities in society, but also to carry out charity towards the poor and the ministry of mercy in hospitals, nursing homes and places of detention.

The pastoral approach of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy removes the tension between the institutions of the state system for the preservation of cultural monuments and the Church, which is caused by unjustified fears, narrowly corporate or personal interests. His Holiness signed a number of joint documents with the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the leadership of individual museum complexes located on the territory of church-historically and spiritually significant monasteries, which resolve these problems and give the monasteries a new life.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy calls for close cooperation between representatives of all areas of secular and ecclesiastical culture. He constantly reminds of the need to revive morality and spiritual culture, to overcome artificial barriers between secular and religious culture, secular science and religion.

A number of joint documents signed by His Holiness laid the foundation for the development of cooperation between the Church and the health and welfare systems, the Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, justice, cultural institutions and other state structures. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, a coherent church system has been created for the care of military personnel and law enforcement officers.

In the course of political, social and economic reforms, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II constantly reminds of the priority of moral goals over all others, of the advantage of serving the good of society and a particular person in political and economic activities. Continuing the tradition of Christian peacemaking ministry, during the socio-political crisis in Russia in the autumn of 1993, fraught with the threat of civil war, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' took on the mission of appeasing political passions, inviting the parties to the conflict to negotiations and mediating these negotiations. The Patriarch came up with many peacekeeping initiatives in connection with the conflicts in the Balkans, the Armenian-Azerbaijani confrontation, the military operations in Moldova, the events in the North Caucasus, the situation in the Middle East, the military operation against Iraq, and so on.

During the Patriarchal ministry of the current Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, a large number of new dioceses were formed. Thus, many centers of spiritual and church-administrative leadership arose, located closer to parishes and helping to revive church life in remote regions. As the ruling bishop of the city of Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II pays a lot of attention to the revival and development of intra-diocesan and parish life. These works have largely become a model for organizing diocesan and parish life in other places. Along with the tireless intra-Church organization, in which he constantly calls for more active and responsible participation of all members of the Church without exception on a truly conciliar basis, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church pays great attention to the issues of fraternal cooperation of all Orthodox Churches for joint witness to the Truth of Christ to the world. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy considers cooperation between different Christian denominations for the needs of the modern world to be a Christian duty and a way to the fulfillment of Christ's commandment of unity. Peace and harmony in society, to which Patriarch Alexy tirelessly calls, necessarily include benevolent mutual understanding and cooperation between adherents of different religions and worldviews.

On December 5, 2008, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II reposed. For almost 20 years he was the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. On the anniversary of his departure, let us recall 7 facts about Patriarch Alexy II.

Ridigers

Patriarch Alexy II, in his origin, was from a well-known Baltic noble family. Among its representatives is Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Ridiger, statesman, general, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. The family of the grandfather of the future patriarch lived in St. Petersburg, but was forced to emigrate during the revolution. Alexy's father studied at one of the most privileged educational institutions in the capital - the Imperial School of Law. The children of hereditary nobles were brought up there. But he had to complete his education already in the Estonian gymnasium. The mother of Alexy II, Elena Iosifovna, nee Pisareva, was the daughter of a colonel in the White Army. He was shot by the Bolsheviks in Terioki (Zelenogorsk). The parents of the future Patriarch got married in 1926, three years before the birth of their son.

As a boy, at the end of the 30s, Alexei twice visited Valaam - the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery on Lake Ladoga. He went there with his parents. The Patriarch has repeatedly emphasized that it was these trips that largely determined his determination in choosing the Path. For the rest of his life, he remembered meetings with spiritual elders and inhabitants of the monastery, their openness, accessibility for every pilgrim. The Patriarch kept the letters of the Valaam elders in his personal archive. The next visit to Valaam happened half a century later. Until the end of his life, Alexy II headed the Board of Trustees for the Revival of the Transfiguration Monastery.

Epiphany water

Alyosha has been at the church since childhood. Love for the church and services was brought up in him by his parents, although it is worth recognizing that he himself showed considerable enthusiasm in his desire to partake of church secrets. His zeal even bothered his parents. Alyosha's favorite game was to serve. At the same time, he did not play this game, but as a child, he did everything seriously. A happy day was the day when Alyosha was entrusted with pouring baptismal water. This was the first obedience of the future Patriarch. He was 6 years old. Otherwise, as the Patriarch said, he was an ordinary child: he loved to play, went to kindergarten, helped his parents around the house, spud potatoes ...

Pilgrimage to Athos

The Patriarch considered Holy Mount Athos to be a special place for every Orthodox Christian. In 1982, Alexy made a pilgrimage there. About Athos, the Patriarch said: "Even in the most difficult years of militant atheism, the Russian people knew that their compatriots, the Athonites, together with the entire Athos brotherhood, sympathize with their suffering and ask them for strength and strength."

