Patriarch Alexy II. Alexy, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus': biography, years of life, photo

Alexy II. Portrait by Viktor Shilov.

Alexy II (Ridiger Alexey 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 related to Valaam Monastery, the main center of monastic life in the North of Russia. Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod (1986). Played a major role in the canonization of St. Ksenia in St. Petersburg and the return of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky from the museum to its original place in Alexander Nevsky Lavra. After the death of Patr. Pimena elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (June 7, 1990). He performed services in many famous Russian cathedrals that were closed after the Bolshevik revolution (St Basil's Church on Red Square, Assumption Cathedral V Kremlin, Church of the Coronation 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 Alexey Mikhailovich Ridiger) (1929-2008) - patriarch. Born in Tallinn in the family of an emigrant from Russia, a priest, Mikhail Aleksandrovich Ridiger. From 1944 to 1947 he was a subdeacon with Archbishop Pavel (Dmitrovsky) of Tallinn and Estonia. Since 1946 he served as a psalm-reader 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 appointed rector of the Church of the Epiphany in the city of Jõhvi, Tallinn diocese. In 1953 he graduated from the Theological Academy. In 1957 he was appointed rector of the Assumption 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, and from the same year, 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.

Material used from the website "Russian Abroad" - http://russians.rin.ru

Other biographical materials:

Essays:

Message from 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: Historical publicist. Or T. Almanac. M., 1995, pp. 70-72; Russia needs not only itself, but the whole world // Lit. Studies. 1995. No. 2/3. pp. 3-14; Return interethnic, political and social peace to people: From the answers of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II to questions from a columnist for the newspaper “Culture” // Russian Observer. 1996. No. 5. P. 85-86; Address to the participants of the international conference “Spiritual foundations of politics and principles of international cooperation” // ZhMP. 1997. No. 7. P. 17-19; Message from 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. P. 6-17; Word of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II: [On the crisis of the Russian school] // Christmas readings, 6th. M., 1998. P. 3-13; A word to the participants of the Council hearings [World Russian People's Council on March 18-20, 1998] // Church and Time / DECR MP. 1998. No. 2 (5). pp. 6-9; The Church and the spiritual revival of Russia: Words. Speeches, messages, addresses, 1990-1998. M., 1999; Russia: spiritual revival. M., 1999; Appeal in connection with the armed action against Yugoslavia // ZhMP. 1999. No. 4. P. 24-25; The Sorrower 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;

First Sanctifier. M., 2000.

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

Thoughts of 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 High Hierarch there were hardships due to the uniqueness of precisely that 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 came from the oppression of godless authorities.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II (in the world Alexey Mikhailovich Ridiger) was born on February 23, 1929. His father, Mikhail Alexandrovich, came from an old St. Petersburg family, whose representatives served Russia with dignity in the military and public fields for many 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 - cavalry general and adjutant general, an outstanding commander and a statesman, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Patriarch Alexy's grandfather, Alexander Alexandrovich, had a large family, which in difficult revolutionary times he managed to take to Estonia from Petrograd, which was engulfed in unrest. Patriarch Alexy's father, Mikhail Alexandrovich Ridiger (1902-1964), was the youngest, fourth, child in the family.

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

Church life in post-revolutionary Estonia was very lively and active, primarily thanks 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, caring for their flock.” An exceptional place in the life of Orthodoxy in Estonia was occupied by monasteries: the male Pskov-Pechersky Dormition of the Mother of God, the female Pyukhtitsky Dormition of the Mother of God, the Iverskaya women's community in Narva. Many clergy and laity of the Estonian Church visited monasteries located in the dioceses of the western part of the former Russian Empire: the Riga Sergius Convent of the Holy Trinity, the Vilna Monastery of the Holy Spirit and the Pochaev Dormition Lavra. The largest gathering of pilgrims from Estonia annually visited the Valaam Transfiguration Monastery, then located in Finland, on the day of remembrance of its founders - the Venerables Sergius and Herman. In the early 20s. With the blessing of the clergy, student religious circles appeared in Riga, laying the foundation of the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSDM) in the Baltic States. The diverse activities of the RSHD, whose members were Archpriest Sergius 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 basis for independent life in the difficult conditions of emigration. Remembering the 20s and his participation in the RSHD in the Baltic States, Archbishop John (Shakhovskoy) of San Francisco later wrote that that unforgettable period for him was the “religious spring of the Russian emigration,” its best response to everything that was happening at that time with Church in Russia. For Russian exiles, the Church ceased to be something external, merely 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 socio-religious life of Tallinn, and participated in the RSHD. Elena Iosifovna Pisareva was born in Reval (modern Tallinn), her father was a colonel in the White Army, shot by the Bolsheviks near Petrograd; maternal relatives 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 Mikhail was the rector of the Tallinn Nativity of the Virgin Mary Kazan Church, and was the chairman of the Diocesan Council. The spirit of Russian Orthodox churchliness reigned in the family of the future High Hierarch, 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 connected by strong love...” For Alyosha Ridiger there was no question about choosing a path in life. His first conscious steps took place in the church, when, as a six-year-old boy, he performed his first obedience - pouring baptismal water. Even then he knew for sure that he would only become a priest. According to his recollections, as a 10-year-old boy, he knew the service well and loved to “serve,” he had a “church” in a room in the barn, and there were “vestments.” The parents were embarrassed by this and even turned to the Valaam elders, but they were told that if the boy did everything seriously, then there was no need to interfere. It was a family tradition to make pilgrimages during the summer holidays: we went either to the Pyukhtitsky Monastery or to the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. At the end of the 1930s, parents and their son made two pilgrimage trips to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga. The boy remembered for the rest of his life his meetings with the inhabitants of the monastery - the spirit-bearing elders Schema-Hegumen John (Alekseev, f 1958), Hieroschemamonk Ephraim (Khrobostov, f 1947) and especially with the monk Iuvian (Krasnoperov, 11957), with whom he began a correspondence.

According to God's 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 a regular school), and he met Soviet reality even though at a young age, but already mature in spirit. His spiritual father was Archpriest John of the Epiphany, later Bishop of Tallinn and Estonian Isidore. From the age of fifteen, Alexey was a subdeacon with Archbishop Paul of Tallinn and Estonia, and then with Bishop Isidore. Before entering the Theological Seminary, he served as a psalm-reader, altar boy and sacristan in Tallinn churches.

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 destined for the Ridiger family, but God’s Providence 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 on our father’s side came to us in the suburbs of Tallinn, and we gave them our house, and we ourselves went 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 area, but the dogs, who usually behaved very sensitively, never even barked. They didn't find us. After this incident, until the German occupation, we no longer lived in the house.”

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

In 1946, Alexei Ridiger passed the exams at the Leningrad Theological Seminary, but was not accepted due to his age - he was only 17 years old, and admission of minors to theological schools was not allowed. The following year, he was immediately enrolled in the 3rd year of the seminary, which he graduated with first class. While in his first year 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 Jõhvi, Tallinn diocese. For more than three years he combined serving as a parish priest with studying at the Academy (by correspondence). This first visit in the life of the future High Priest was especially memorable for him: 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, united, and began repairing the temple. “The flock there was not easy,” His Holiness the Patriarch later recalled, “after the war they came to the mining town from various regions on special assignments for heavy work in the mines; many died: the accident rate was high, so as a shepherd I had to deal with difficult destinies, with family dramas, with various social vices, and above all with drunkenness and the cruelty generated by drunkenness.” For a long time Fr. Alexy served in the parish alone/so he went to all the needs. They didn’t think about danger, he recalled, in those post-war years - whether it was close or far, you had to go to a funeral service, to baptize. In 1953, Father Alexy graduated from the Theological Academy with the first category and was awarded the degree of candidate of theology for his course essay “Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow as a dogmatist.” In 1957, he was appointed rector of the Assumption Cathedral in Tartu and for a year combined service in two churches. In the university town 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, requiring urgent and extensive repairs - fungus was corroding the wooden parts of the building, and the floor in the chapel in the name of St. Nicholas 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, having asked Fr. 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 as a monk with the 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 dean, Father Alexy did not advertise his acceptance of monasticism and, in his words, “simply began to serve in the black kamilavka.” Soon, by a resolution 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 persecutions. 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 pre-war times had returned with their “five-year plan of godlessness.” True, the new persecution of Orthodoxy was not bloody - 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” poisoned and persecuted Christians. There was a massive closure of churches throughout the country, and the already small number of religious educational institutions sharply decreased. Recalling those years, His Holiness the Patriarch said that he “had the opportunity to begin his church service at a time when people were no longer shot for their faith, but how much he had to endure while defending the interests of the Church will be judged by God and history.”

In those difficult years for the Russian Church, the older generation of bishops, who began their ministry in pre-revolutionary Russia, left this world - 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 as Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia. In the very first days, the bishop was put in an extremely difficult position: the Commissioner of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia, Y.S. Kanter notified him that in the summer of 1961 a decision was made to close the Pukhtitsa Monastery and 36 “unprofitable” parishes (“the unprofitability” of churches was a common pretext for their abolition during the years of Khrushchev’s persecutions). Patriarch Alexy later 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 Pükhtitsa Monastery to a rest home for miners was determined - October 1, 1961. Realizing that it was impossible to allow such a blow to be dealt to Orthodoxy in Estonia, Bishop Alexy begged the commissioner to briefly postpone the execution of the harsh decision, since the closure of churches at the very beginning of the young bishop’s episcopal service would make a negative impression on the flock. But the main thing was ahead - it was necessary to protect the monastery and churches from encroachment. At that time, the atheistic government took into account only political arguments, and positive mentions of a particular monastery or temple in the foreign press were usually effective. In May 1962, taking advantage of his position as deputy chairman of the DECR, Bishop Alexy organized a visit to the Pukhtitsa 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, together with Bishop Alexy, a Protestant delegation from France, representatives of the Christian Peace Conference and the World Council of Churches (WCC) arrived in Pyukhtitsa. After a year of active visits to the monastery by foreign delegations, the question of closing the monastery was no longer raised. Bishop Alexy also defended the Tallinn Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which seemed doomed due to the decision to convert it into a planetarium. It was possible to save all 36 “unprofitable” parishes.

In 1964, Bishop Alexy was elevated to the rank of archbishop and appointed 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 imprint on my soul. At that time, I held the post of Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate, and His Holiness the Patriarch completely trusted me with the resolution of many internal issues. He suffered the most difficult trials: revolution, persecution, repression, then, under Khrushchev, new administrative persecution and the closure of churches. The modesty of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, his nobility, high spirituality - all this had a huge influence on me. The last service he performed shortly before his death was in 1970 on Candlemas. In the Patriarchal residence in Chisty Lane after his departure, the Gospel remained, revealed in the words: “Now do You let Your servant go in peace, according to Your word.”

Under His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, fulfilling the obedience of a business manager has become more difficult. Patriarch Pimen, a man of a monastic type, a reverent performer of divine services and a man of prayer, was often burdened by the endless variety of administrative duties. This gave rise to complications with the diocesan bishops, 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 intrigue and favoritism. And yet, Metropolitan Alexy was convinced that in each period the Lord sends the necessary figures, and in stagnant times just such a Primate was needed: “After all, if someone else had been in his place, how much wood he could have broken. And His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, with his characteristic caution, conservatism and even fear of any innovations, managed to preserve much in our Church.”

In the 80s, preparation for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' ran like a red thread through all the diversity of events that filled this period. 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 conduct 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 degree of concern of the authorities with the approach of an unwanted anniversary is evidenced by the formation of a special commission of the CPSU Central Committee, which was tasked with belittling the significance of the Baptism of Rus' in the perception of the people, limiting the celebration to the church fence, erecting a propaganda barrier between the Church and the people. The efforts of many historians and journalists were aimed at hushing up 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 inevitably had to take this into account and balance 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, for the creation of the Spiritual and Administrative Center of the Moscow Patriarchate for the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', the transfer of the St. Daniel Monastery to the Russian Orthodox Church took place - the first Moscow monastery founded by St. blg. Prince Daniil in the 13th century. Soviet propaganda spoke of the magnanimous “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 activity resumed in the devastated area. The prayers and voluntary selfless labor of the Orthodox Christians raised the Moscow shrine from the ruins in the shortest possible time.