The main worldly passion of the Patriarch from childhood was "quiet hunting". Alexy collected mushrooms in Estonia, Russia and Switzerland. The patriarch eagerly talked about his passion and even shared a recipe for salted mushrooms. It is ideal to collect mushrooms in dry weather and do not wash. But mushrooms are most often in the sand, so you have to rinse with cold water, then let it all drain, if possible. But if mushrooms are from moss, then you can not wash them, wipe them with a clean cloth and that's it. Then put in a bucket, hats down. Definitely in rows. Salt each row. Cover everything with a clean rag, and on top - with a large plate or lid and press down with oppression.

Brothers smaller

Alexy II treated "our smaller brothers" with great warmth. He has always had pets. Mostly dogs. In childhood - terrier Johnny, Newfoundland Soldan, mongrel Tuzik. Many pets lived at the Patriarch's dacha in Peredelkino. 5 dogs (Chizhik, Komarik, Pug, Roy, Lada), several cows and goats, chickens, cats. Alexy II spoke about cows, listing: "The most important is Squirrel. Then Harp, Chamomile, Dawn, Baby, Snowflake. We also have calves, a goat Rose and kids ..."

Policy

In 1989, the Charity and Health Foundation, where Alexy was a member of the board, nominated him to the people's deputies of the USSR. And he was chosen. The Patriarch recalled that period of his life with reluctance. "The parliament of those years turned into a place where people completely lacked respect for each other. The spirit of eternal confrontation, constant struggle, nervousness reigned there ... People did not want to simply listen to each other, let alone speak, explain themselves in normal human language" . In politics, the future Patriarch did not like it. "After each meeting of the Congress of People's Deputies, I became simply ill - that atmosphere of intolerance and enmity had a very bad effect on me," Alexy recalled.

Alexy II. Portrait by Viktor Shilov.

Alexy II (Ridiger Alexei Mikhailovich) (b. 02/23/1929), patriarch Moscow and all Rus'. The son of a lawyer who became a priest and emigrated to Estonia. Born in Tallinn, in "independent" Estonia. He studied at the seminary in Leningrad (1949). Graduated from the Theological Academy in Leningrad (1953). Priest in Tartu (1957). Archpriest (1958). Monk (1961). Archbishop (1964). Chairman of the Commission for Christian Unity and Interchurch Relations (1963-79). Metropolitan of Tallinn and Estonia (1968). Member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (1961-68). Closely associated with Valaam monastery, the main center of monastic life in the North of Russia. Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod (1986). He played a major role in the canonization of St. Xenia Petersburg and the return of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky from the museum to its original location in Alexander Nevsky Lavra. After the death of Patr. Pimena elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (June 7, 1990). He performed divine services in many famous Russian cathedrals, which were closed after the Bolshevik coup. (St Basil's Church on Red Square, Assumption Cathedral V the Kremlin, coronation church of Russian tsars, Saint Isaac's Cathedral In Petersburg). Made a statement that the Declaration Sergius (Stragorodsky) cannot be considered an expression of the free will of the Church.

Alexy II (in the world Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger) (1929-2008) - patriarch. Born in Tallinn in the family of an emigrant from Russia, a priest, Mikhail Alexandrovich Ridiger. From 1944 to 1947 he was subdeacon of the Archbishop of Tallinn and Estonia Pavel (Dmitrovsky). Since 1946 he served as a psalmist in Simeonovskaya, and since 1947 - in the Kazan Church in Tallinn. In 1947 he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary. In his first year at the Leningrad Theological Academy in 1950, he was ordained a deacon, and then a priest, and was appointed rector of the Church of the Epiphany in the town of Jyhvi, Tallinn diocese. In 1953 he graduated from the Theological Academy. In 1957 he was appointed rector of the Dormition Cathedral in Tartu. In 1958 he was elevated to the rank of archpriest. In 1961, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, he was tonsured a monk. In 1961 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, from the same year he was bishop of Tallinn and Estonia. Since 1964 - archbishop, since 1968 - metropolitan. In 1986 he was appointed Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod with instructions to manage the Tallinn diocese. On June 7, 1990, at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was elected to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne.

Used material from the site "Russian Abroad" - http://russians.rin.ru

Other biographical material:

Compositions:

Epistle of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the 75th anniversary of the assassination of Emperor Nicholas II and his Family // Noble Assembly: Ist.-Publicist. Or T. Almanac. M., 1995, S. 70-72; Russia is needed not only for itself, but for the whole world // Lit. Studies. 1995. No. 2/3. pp. 3-14; To return to people the interethnic, political and social peace: From the answers of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II to the questions of the columnist of the newspaper "Culture" // Rossiyskiy obozrevatel. 1996. No. 5. S. 85-86; Appeal to the participants of the international conference "Spiritual foundations of politics and principles of international cooperation" // ZhMP. 1997. No. 7. S. 17-19; Epistle of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the 80th anniversary of the assassination of Emperor Nicholas and his family // Ibid. 1998. No. 7. P. 11; The role of Moscow in the defense of the Fatherland // The role of Moscow in the defense of the Fatherland. M., 1998. Sat. 2. S. 6-17; Word of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus': [On the Crisis of the Russian School] // Christmas Readings, 6th. M., 1998. S. 3-13; Word to the participants of the Council Hearings [World Russian People's Council March 18-20, 1998] // Church and Time / DECR MP. 1998. No. 2 (5). pp. 6-9; Church and spiritual revival of Russia: Words. Speeches, messages, appeals, 1990-1998. M., 1999; Russia: spiritual revival. M., 1999; Appeal in connection with the armed action against Yugoslavia // ZhMP. 1999. No. 4. S. 24-25; Sorrowful of the Russian Land: The Word and Image of the First Sanctifier. M., 1999; Word at the first service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior // ZhMP 2000. No. 1. P. 44-45.