In the mid-80s, with M.S. coming to power in the country. Gorbachev, changes in the leadership's policies were identified, and public opinion began to change. This process proceeded very slowly; the power of the Council for Religious Affairs, although in fact weakened, still formed the basis of state-church relations. Metropolitan Alexy, as manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, felt the urgent need for radical changes in this area, perhaps somewhat more acutely 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 Bishop Alexy’s position was outlined by him in his book “Orthodoxy in Estonia”: “My position both then and today is that the Church must be truly separated from the state. I believe that during the days of the Council of 1917-^1918. The clergy was not yet ready for the real separation of Church and state, which was reflected in the documents adopted at the Council. The main question 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 connection between the Church and the state created a very strong inertia. And during the Soviet period, the Church was also not separated from the state, but was crushed by it, and the state’s intervention in the internal life of the Church was complete, even in such sacred areas as, say, one can or cannot baptize, one can or cannot marry - outrageous restrictions on the performance of the Sacraments and divine services. Nationwide terror was often aggravated by simply ugly, extremist antics and prohibitions by “local level” representatives. All this required immediate changes. 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 education require the unification of the efforts of the state and the Church, an equal union, and not the subordination of one to the other. And in this regard, I raised the most pressing and fundamental question 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; Metropolitan Alexy’s letter was sent to all members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, at the same time the Council for Religious Affairs indicated that such issues should not be raised. The authorities’ response to the letter, in full accordance with old traditions, was an order to remove Bishop Alexy from the key position of business manager at that time, which was carried out by the Synod. After the death of Metropolitan Anthony (Melnikov) of Leningrad, by the determination of the Holy Synod on July 29, 1986, Metropolitan Alexy was appointed to the Leningrad and Novgorod See, leaving him with the management of the Tallinn diocese. On September 1, 1986, Bishop Alexy was removed from the leadership of the Pension Fund, and on October 16, his duties as chairman of the Educational Committee were removed.

The reign of the new bishop became a turning point for the church life of the northern capital. At first, he was faced with 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 commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs harshly stated: “This has never happened in Leningrad and cannot happen.” But a year later, the chairman of the Leningrad City Council, when 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 receive the ruling bishop - this is how the Soviet stereotype was broken.

During his 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 Ioannovsky 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 St. Petersburg took place, shrines, temples and monasteries began to be returned to the Church, in particular, the holy relics of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, the Venerable Zosima, Savvaty and Herman of Solovetsky were returned.

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

On May 3, 1990, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen reposed. The last years of his Primate, when he was seriously ill, were difficult and sometimes very difficult for church-wide management. Metropolitan Alexy, who headed the Administration for 22 years, perhaps better than many imagined the real situation of the Church in the late 80s. He was sure that the scope of the Church’s activities was narrowed and limited, and he saw this as the main source of disorder. To elect a successor to the deceased Patriarch, a Local Council was convened, which was preceded by a Council of Bishops, which elected three candidates to the Patriarchal Throne, of which Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad received the largest number of votes. About his internal state on the eve of the Local Council, His Holiness the Patriarch wrote: “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, in secular terms, “election campaign”. Only after the Council of Bishops, ... where I received the most votes from 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 manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate for twenty-two years under His Holiness Patriarchs Alexy I and Pimen, I knew very well how heavy the cross of Patriarchal service is. But I relied on the will of God: if the Lord’s will is for my Patriarchate, then, apparently, He will give me strength.” According to recollections, the Local Council of 1990 was the first Council in the post-war period to take place without the intervention of the Council for Religious Affairs. Patriarch Alexy spoke about the voting when electing the Primate of the Russian Church: “I felt the confusion of many, I saw confusion on some faces - where is the pointing finger? But he wasn’t there, 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 the Word 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 the Primate’s service was placed on my unworthiness. The responsibility of this ministry is great. Accepting it, I realize 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 the expression of their will. I find reinforcement in the service ahead of me in the fact that my accession to the throne of the Moscow hierarchs was connected in time with a great church celebration - the glorification of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, a wonderworker revered by the entire Orthodox world, by all of Holy Russia, whose burial place is located in the city of Until now it has been my cathedral city. ..”

The enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy took place in 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. Our entire society looks to her with hope as the keeper of enduring spiritual and moral values, historical memory and cultural heritage. To give a worthy answer to these hopes is our historical task.” The entire primacy of Patriarch Alexy was dedicated to the solution of this most important task. Soon after his enthronement, His Holiness said: “The changes taking place could not help but happen, for 1000 years of Christianity on Russian soil could not disappear completely, for God could not abandon His people, who loved Him so much in their previous history. Having not seen any light for decades, we did not give up prayers and hope - “hope beyond hope,” as the Apostle Paul said. We know the history of mankind and we know the love of God for His sons. And from this knowledge we drew confidence that the times of trials and dominion of darkness would end.”

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

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

The 18 years of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy's tenure 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 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 catechetical, religious, educational and educational activities in society, but also to carry out charity work, help the poor, and serve others in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. A sign of the revival of the Russian Church in the 1990s, undoubtedly, was the restoration in Moscow of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which was destroyed by atheists precisely as a symbol of the church and state power of Russia.

The statistics for these years are amazing. On the eve of the Local Council of 1988, there were 76 dioceses and 74 bishops; at the end of 2008, the Russian Orthodox Church had 157 dioceses, 203 bishops, of which 149 were ruling and 54 vicars (14 were 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, 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’ village on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Today there are 804 monasteries in the Russian Orthodox Church (there were only 22). In Moscow, the number of operating churches has 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 (previously there was not a single church educational establishments).

Spiritual education has always been the focus of His Holiness. By the time of his patriarchate, three seminaries and two Theological Academies were operating. The Council of Bishops in 1994 set the task for seminaries to provide higher theological education, and for academies to become scientific and theological centers. In connection with this, the terms of study in theological schools have changed. In 2003, the first graduation of five-year seminaries took place, and in 2006 - of the transformed academies. Open church higher education institutions appeared and actively developed, focused primarily on training 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 thousand Sunday schools operate at churches. New church publishing houses were created, a huge amount of spiritual literature appeared, and Orthodox media appeared in abundance.

The most important part of Patriarch Alexy’s ministry was trips to dioceses, of 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 High Hierarch and receive his blessing. Sometimes the entire population of the cities to which the High Hierarch came participated in the services he performed, in the foundation 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 civil war in Russia. Likewise, during the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya, Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, he invariably called for an end to the bloodshed, restoration of dialogue between the parties, and a return to peaceful life. All international problems that pose a threat to peace and people’s lives also invariably became the topic of his negotiations with government officials from various countries during his visits there (and His Holiness made more than forty such trips). He made a lot of efforts to peacefully resolve problems in the former Yugoslavia, which was associated with considerable difficulties. For example, when visiting the Serbian Church in 1994, His Holiness traveled part of the way to Sarajevo in an armored personnel carrier, and in 1999, his visit to Belgrade occurred at a time when another NATO bombing could begin at any moment. The enormous merit of Patriarch Alexy II, undoubtedly, is the restoration of communication of the Church in the Fatherland and abroad. The Day of the Ascension of the Lord 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 historical day of the triumph of Russian Orthodoxy, the spiritual overcoming of the wounds that were inflicted on the Russian people by revolution and civil war. The Lord sent His faithful servant a righteous death. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy died on December 5, 2008, at the 80th year of his life, having served the Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin the day before, on the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. His Holiness has said more than once that the main content of the Church’s works 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 it. 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, awakening an interest in church life and a desire for faith. “And looking at the end of their lives, imitate their faith...”

Patriarch Alexy II, whose biography is the subject of our article, lived a long and, I think, happy life. His activities left a deep mark not only in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, but also in the souls of many people. This is probably why, after the death of the priest, the people could not believe and come to terms with his departure, and a version still circulates in society that Patriarch Alexy II was killed. This man managed to do so many good deeds in his life that the importance of this personality does not decrease over the years.

Origin

Patriarch Alexy II, whose biography is connected with the Russian Orthodox Church for several generations, was born on February 23, 1929 in a very unusual family in the city of Tallinn. The ancestor of the future priest during the reign of Catherine the Second converted to Orthodoxy with the name Fedor Vasilyevich. He was a general, an outstanding public figure and commander. This is where the Russian family of Ridiger came from.

The grandfather of the future patriarch was able to take his family out of St. Petersburg to Estonia during the hot times of the revolution. Alexy's father studied at the prestigious Imperial School of Law, but completed his studies in Estonia. Then he worked as a forensic investigator in Tallinn and married the daughter of a colonel in the tsarist army. An Orthodox atmosphere reigned in the family; Alexy's parents were members of the progressive movement RSHD (Russian Student Christian Movement). They participated in religious debates, visited monasteries, and went to church services. When Alexy was very young, his father began studying at pastoral courses, where he met Father John, who later became the boy’s confessor.

The family had a tradition of spending the summer holidays on pilgrimages to various monasteries. It was then that Alexy fell in love with the Pukhtitsa monastery for the rest of his life. In 1940, Father Alexy was ordained a deacon. Since 1942, he served in the Kazan Church of Tallinn and for 20 years helped people find God.

Childhood

From early childhood, the future Patriarch of Moscow Alexy was immersed in an atmosphere of religiosity, which was for him the main spiritual principle in his formation. At the age of 6, he began helping in church services. The boy's parents and confessor raised him in the spirit of Christian values; he grew up as a kind, obedient child. Times were difficult; at the beginning of World War II, the family was threatened with deportation to Siberia for their German origin. The Ridigers had to hide. During the war, my father took Alyosha with him to visit prisoners in camps for persons being transferred to Germany.

Vocation

The whole atmosphere of the Riediger family was saturated with religion, the child absorbed it from a young age. He loved and knew church services very much, and even acted them out in his games. His confessor actively supported the boy's attraction to the Orthodox faith. In 1941, the future His Holiness Patriarch Alexy 2 became an altar boy, helping the deacon - his father. Then he served for several years in different churches in Tallinn. Alexy's fate, in fact, was predetermined from birth; from the age of 5, he existed only in the bosom of the church.

In 1947, the future His Holiness Patriarch Alexy 2 entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, he was accepted immediately into the third grade due to his high education and preparedness. In 1949 he entered the Leningrad Theological Academy. During this period, revived educational religious institutions are on the rise, this allows Alexy to receive a high-quality education. He was a very good student, all teachers noted his thoughtfulness and seriousness. He had no mental turmoil or searching; he was absolutely confident in his faith and his destiny.

Life of a priest

But A. Ridiger spends most of his studies at the academy as an external student. Metropolitan Gregory of Leningrad invited the young man to be ordained before completing his studies. He was offered several options for service, and he chose the position of rector in the Epiphany Church in the town of Jõhvi. From there he could often visit his parents and go to the academy. In 1953 he graduated from the academy, becoming a candidate of theology. In 1957 he was transferred from the difficult parish of Jõhvi to the university Tartu. Thus, the future Patriarch Alexy II, whose years of life would be associated with religious service, entered upon his path as a priest.

Difficult times fell upon him again. The Assumption Cathedral, to which Alexy was appointed, was in a deplorable state, the authorities did not support church initiatives, I had to work a lot, talk with people, attend services, go to services. The novice priest decided to seek help from Patriarch Alexy the First, who assisted in the repairs and blessed the namesake. In 1958, Alexy became archpriest and dean of the Tartu-Viljandi district. In 1959, the priest’s mother died, and this prompted him to accept monasticism. He had thought about such an act before, but now he was finally confirmed in his intention.

The Bishop's Path

In 1961, the future Patriarch Alexy II (his photo could increasingly be seen in reviews of foreign delegations’ trips to Russia) received a new appointment. He becomes the Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia, and is also temporarily entrusted with managing the Riga diocese. There was an acute shortage of young, educated personnel, especially since it was once again experiencing a round of new persecution in Russia. The ordination, at the request of Alexy, is held in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn. Immediately the young bishop receives a call from the authorities. In his parish it is planned to close several churches due to “unprofitability”, and the beloved Pyukhitsky monastery will be turned into a rest home for miners. Urgent and strong measures were needed.

Alexy organizes several visits of large foreign delegations to his parish and to the monastery, as a result, publications about him appear in the Western press, within a year representatives of almost all the world's religious organizations came here, the authorities had to surrender, and the question of closing the monastery was no longer raised. Thanks to the efforts of Alexy, the Pyuchitsky Monastery became a place for visits and communication between representatives of all European churches.

Alexy served in the Tallinn parish for a quarter of a century. During this time, he significantly strengthened the Orthodox Church here and published a large amount of literature, including in Estonian. Through his efforts, many churches in the region were preserved, including the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, in which Father Alexy served for a long time, who died in 1962, and the Kazan Church in Tallinn. But the propaganda and efforts of the authorities were doing their job: the number of believers was steadily declining, so that functioning churches remained in the villages; the archimandrite paid for their maintenance from church funds.

In 1969, Alexy was entrusted with additional service as Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod.