Literature:

Patriarch. M., 1993;

Primate. M., 2000.

Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Church and spiritual revival of Russia. Words, speeches, messages, appeals. 1990–1998 M., 1999;

Thoughts of the Russian Patriarchs from the Beginning to the Present Day. M., 1999;

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2007. M., 2008;

Tsypin V. History of the Russian Orthodox Church. Synodal and modern periods. 1700–2005 M., 2006.

Date of publication or update 04/01/2017

Since 1917, when the patriarchate was restored in Russia, each of the four predecessors of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II carried his own heavy cross. In the service of each Primate, there were hardships due to the uniqueness of that particular historical period in the life of Russia and the whole world, when the Lord judged him to be the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The primatial ministry of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' began with the advent of a new era, when deliverance from the oppression of godless power came.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II (in the world Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger) was born on February 23, 1929. His father, Mikhail Alexandrovich, came from an old St. Petersburg family, whose representatives had served Russia worthily in the military and state fields for decades. According to the genealogy of the Ridigers, during the reign of Catherine II, the Courland nobleman Friedrich Wilhelm von Ridiger converted to Orthodoxy and, with the name Fedor Ivanovich, became the founder of one of the lines of the noble family, the most famous representative of which was Count Fedor Vasilyevich Ridiger - a cavalry general and adjutant general, an outstanding commander and a statesman, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. The grandfather of Patriarch Alexy, Alexander Alexandrovich, had a large family, which in difficult revolutionary times he managed to take to Estonia from Petrograd, which was engulfed in unrest. The father of Patriarch Alexy, Mikhail Alexandrovich Ridiger (1902-1964), was the youngest, the fourth child in the family.

The Ridigers brothers studied at one of the most privileged educational institutions in the capital, the Imperial School of Jurisprudence - a first-class closed institution, the pupils of which could only be children of hereditary nobles. The seven-year education included gymnasium and special legal education. However, due to the 1917 revolution, Mikhail completed his education at a gymnasium in Estonia. In Haapsalu, where the hastily emigrated family of A.A. Ridiger, there was no work for the Russians, except for the most difficult and dirty, and Mikhail Alexandrovich earned his living by digging ditches. Then the family moved to Tallinn, and already there he entered the Luther plywood factory, where he served as the chief accountant of the department until he took holy orders in 1940.

Church life in post-revolutionary Estonia was very lively and active, primarily due to the activities of the clergy of the Estonian Orthodox Church. According to the memoirs of Patriarch Alexy, "these were real Russian priests, with a high sense of pastoral duty, taking care of their flock." An exceptional place in the life of Orthodoxy in Estonia was occupied by monasteries: the male Pskov-Pechersk Monastery of the Assumption of the Mother of God, the female Pyukhtitsky Monastery of the Assumption of the Mother of God, the Iberian women's community in Narva. Many clergy and laity of the Estonian Church visited the monasteries located in the dioceses of the western part of the former Russian Empire: the Sergius Convent in the name of the Holy Trinity in Riga, the Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilna, and the Pochaev Dormition Lavra. The largest gathering of pilgrims from Estonia annually visited the Valaam Transfiguration Monastery, which was then in Finland, on the day of memory of its founders, St. Sergius and Herman. In the early 20s. With the blessing of the hierarchy, student religious circles appeared in Riga, which laid the foundation for the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSDH) in the Baltics. The versatile activities of the RSHD, whose members were Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov, Hieromonk John (Shakhovskoy), N.A. Berdyaev, A.V. Kartashev, V.V. Zenkovsky, G.V. Florovsky, B.P. Vysheslavtsev, S.L. Frank, attracted Orthodox youth who wanted to find a solid religious foundation for independent living in the difficult conditions of emigration. Recalling the 1920s and his participation in the RSHD in the Baltics, Archbishop John (Shakhovskoy) of San Francisco later wrote that that unforgettable period for him was “the religious spring of the Russian emigration,” her best response to everything that happened at that time with Church in Russia. The Church for the Russian exiles ceased to be something external, only a reminder of the past, it became the meaning and purpose of everything, the center of being.