Church and social life

Alexy always traveled a lot to his parishes with divine services in order to hold conversations with believers and strengthen their spirit. At the same time, the future patriarch devoted an enormous amount of time to social work. From the very beginning of his diocesan service, he did not remain aloof from the life of the entire Orthodox Church. In 1961, the future His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, whose photo can be seen in the article, was a member of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church at the assembly of the World Council of Churches. He participates in the work of such prestigious organizations as the Conference of European Churches, in which he worked for more than 25 years, eventually becoming chairman of the presidium, the Rhodes Pan-Orthodox Conference, peacekeeping organizations, in particular the Soviet Peace Foundation, the Foundation of Slavic Literature and Slavic Cultures. Since 1961, he served as deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. In 1964 he became the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and fulfilled these duties for 22 years.

In 1989, Alexy was elected people's deputy of the USSR and dealt with issues of preserving national cultural values, language, and protecting historical heritage.

Patriarchal throne

In 1990, Pimen died and gathered to choose a new head of the Russian church, and there was no better candidate than Alexy. was enthroned on June 10, 1990 at the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow. In his speech to the flock, he said that he sees his main goal as strengthening the spiritual role of the church. He believed that it was necessary to increase the number of churches, including work in places of detention, in order to give people spiritual support on the path of correction. The upcoming social changes in society had to be used by the church to strengthen its position, and Alexy understood this well.

For some time, the patriarch continued to serve as bishop of the Leningrad and Tallinn diocese. In 1999, he took over the management of the Japanese Orthodox Church. During his service, the Patriarch traveled a lot to parishes, performed services, and contributed to the construction of cathedrals. Over the years, he visited 88 dioceses, consecrated 168 churches, and received thousands of confessions.

Public position

Alexy, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', from an early age was distinguished by a strong social position. He saw his mission not simply in serving God, but in promoting Orthodoxy. He was convinced that all Christians should unite in educational activities. Alexy believed that the church should cooperate with the authorities, although he himself experienced a lot of persecution from the Soviet regime, but after perestroika he sought to establish good relations with the country's leadership in order to jointly solve many state problems.

Of course, the patriarch always stood up for the disadvantaged, he did a lot of charity work and helped ensure that his parishioners also provided help to those in need. At the same time, Alexy repeatedly spoke out against people with non-traditional sexual orientation and warmly thanked the mayor of Moscow for banning the gay pride parade, calling homosexuality a vice that destroys the traditional norms of humanity.

Church and social transformations under the patriarch

Alexy, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', began his activities in office by informing the current government of the country about the critical state of the church. He did a lot to increase the role of the church in the country’s politics; he, along with the top officials of the state, made visits to memorial and ceremonial events. Alexy did a lot to ensure that church power was concentrated in the hands of the Council of Bishops, reducing democratization in the structure of the church. At the same time, he contributed to increasing the autonomy of individual regions outside the Russian Federation.

Merits of the Patriarch

Alexy, Patriarch of All Rus', did a lot for the Russian Orthodox Church; first of all, thanks to him, the church returned to broad public service. It was he who contributed to the fact that today Russian churches are full of parishioners, that religion has again become a familiar element of the life of Russians. He was also able to keep the churches of states that became independent as a result of the collapse of the USSR under Russian jurisdiction. His activities as Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' had a significant impact on the development of Orthodoxy and on increasing its significance in the world. Alexy was the chairman of the meconfessional committee “Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today and Forever.” In 2007, as a result of his efforts, the “Act on Canonical Communion” was signed, which meant the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Church abroad. Alexy was able to restore the widespread practice of religious processions; he contributes to the discovery of the relics of many saints, in particular Seraphim of Sarov, Maxim the Greek, Alexander Svirsky. He doubled the number of dioceses in Russia, the number of parishes almost tripled, the number of churches in Moscow increased more than 40 times; if before perestroika there were only 22 monasteries in the country, by 2008 there were already 804. The patriarch attached great importance to church education, it significantly increased the number of educational institutions at all levels in the country, and also had a positive impact on training programs, which became close to world standards.

Awards

Alexy, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', was awarded several times for his services by both secular and ecclesiastical authorities. He had more than 40 orders and medals of the Russian Orthodox Church, including such honorable ones as the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called with a diamond star, the Order of Grand Duke Vladimir, the Order of St. Alexis, the Medal of Dmitry of Thessalonica, the Order of Gregory the Victorious from the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The Russian government has also repeatedly noted the high merits of the patriarch with awards, including the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, the Order of Friendship of Peoples, and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. Alexy was twice awarded the state prize for outstanding achievements in the field of humanitarian work, and had certificates and gratitude from the President of the Russian Federation.

Alexy also had many awards from foreign countries, prizes, badges of honor and medals from public organizations.

In addition, he was an honorary citizen of more than 10 cities and was an honorary doctor of 4 universities around the world.

Care and memory

On December 5, 2008, sad news spread around the world: Patriarch Alexy 2 died. The cause of death was heart failure. The patriarch had serious heart problems for several years; he even had an elevator built in his residence to take him to the second floor to help him avoid unnecessary stress. However, versions of the murder of the patriarch almost immediately appeared in the media.

But there was no evidence for these suspicions, so everything remained at the level of rumors. The people simply could not believe that such a person was gone, and therefore tried to find someone to blame for their misfortune. The Patriarch was buried in the Epiphany Church.

People almost immediately began to wonder: will Patriarch Alexy II be canonized? There is no answer yet, since canonization is a complex and lengthy process.

The memory of the patriarch was immortalized in the names of libraries, squares, in the form of monuments, and several monuments.

Private life

Patriarch Alexy 2, whose cause of death was not the only reason for discussing his personality, life, and actions, was of interest to many. Many rumors circulated around his relationship with the KGB; Alexy was even called the favorite of the special services. Although there was no evidence of such suspicions.

Another question that aroused interest among ordinary people was whether the priest was married. It is known that bishops cannot have wives, since they are subject to celibacy. But before becoming a monk, many priests had families, and this was not an obstacle to their church career. Patriarch Alexy II, who had a wife during his student years, never mentioned his family experience. Researchers say that this marriage with Vera Alekseeva was absolutely formal. He was needed only to prevent the authorities from conscripting A. Ridiger for military service.

Little is known about the patriarch's private life. He loved to read and always worked hard. Alexy is the author of more than 200 books on theology. He was fluent in Estonian and German and spoke a little English. He lived and died in his favorite residence in Peredelkino, where he felt comfortable and calm.