Both Mikhail Alexandrovich and his future wife Elena Iosifovna (nee Pisareva) were active participants in the Orthodox church and social and religious life of Tallinn, participated in the RSHD. Elena Iosifovna Pisareva was born in Revel (modern Tallinn), her father was a colonel in the White Army, shot by the Bolsheviks near Petrograd; relatives on the maternal side were ktitors of the Tallinn Alexander Nevsky cemetery church. Even before the wedding, which took place in 1926, it was known that Mikhail Alexandrovich wanted to become a priest from a young age. But only after completing the theological courses (opened in Reval in 1938) was he ordained a deacon, and then a priest (in 1942). For 16 years, Father Michael was the rector of the Nativity of the Virgin of Kazan Church in Tallinn, and was the chairman of the Diocesan Council. In the family of the future Primate, the spirit of Russian Orthodox Churchness reigned, when life is inseparable from the temple of God and the family is truly a home church. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy recalled: “I was the only son of my parents, we lived very friendly. We were bound by strong love ... ”For Alyosha Ridiger, there was no question of choosing a life path. His first conscious steps were taken in the church, when he, as a six-year-old boy, performed his first obedience - he poured baptismal water. Even then, he firmly knew that he would become only a priest. According to his recollections, being a 10-year-old boy, he knew the service well and loved to “serve” very much, he had a “church” in the room in the barn, there were “vestments”. Parents were embarrassed by this and even turned to the Valaam elders, but they were told that if everything is done seriously by a boy, then there is no need to interfere. It was a family tradition to make pilgrimages during the summer holidays: they went either to the Pyukhtitsky Monastery, or to the Pskov-Caves Monastery. In the late 1930s, the parents and their son made two pilgrimage trips to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga. The boy for the rest of his life remembered his meetings with the inhabitants of the monastery - the spirit-bearing elders Sheikhumen John (Alekseev, f 1958), Hieroschemamonk Ephraim (Khrobostov, f 1947) and especially with the monk Iuvian (Krasnoperov, 11957), with whom he began a correspondence.

By Divine Providence, the fate of the future High Hierarch was such that life in Soviet Russia was preceded by childhood and adolescence in old Russia (he began his studies at a private school, moved to a private gymnasium, then studied at an ordinary school), and he met with Soviet reality, although at a young age, but already mature in spirit. His spiritual father was Archpriest John the Epiphany, later Bishop Isidor of Tallinn and Estonia. From the age of fifteen, Alexei was a subdeacon of the Archbishop of Tallinn and Estonia, Pavel, and then of Bishop Isidore. Prior to entering the Theological Seminary, he served as a psalmist, altar boy and sacristan in the churches of Tallinn.

In 1940, Soviet troops entered Estonia. In Tallinn, arrests and deportations to Siberia and the northern regions of Russia began among the local population and Russian emigrants. Such a fate was prepared for the Ridiger family, but the Providence of God preserved them. Patriarch Alexy later recalled this as follows: “Before the war, like the sword of Damocles, we were threatened with deportation to Siberia. Only chance and a miracle of God saved us. After the arrival of the Soviet troops, relatives from my father’s side came to us in the suburbs of Tallinn, and we provided them with our house, and we ourselves moved to live in a barn, where we had a room where we lived, we had two dogs with us. At night, they came for us, searched the house, walked around the site, but the dogs, which usually behaved very sensitively, never even barked once. We were not found. After this incident, until the very German occupation, we no longer lived in the house.

During the war years, priest Mikhail Ridiger spiritually nourished the Russian people, who were taken to work in Germany through occupied Estonia. Thousands of people were kept in camps for displaced persons in very difficult conditions, mainly from the central regions of Russia. Communication with these people, who had experienced and suffered a lot, endured persecution in their homeland and remained faithful to Orthodoxy, struck Fr. Mikhail and later, in 1944, strengthened his decision to stay in his homeland. Military operations approached the borders of Estonia. On the night of May 9-10, 1944, Tallinn was subjected to a brutal bombardment, which damaged many buildings, including those in the suburbs where the Ridigers' house was located. The woman who was in their house died, but Fr. The Lord saved Michael and his family - it was on that terrible night that they were not at home. The next day, thousands of Tallinners left the city. The Ridigers remained, although they perfectly understood that with the arrival of Soviet troops, the family would be in constant danger of being exiled.

In 1946, Alexei Ridiger passed the exams to the Leningrad Theological Seminary, but was not accepted by age - he was only 17 years old, and minors were not allowed to be admitted to theological schools. The following year, he was enrolled immediately in the 3rd year of the seminary, from which he graduated in the first category. Being a freshman at the Leningrad Theological Academy, in 1950 he was ordained a priest and appointed rector of the Church of the Epiphany in the city of Jyhvi, Tallinn diocese. For more than three years he combined the service of a parish priest with his studies at the Academy (in absentia). He especially remembered this first coming in the life of the future Primate: here he came into contact with many human tragedies - they often happened in the mining town. At the first service, Fr. Alexy, on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, only a few women came to the temple. However, the parish gradually came to life, rallied, and the repair of the temple began. “The flock there was not easy,” His Holiness the Patriarch later recalled, “after the war, people came to the mining town from various regions for special assignments for hard work in the mines; many died: the accident rate was high, therefore, as a shepherd, I had to deal with difficult destinies, family dramas, various social vices, and above all, drunkenness and the cruelty engendered by drunkenness. For a long time about Alexy served in the parish alone / so he went to all the necessities. He recalled that they did not think about the danger in those post-war years - whether it was close, how far, one had to go to the funeral, to baptize. In 1953, Father Alexy graduated from the Theological Academy in the first category and was awarded the degree of Candidate of Theology for his term paper “Metropolitan of Moscow Filaret (Drozdov) as a dogmatist.” In 1957, he was appointed rector of the Dormition Cathedral in Tartu, and during the year he combined ministry in two churches. In the university city, he found a completely different environment than in Jõhvi. “I found,” he said, “both in the parish and in the parish council, the old Yuryev university intelligentsia. Communication with them left me with very vivid memories. The Assumption Cathedral was in a deplorable state, it required urgent and major repairs - the fungus corroded the wooden parts of the building, in the aisle in the name of St. Nicholas, the floor collapsed during the service. There were no funds for repairs, and then Fr. Alexy decided to go to Moscow, to the Patriarchate, and ask for financial help. Secretary of Patriarch Alexy I D.A. Ostapov, after asking about. Alexy, introduced him to the Patriarch and reported on the request. His Holiness ordered to help the initiative priest.