The Ridiger family. Childhood and youth. According to information from the Genealogy of the Riedigers, during the reign of Empress Catherine II, the Courland nobleman Friedrich Vilgelm von Rudiger converted to Orthodoxy and with the name Fedor Ivanovich became the founder of one of the lines of this famous noble family in Russia, one of whose representatives was Count Fedor Vasilyevich Ridiger - cavalry general and adjutant general, an outstanding commander and statesman, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. From the marriage of Fyodor Ivanovich with Daria Fedorovna Erzhemskaya, 7 children were born, including the great-great-grandfather of Patriarch Alexy Georgy (1811-1848). The second son from the marriage of Georgy Fedorovich Ridiger and Margarita Fedorovna Hamburger - Alexander (1842-1877) - married Evgenia Germanovna Ghisetti, their second son Alexander (1870 - 1929) - the grandfather of Patriarch Alexy - had a large family, which he managed to take out in difficult revolutionary times to Estonia from riot-ridden Petrograd. Patriarch Alexy's father, Mikhail Alexandrovich Ridiger (May 28, 1902 - April 9, 1964), was the last, fourth, child in the marriage of Alexander Alexandrovich Ridiger and Aglaida Yulievna Balts (July 26, 1870 - March 17, 1956); the eldest children were George (born June 19, 1896), Elena (born October 27, 1897, married to F. A. Ghisetti) and Alexander (born February 4, 1900). The Riediger brothers studied at one of the most privileged educational institutions in the capital - the Imperial School of Law - a first-class closed institution, the students of which could only be the children of hereditary nobles. The seven-year training included classes corresponding to a gymnasium education, then a special legal education. Only Georgiy managed to finish school; Mikhail completed his education at a gymnasium in Estonia.

According to family legend, the A. A. Ridiger family emigrated hastily and initially settled in Haapsalu, a small town on the Baltic Sea, about 100 km southwest of Tallinn. After graduating from high school, Mikhail began looking for work. In Haapsalu there was no work for the Russians except the hardest and dirtiest, and Mikhail Alexandrovich made his living by digging ditches. Then the family moved to Tallinn, and there he entered the Luther plywood factory, where he served first as an accountant, then as the chief accountant of the department. M. A. Ridiger worked at Luther's factory until he was ordained (1940). Church life in post-revolutionary Estonia was very lively and active, primarily thanks 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, caring for their flock” (Conversations with Patriarch Alexy II. Archives of the Central Scientific Center). An exceptional place in the life of Orthodoxy in Estonia was occupied by the monasteries of the Pskov-Pechersky Dormition of the Mother of God for men, the Pyukhtitsky Dormition of the Mother of God for women, and the Iverskaya women's community in Narva. Many clergy and laity of the Estonian Church visited monasteries located in the dioceses of the western part of the former Russian Empire: the Riga Sergius Convent of the Holy Trinity, the Vilna Monastery of the Holy Spirit and the Pochaev Dormition Lavra. The largest gathering of pilgrims from Estonia took place annually on July 11 (June 28, O.S.) at the Valaam Transfiguration Monastery, then located in Finland, on the day of remembrance of its founders, the Venerables Sergius and Herman.

In the early 20s. With the blessing of the clergy, student religious circles appeared in Riga, laying the foundation of the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSDM) in the Baltic States. The diverse activities of the RSHD, whose members were Archpriest Sergius 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 basis for independent life in the difficult conditions of emigration. Remembering the 20s and his participation in the RSHD in the Baltic States, Archbishop John (Shakhovskoy) of San Francisco later wrote that that unforgettable period for him was the “religious spring of the Russian emigration,” its best response to everything that was happening at that time with Church in Russia. For Russian exiles, the Church has ceased to be something external, reminiscent only of the past. The Church became the meaning and purpose of everything, the center of existence.

Both Mikhail Alexandrovich and his future wife Elena Iosifovna (nee Pisareva; May 12, 1902 - Aug. 19, 1959) were active participants in the Orthodox church and socio-religious life of Tallinn, and participated in the RSHD. E.I. Ridiger was born in Reval (modern Tallinn), her father was a colonel of the White Army, shot by the Bolsheviks in Teriokki (now Zelenogorsk, Leningrad region); relatives on the mother's side were ktitors of the Tallinn Alexander Nevsky Church in the cemetery. Even before the wedding, which took place in 1926, it became known that Mikhail Alexandrovich wanted to become a priest. The way of family life of the Riedigers was cemented “not only by ties of kinship, but also by ties of great spiritual friendship.” Before the birth of Alexei, an incident occurred that family tradition preserved as a manifestation of God’s Providence about the future High Hierarch of the Russian Church. Shortly before the birth of her son, Elena Iosifovna was supposed to make a long bus trip, but at the last moment, despite her requests and even demands, she was not put on the departing bus. When she arrived on the next flight, she learned that the previous bus had an accident and all the passengers died. At Baptism, the boy was given a name in honor of Alexy, the man of God. Alyosha grew up calm, obedient and deeply religious. This was facilitated by the atmosphere in the Ridiger family, which was an example of a “small Church.” From early childhood, Alyosha Ridiger's interests were connected with church services and the temple. According to the recollections of the High Priest, as a 10-year-old boy, he “knew the service and really loved to serve. I had a church in a room in the barn, there were vestments.” Alyosha began his studies at a private school, moved to a private gymnasium, and then studied at a regular school.

At the end of the 30s. Russian-language theological and pastoral courses were opened in Tallinn under the leadership of Archpriest John (the future Bishop of Tallinn Isidore (Epiphany)), in the first year of their work M. A. Ridiger became a student of the courses. Archpriest John, “a man of deep faith and very great spiritual and life experience,” was also a teacher of the law at school and the confessor of Alyosha Ridiger, who later recalled about this time: “Both in the family and my confessor taught to see the good in people, and so it was with parents, despite all the difficulties they had to overcome. Love and attention to people were the criteria that guided Fr. John, and my father" (Conversations with Patriarch Alexy II. Archives of the Central Scientific Center). Members of the Ridiger family were parishioners of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn, and after it was transferred to the Estonian parish in 1936 - the Simeon Church. From the age of 6, Alyosha served in the church, where his confessor presided.