In 1961, Archpriest Alexy Ridiger accepted the monastic rank. On March 3, at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, he was tonsured a monk with a name in honor of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow. The monastic name was drawn by lot from the shrine of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Continuing to serve in Tartu and remaining a dean, Father Alexy did not advertise his acceptance of monasticism and, in his words, “simply began to serve in a black kamilavka.” Soon, by the decision of the Holy Synod, Hieromonk Alexy was determined to become the bishop of Tallinn and Estonia with the assignment of temporary administration of the Riga diocese. It was a difficult time - the height of Khrushchev's persecution. The Soviet leader, trying to revive the revolutionary spirit of the twenties, demanded the literal implementation of the anti-religious legislation of 1929. It seemed that the pre-war times had returned with their "five-year plan of godlessness." True, the new persecution of Orthodoxy was not bloody - the ministers of the Church and Orthodox laity were not exterminated, as before, but newspapers, radio and television spewed streams of blasphemy and slander against the faith and the Church, and the authorities and the "public" persecuted and persecuted Christians. Across the country, there was a massive closure of churches, and the already small number of religious educational institutions was sharply reduced. Recalling those years, His Holiness the Patriarch said that he “had a chance to begin his church service at a time when people were no longer shot for their faith, but how much they had to endure defending the interests of the Church, God and history will judge.”

In those difficult years for the Russian Church, the older generation of bishops left this world, who began their ministry in pre-revolutionary Russia - confessors who went through Solovki and the hellish circles of the Gulag, archpastors who went into exile abroad and returned to their homeland after the war. They were replaced by a galaxy of young archpastors who did not see the Russian Church in power and glory, but chose the path of serving the persecuted Church, which was under the yoke of a godless state.

On September 3, 1961, Archimandrite Alexy was consecrated Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia. In the very first days, Vladyka was placed in an extremely difficult situation: Ya.S. Kanter informed him that in the summer of 1961 a decision had been made to close the Pyukhtitsky Monastery and 36 "unprofitable" parishes ("unprofitable" churches were a common excuse for their abolition during the years of Khrushchev's persecution). Later, Patriarch Alexy recalled that before his consecration, he could not even imagine the scale of the impending disaster. There was almost no time left, because the closure of churches was to begin in the coming days, and the time for the transfer of the Pyukhtitsky monastery to a rest home for miners was determined - October 1, 1961. Realizing that Orthodoxy in Estonia should not be allowed to suffer such a blow, the bishop Alexy begged the commissioner to postpone the implementation of the tough decision for a while, since the closure of churches at the very beginning of the young bishop's hierarchal ministry would make a negative impression on the flock. But the main thing was ahead - it was necessary to protect the monastery and temples from encroachment. At that time, the atheistic authorities took into account only political arguments, and positive mentions of this or that monastery or temple in the foreign press usually turned out to be effective. In May 1962, taking advantage of his position as Deputy Chairman of the DECR, Bishop Alexy organized a visit to the Pyukhtitsky Monastery by a delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the GDR, which published an article with photographs of the monastery in the Neue Zeit newspaper. Soon, along with Bishop Alexy, a Protestant delegation from France, representatives of the Christian Peace Conference and the World Council of Churches (WCC) arrived in Pukhtitsa. After a year of active visits to the monastery by foreign delegations, the issue of closing the monastery was no longer raised. Bishop Alexy also defended the Tallinn Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which, it seemed, was doomed in connection with the decision to convert it into a planetarium. It was also possible to save all 36 "unprofitable" parishes.

In 1964, Bishop Alexy was elevated to the rank of archbishop and appointed as the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate and a permanent member of the Holy Synod. He recalled: “For nine years I was close to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I, whose personality left a deep impression on my soul. At that time, I held the post of Executive Director of the Moscow Patriarchate, and His Holiness the Patriarch fully entrusted me with the solution of many internal issues. The most difficult trials fell to his lot: revolution, persecution, repressions, then, under Khrushchev, new administrative persecutions and the closure of churches. The modesty of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, his nobility, high spirituality - all this had a huge impact on me. The last divine service that he performed shortly before his death was in 1970 at the Candlemas. In the Patriarchal residence in Chisty Lane, after his departure, the Gospel was left, revealed in the words: "Now let Thy servant go, Lord, according to Thy word in peace."

Under His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, it became more difficult to fulfill the obedience of the manager of affairs. Patriarch Pimen, a man of monastic stock, a reverent performer of divine services and a prayer book, was often weighed down by the endless variety of administrative duties. This gave rise to complications with the diocesan hierarchs, who did not always find the effective support from the Primate that they hoped for when turning to the Patriarchate, contributed to the strengthening of the influence of the Council for Religious Affairs, and often gave rise to such negative phenomena as intrigues and favoritism. Nevertheless, Metropolitan Alexy was convinced that in every period the Lord sends the necessary figures, and in stagnant times such a Primate was needed: “After all, if someone else were in his place, how much firewood he could chop. And His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, with his inherent caution, conservatism, and even fear of any innovations, managed to preserve a lot in our Church.”

In the 1980s, through all the variety of events that filled this period, preparations for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' passed like a red thread. For Metropolitan Alexy, this period became one of the most important stages in his life. In December 1980, Bishop Alexy was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Commission for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', Chairman of the organizational group of this Commission. At that time, the power of the Soviet system was still unshakable, and its attitude towards the Russian Orthodox Church was still hostile. The formation of a special commission of the Central Committee of the CPSU, which was tasked with belittling the significance of the Baptism of Rus' in the perception of the people, limiting the celebration to a church fence, and erecting a propaganda barrier between the Church and the people, testifies to the degree of concern of the authorities with the approach of the unwanted anniversary. The efforts of many historians and journalists were aimed at suppressing and distorting the truth about the Russian Church and the history of Russia. At the same time, the entire Western cultural world was unanimous in recognizing the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' as one of the greatest events of the 20th century. The Soviet government involuntarily had to reckon with this and measure its actions within the country with the possible reaction to them in the world. In May 1983, by decision of the Government of the USSR, in order to create the Spiritual and Administrative Center of the Moscow Patriarchate for the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Danilov Monastery, the first Moscow monastery founded by St. blg. Prince Daniel in the 13th century Soviet propaganda broadcast about the generous "transfer of an architectural monument-ensemble." In reality, the Church received a pile of ruins and industrial waste. Metropolitan Alexy was appointed chairman of the Responsible Commission for organizing and carrying out all restoration and construction work. Before the walls were erected, monastic work was resumed in the ruined place. Prayers and voluntary selfless labor of the Orthodox in the shortest possible time raised the Moscow shrine from the ruins.

In the mid-1980s, with the coming to power in the country of M.S. Gorbachev, there were changes in the policy of the leadership, public opinion began to change. This process was very slow, the power of the Council for Religious Affairs, although in fact weakened, still formed the basis of state-church relations. Metropolitan Alexy, as the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, felt the urgent need for fundamental changes in this area, perhaps more sharply than other bishops. Then he committed an act that became a turning point in his fate - in December 1985 he sent a letter to Gorbachev, in which he first raised the question of restructuring state-church relations. The essence of Vladyka Alexy's position is outlined by him in the book Orthodoxy in Estonia: “My position both then and today is that the Church should be really separated from the state. I believe that in the days of the Council of 1917-^ 1918. the clergy were not yet ready for a real separation of the Church from the state, which was reflected in the documents adopted at the Council. The main issue that was raised in negotiations with the secular authorities was the question of not separating the Church from the state, because the centuries-old close relationship between the Church and the state created a very strong inertia. And in the Soviet period, the Church was also not separated from the state, but was crushed by it, and the state’s interference in the internal life of the Church was complete, even in such sacred areas as, say, it is possible or not to be baptized, it is possible or not to get married, outrageous restrictions in the performance of the Sacraments and divine services. National terror was often exacerbated by simply ugly, extremist antics and prohibitions by authorized "local level". All this required immediate change. But I realized that the Church and the state also have common tasks, for historically the Russian Church has always been with its people in joys and trials. Issues of morality and morality, health and culture of the nation, family and upbringing require the unification of the efforts of the state and the Church, an equal union, and not subordination of one to the other. And in this regard, I raised the most urgent and cardinal issue of revising the outdated legislation on religious associations.” Gorbachev then did not understand and did not accept the position of the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, a letter from Metropolitan Alexy was sent to all members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, at the same time the Council for Religious Affairs indicated that such issues should not be raised. The response of the authorities to the letter, in full accordance with the old traditions, was the order to remove Bishop Alexy from the key position of the manager of affairs at that time, which was carried out by the Synod. After the death of Metropolitan Anthony (Melnikov) of Leningrad, by the decision of the Holy Synod of July 29, 1986, Metropolitan Alexy was appointed to the Leningrad and Novgorod cathedra, leaving him to manage the Tallinn diocese. On September 1, 1986, Bishop Alexy was removed from the leadership of the Pension Fund, and on October 16, the duties of chairman of the Educational Committee were removed from him.