It was a family tradition to make pilgrimages during the summer holidays: we went either to the Pyukhtitsa monastery or to the Pskov-Pechersky monastery. In 1937, Mikhail Alexandrovich, as part of a pilgrimage group, visited the Valaam Monastery. This trip made such a strong impression on him that the next year, and the year after, the whole family went on a pilgrimage to Valaam. These trips also had a special reason: Alyosha’s parents were embarrassed by his “game” of church services, and they wanted to consult with elders experienced in spiritual life. The answer of the Valaam monks reassured the parents: seeing the seriousness of the boy, the elders gave their blessing not to interfere with his desire for church service. Communication with the Valaam inhabitants became one of the defining events in the spiritual life of A. Ridiger, who saw in them examples of monastic work, pastoral love and deep faith. Years later, Patriarch Alexy recalled: “Of the inhabitants of the monastery, its confessors were especially remembered - schema-abbot John and hieroschemamonk Ephraim. Many times we were in the Smolensk monastery, where Hieroschemamonk Ephraim carried out his feat, performing the Divine Liturgy daily and especially remembering the soldiers killed on the battlefield. Once, in 1939, my parents and I visited the skete of St. John the Baptist, which was distinguished by the strictness of its monastic life. Schema-Hegumen John took us there in a rowing boat. The whole day was spent communicating with this wonderful old man. Schemamonk Nikolai, who labored in the Konevsky monastery and was always greeted with a samovar, over which soul-saving conversations were held, was imprinted in the heart. I remember the hotel guest, schema-abbot Luka, an outwardly stern but sincere shepherd, as well as the loving hieromonk Pamva, who came to Tallinn several times. My memory has preserved the content of some conversations with the elders. A special relationship developed with the archivist, monk Iuvian, a man of exceptional reading and erudition. Correspondence was established with him in 1938-1939.” Monk Iuvian treated the young pilgrim with complete seriousness, told him about the monastery, and explained the basics of monastic life. Later, Alexey recalled that he was struck by the funeral of a monk, which the Ridiger family saw on Valaam, and was struck by the joy of those participating in the funeral. “Father Iuvian explained to me that when a monk takes monastic vows, everyone cries with him about his sins and unfulfilled vows, and when he has already reached a quiet monastery, everyone rejoices with him.” For the rest of his life, the future Patriarch retained dear impressions from the pilgrimages to the “wonderful island” of Valaam. When in the 70s. Metropolitan Alexy, already the archpastor of the Tallinn diocese, was invited to visit the island, but he invariably refused, because “he had already seen destroyed monasteries in the Moscow region, when, after a heart attack in 1973, he toured the famous monasteries: New Jerusalem, Savvo-Storozhevsky. They showed me a piece of the iconostasis in the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery or a piece of a bell - a gift from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. And I did not want to destroy my previous childhood impressions of Valaam, which were deep in my soul” (Conversations with Patriarch Alexy II). And only in 1988, 50 years later, Bishop Alexy, being Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod, came to the destroyed and desecrated Valaam to begin the revival of the famous monastery.

In 1940, upon completion of theological and pastoral courses, M. A. Ridiger was ordained as a deacon. In the same year, Soviet troops entered Estonia. In Tallinn, among the local population and among Russian emigrants, arrests and deportations to Siberia and the northern regions of Russia began. Such a fate was destined for the Ridiger family, but God’s Providence preserved them. This is how Patriarch Alexy later recalled this: “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 on our father’s side came to us in the suburbs of Tallinn, and we gave them our house, and we ourselves went 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 area, but the dogs, which usually behaved very sensitively, never even barked. They didn't find us. After this incident, until the German occupation, we no longer lived in the house.”

In 1942, the priestly ordination of M. A. Ridiger took place in the Kazan Church of Tallinn and his almost 20-year path of priestly service began. Orthodox Tallinn residents preserved the memory of him as a shepherd, open “for trusting communication with him.” During the war, priest Mikhail Ridiger spiritually cared for Russian people who were taken through Estonia to work in Germany. In the camps located in the port of Paldiski, in the villages of Klooga and Pylküla, thousands of people, mainly from the central regions of Russia, were kept in very difficult conditions. Communication with these people, who experienced and suffered a lot, endured persecution in their homeland and remained faithful to Orthodoxy, amazed Fr. Mikhail and later, in 1944, strengthened his decision to stay in his homeland. Military operations were approaching the borders of Estonia. On the night of May 9-10, 1944, Tallinn was subjected to severe bombing, which damaged many buildings, including in the suburb where the Ridiger house was located. The woman who was in their house died, but Fr. The Lord saved Mikhail and his family - it was on this terrible night that they were not at home. The next day, thousands of Tallinn residents left the city. The Ridigers remained, although they perfectly understood that with the arrival of Soviet troops the danger of being exiled would constantly threaten the family. It was at this time that Elena Iosifovna developed a prayer rule: every day read the akathist before the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of all who mourn,” “because she had many sorrows, because she passed through her heart everything that concerned her son and husband.”

In 1944, 15-year-old A. Ridiger became a senior subdeacon with Archbishop Pavel of Narva (Dmitrovsky, since March 1945 Archbishop of Tallinn and Estonia). A. Riediger, as a senior subdeacon and second psalm-reader, was entrusted by the diocesan authorities with preparing the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral of Tallinn for the opening; in May 1945, divine services began to be held in the cathedral again. Alexey Ridiger was an altar boy and sacristan in the cathedral, then a psalm reader in the Simeonovskaya and Kazan churches of the Estonian capital. On February 1, 1946, Archbishop Paul reposed; on June 22, 1947, Archpriest John of the Epiphany became Bishop of Tallinn, taking monasticism with the name Isidore. In 1946, Alexei successfully passed the entrance exams to the LDS, but was not accepted due to his age - he was only 17 years old, and admission of minors to theological schools was not allowed. Successful admission took place the following year, and immediately into the 3rd grade. Having graduated from the seminary with the first category in 1949, the future Patriarch became a student of the LDA. Leningrad theological schools, revived after a long break, at that time experienced a moral and spiritual upsurge. In the class where A. Ridiger studied, there were people of different ages, often after the front, who strived for theological knowledge. As Patriarch Alexy recalls, students and teachers, many of whom at the end of their lives were able to pass on their knowledge and spiritual experience, the opening of theological schools were perceived as a miracle. Professors A. I. Sagarda, L. N. Pariysky, S. A. Kupresov and many others had a great influence on A. Ridiger. etc. A particularly deep impression was made by the depth of religious feeling of S. A. Kupresov, a man of complex and difficult fate, who every day after lectures went to church and prayed at the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”.