The reign of the new bishop became a turning point for the church life of the northern capital. At first, he was faced with a complete disregard for the Church by the city authorities, he was not even allowed to pay a visit to the chairman of the Leningrad City Council - the representative of the Council for Religious Affairs stated harshly: "This has never happened in Leningrad and cannot be." But a year later, the chairman of the Leningrad City Council, at a meeting with Metropolitan Alexy, said: "The doors of the Leningrad Council are open for you day and night." Soon, representatives of the authorities themselves began to come to see the ruling bishop - this was how the Soviet stereotype was broken.

During the administration of the St. Petersburg diocese, Bishop Alexy managed to do a lot: the chapel of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg at the Smolensk cemetery, and the St. John Monastery on Karpovka were restored and consecrated. During the tenure of His Holiness the Patriarch as Metropolitan of Leningrad, the canonization of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg took place, the churches of shrines, temples and monasteries began to return, in particular, the holy relics of the Right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, St. Zosima, Savvaty and Herman of Solovetsky were returned.

In the jubilee year 1988 - the year of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' - there was a radical shift in the relationship between Church and state, Church and society. In April, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen and the permanent members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church had a conversation with Gorbachev, and Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad also participated in the meeting. The hierarchs raised a number of specific questions related to ensuring the normal activity of the Orthodox Church. After this meeting, the way was opened for a broad nationwide celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', which became a true triumph for the Church.

On May 3, 1990, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen reposed. The last years of his presidency, when he was seriously ill, were difficult and sometimes very difficult for general church administration. Metropolitan Alexy, who headed the Department of Affairs for 22 years, perhaps had a better idea of ​​the real state of the Church in the late 1980s than many. He was sure that the scope of the Church's activity was narrowed, limited, and he saw this as the main source of discord. To elect a successor to the deceased Patriarch, a Local Council was convened, preceded by a Council of Bishops, which elected three candidates for the Patriarchal Throne, of which Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad received the largest number of votes. On the eve of the Local Council, His Holiness the Patriarch wrote about his inner state: “I went to Moscow for the Council, having before my eyes great tasks that had finally opened up for archpastoral and church activities in general in St. Petersburg. I did not conduct any, speaking in secular language, "pre-election campaign". Only after the Council of Bishops, ... where I received the most votes of the bishops, did I feel that there was a danger that this cup might not pass me by. I say “danger” because, having been the administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate under His Holiness Patriarchs Alexy I and Pimen for twenty-two years, I knew perfectly well how heavy the cross of Patriarchal ministry is. But I relied on the will of God: if it is the will of the Lord for my Patriarchate, then, apparently, He will give strength.” According to memoirs, the Local Council of 1990 was the first Council in the post-war period, which was held without the intervention of the Council for Religious Affairs. Patriarch Alexy spoke about the voting during the election of the Primate of the Russian Church: “I felt the confusion of many, I saw confusion on some faces - where is the pointing finger? But it wasn’t, we had to decide for ourselves.” On June 7, 1990, the bell of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra announced the election of the fifteenth All-Russian Patriarch. In a sermon at the closing of the Local Council, the newly elected Patriarch said: “By the election of the Council, through which, we believe, the will of God was manifested in the Russian Church, the burden of primatial service was placed on my unworthiness. Great is the responsibility of this ministry. Accepting it, I am aware of my infirmities, my weakness, but I find reinforcement in the fact that my election took place by a Council of archpastors, pastors and laity who were not constrained in any way in expressing their will. I find reinforcement in my forthcoming ministry also in the fact that my accession to the throne of Moscow hierarchs was combined in time with a great church celebration - the glorification of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, the miracle worker, revered by the entire Orthodox world, by all Holy Russia, whose burial place is in the city that until now it has been my cathedral city. ..”

The enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy took place at the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow. The word of the new Primate of the Russian Church was dedicated to the tasks facing him in this difficult field: “We see our primary task, first of all, in strengthening the inner, spiritual life of the Church. Our Church - and we clearly see this - is embarking on the path of broad public service. All of our society looks with hope at it as the custodian of eternal spiritual and moral values, historical memory and cultural heritage. To give a worthy answer to these hopes is our historical task.” The entire primatial service of Patriarch Alexy was devoted to the solution of this most important task. Shortly after his enthronement, His Holiness said: “The ongoing changes could not but happen, for 1000 years of Christianity on the Russian land could not disappear completely, for God could not leave His people, who loved Him so much in their previous history. Seeing no light for decades, we did not leave prayers and hope - "beyond the hope of hope," as the apostle Paul said. We know the history of mankind and we know God's love for His sons. And from this knowledge we drew confidence that the times of trials and the reign of darkness would end.

The new Primate was to open a new era in the life of the Russian Church, to revive church life in all its manifestations, and to resolve many problems that had accumulated over decades. With courage and humility, he took on this burden, and God's blessing clearly accompanied his tireless labors. Truly providential events followed one after another: the acquisition of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov and their transfer by procession to Diveevo, the acquisition of the relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod and their return to Belgorod, finding the relics of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon and solemnly transferring them to the Great Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, finding the relics of St. Sergius in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Moscow Filaret and St. Maximus the Greek, finding the incorruptible relics of St. Alexander Svirsky.

After the collapse of the USSR, Patriarch Alexy II managed to keep under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church most of its canonical territories in the former Soviet republics, despite the opposition of local nationalists. Only a small part of the parishes (mainly in Ukraine and Estonia) broke away from the ROC.

The 18 years of the stay of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy on the throne of the Moscow First Hierarchs became a time of revival and flourishing of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Thousands of churches were rebuilt from the ruins and rebuilt, hundreds of monasteries were opened, a host of new martyrs and ascetics of faith and piety were glorified (more than one thousand seven hundred saints were canonized). The Law on Freedom of Conscience of 1990 returned to the Church the opportunity not only to develop catechism, religious education and upbringing activities in society, but also to carry out charity work, help the poor, serve others in hospitals, nursing homes and places of detention. The sign of the revival of the Russian Church in the 1990s was undoubtedly the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, which was destroyed by atheists precisely as a symbol of Russia's ecclesiastical and state power.

The statistics of these years are amazing. On the eve of the Local Council in 1988 there were 76 dioceses and 74 bishops, at the end of 2008 in the Russian Orthodox Church there were 157 dioceses, 203 bishops, of which 149 were ruling and 54 vicars (14 are retired). The number of parishes increased from 6,893 to 29,263, priests from 6,674 to 27,216, and deacons from 723 to 3,454. During his primacy, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II performed 88 episcopal consecrations and personally ordained many priests and deacons. Dozens of new churches were consecrated by the Patriarch himself. Among them were majestic cathedrals in diocesan centers, and simple rural churches, temples in large industrial cities, and in places as remote from the centers of civilization as Yamburg, a gas workers' settlement on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Today there are 804 monasteries in the ROC (there were only 22). In Moscow, the number of operating churches increased 22 times - from 40 to 872, until 1990 there was one monastery, now there are 8, there are also 16 monastic farmsteads, 3 seminaries and 2 Orthodox universities operate within the city (before there was not a single church educational institutions).

Spiritual education has always been in the center of attention of His Holiness. By the time of his patriarchate, there were three seminaries and two theological academies. The Council of Bishops in 1994 set the task for the seminaries to provide higher theological education, and for the academies to become scientific and theological centers. In this regard, the terms of study in theological schools have changed. In 2003, the first graduation of five-year seminaries took place, and in 2006 - the reformed academies. Church higher educational institutions of the open type appeared and actively developed, focused mainly on the training of the laity - theological institutes and universities. Now the Russian Orthodox Church runs 5 theological academies, 3 Orthodox universities, 2 theological institutes, 38 theological seminaries, 39 theological schools, and pastoral courses. Several academies and seminaries have regency and icon-painting schools, more than 11,000 Sunday schools operate at churches. New church publishing houses were created, a huge amount of spiritual literature appeared, and Orthodox mass media appeared in a multitude.

The most important part of the ministry of Patriarch Alexy was trips to the dioceses, which he made more than 170, visiting 80 dioceses. Divine services on trips often lasted 4-5 hours - there were so many who wanted to receive Holy Communion from the hands of the Primate, to receive his blessing. Sometimes the entire population of the cities to which the Primate visited took part in the divine services performed by him, in the laying and consecration of churches and chapels. Despite his advanced age, His Holiness usually performed up to 120-150 liturgies a year.

In the troubled years of 1991 and 1993, His Holiness the Patriarch did everything possible to prevent a civil war in Russia. Similarly, during the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya, Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, he invariably called for an end to the bloodshed, to restore the dialogue of the parties, to return to peaceful life. All international problems that pose a threat to peace and people's lives also invariably became the subject of his negotiations with statesmen of various countries during his visits there (and His Holiness made more than forty such trips). He made a lot of efforts for the peaceful solution of problems in the former Yugoslavia, which was associated with considerable difficulties. For example, when visiting the Serbian Church in 1994, His Holiness covered part of the way in Sarajevo in an armored personnel carrier, and in 1999 his visit to Belgrade came at a time when another NATO bombardment could begin at any moment. The great merit of Patriarch Alexy II is undoubtedly the restoration of the communion of the Church in the Fatherland and abroad. Ascension Day on May 17, 2007, when the Act of Canonical Communion was signed in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and then the unity of the Local Russian Church was sealed by the joint celebration of the Divine Liturgy, truly became a historic day of the triumph of Russian Orthodoxy, the spiritual overcoming of those wounds that were inflicted on the Russian people by revolution and civil war. The Lord sent His faithful servant a righteous end. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy died on December 5, 2008, at the age of 80, having served the day before, on the Feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, a liturgy in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. His Holiness has repeatedly said that the main content of the work of the Church is the revival of faith, the transformation of human souls and hearts, the union of man with the Creator. His whole life was devoted to serving this good cause, and his death also served him. About 100 thousand people came to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to say goodbye to the deceased Primate. For many, this sad event became a kind of spiritual impulse, aroused interest in church life, a desire for faith. "And beholding the end of their life, imitate their faith..."