Teachers singled out A. Riediger, noting his seriousness, responsibility and devotion to the Church. Bishop Isidore of Tallinn, who maintained contacts with the LDA teachers, asked about his pupil and was happy to receive favorable comments about the student’s “bright personality.” 18 Dec 1949 Bishop Isidore died, the administration of the Tallinn diocese was temporarily entrusted to Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Gregory (Chukov). He suggested that A. Ridiger graduate from the academy as an external student and, having been ordained, begin pastoral service in Estonia. Metropolitan Gregory offered the young man a choice: rectorship in the Epiphany Church in Jõhvi, serving as a second priest in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and rectorship in a parish in Pärnu. According to the memoirs of Patriarch Alexy, “Metropolitan Gregory said that he would not advise me to immediately go to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. They know you there as a subdeacon, let them get used to you as a priest, and if you want, then in six months I will transfer you to the cathedral. Then I chose Jõhvi because it is halfway between Tallinn and Leningrad. I went to Tallinn very often, because my parents lived in Tallinn, my mother could not always come to me. And I also went to Leningrad often, because even though I studied externally, I graduated along with my course.”

Priestly ministry (1950-1961). On April 15, 1950, A. Ridiger was ordained a deacon, and a day later - a priest and appointed rector of the Epiphany Church in Jõhvi. The young priest began his ministry under the impression of the speech of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I to students of Leningrad theological schools on December 6. 1949, in which the Patriarch painted the image of a Russian Orthodox shepherd. The parish of priest Alexy Ridiger was very difficult. At the first service, Fr. Alexia, who was on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, only a few women came to the temple. However, the parish gradually came to life, united, and began repairing the temple. “The flock there was not easy,” His Holiness the Patriarch later recalled, “after the war they came to the mining town from various regions on special assignments for heavy work in the mines; many died: the accident rate was high, so as a shepherd I had to deal with difficult destinies, with family dramas, with various social vices, and above all with drunkenness and the cruelty generated by drunkenness.” For a long time Fr. Alexy served in the parish alone, so he went to all the needs. Patriarch Alexy recalled that they did not think about danger in those post-war years - whether it was close or far, we had to go to a funeral service, to baptize. Having loved the temple since childhood, the young priest served a lot; Subsequently, when he was already a bishop, Patriarch Alexy often fondly recalled his service at the parish.

During these same years, Fr. Alexy continued to study at the academy, from which in 1953 he graduated first class with a candidate of theology degree for his course essay “Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) as a dogmatist.” The choice of topic was not accidental. Although at that time the young priest did not have many books, 5 volumes of “Words and Speeches” by St. Philaret (Drozdov) were his reference books. In the essay by Fr. Alexy cited unpublished archival materials about the life of Metropolitan Philaret. The personality of the Moscow saint has always been for Patriarch Alexy the standard of hierarchal service, and his works have been a source of spiritual and life wisdom.

On July 15, 1957, priest Alexy Ridiger was transferred to the university city of Tartu and appointed rector of the Assumption Cathedral. Here he found a completely different environment than in Jõhvi. “I found,” said Patriarch Alexy, “both in the parish and in the parish council the old Yuryev university intelligentsia. Communication with them left me with very vivid memories” (ZhMP. 1990. No. 9. P. 13). Recalling the 50s, His Holiness the Patriarch said that he “had the opportunity to begin his church service at a time when people were no longer shot for their faith, but how much he had to endure while defending the interests of the Church will be judged by God and history” (Ibid. p. 40). The Assumption Cathedral was in serious condition, requiring urgent and extensive repairs - fungus was corroding the wooden parts of the building, and the floor in the chapel in the name of St. Nicholas 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, having asked Fr. Alexy, introduced him to the Patriarch and reported on the request, His Holiness the Patriarch ordered to help the initiative priest. Having asked for a blessing to repair the cathedral from his ruling bishop, Bishop John (Alekseev), Father Alexy received the allocated money. This is how the first meeting of Patriarch Alexy I took place with the priest Alexy Ridiger, who several years later became the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and the chief assistant to the Patriarch.

Aug 17 1958 o. Alexy was elevated to the rank of archpriest, and on March 30, 1959, he was appointed dean of the Tartu-Viljandi district of the Tallinn diocese, which included 32 Russian and Estonian parishes. Archpriest Alexy performed services in Church Slavonic, in Estonian parishes - in Estonian, which he speaks fluently. According to the memoirs of Patriarch Alexy, “there was no tension between the Russian and Estonian parishes, especially between the clergy.” In Estonia, clergy were very poor, their incomes were significantly less than in Russia or Ukraine. Many of them were forced, in addition to serving in the parish, to work at secular enterprises, often in hard work, for example, as stokers, state farm workers, and postmen. And although there were not enough priests, it was extremely difficult to provide the clergy with at least a minimum of material well-being. Subsequently, having already become a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Bishop Alexy was able to help the Estonian clergy by establishing pensions for clergy at an earlier age than before. At this time, Archpriest Alexy began collecting material for his future doctoral dissertation, “The History of Orthodoxy in Estonia,” work on which went on for several decades.

Aug 19 1959, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, E. I. Ridiger died in Tartu, she was buried in the Tallinn Kazan Church and buried in the Alexander Nevsky Cemetery - the resting place of several generations of her ancestors. Even during his mother’s life, Archpriest Alexy thought about taking monastic vows; after the death of Elena Iosifovna, this decision became final. On March 3, 1961, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archpriest Alexy was tonsured as a monk with the name in honor of St. Alexy, 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 dean, Father Alexy did not advertise his acceptance of monasticism and, in his words, “simply began to serve in the black kamilavka.” However, in the context of new persecution of the Church, young, energetic bishops were needed to protect and govern it. The highest hierarchy has already formed an opinion about Father Alexy. In 1959, he met Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) of Krutitsky and Kolomna, at that time chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR), and made a positive impression on him. Alexy began to be invited to accompany foreign delegations on their trips around Russia.

Episcopal ministry (1961-1990). Aug 14 In 1961, by a resolution of the Holy Synod headed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I, Hieromonk Alexy was determined to become the Bishop of Tallinn and Estonian with the assignment of temporary administration of the Riga diocese. The future bishop asked that his consecration be performed not in Moscow, but in the city where he would have to carry out his ministry. And after his elevation to the rank of archimandrite, on September 3, 1961, in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral of Tallinn, the consecration of Archimandrite Alexy as Bishop of Tallinn and Estonia took place, the consecration was led by Archbishop Nikodim (Rotov) of Yaroslavl and Rostov. In his speech at his consecration as bishop, Bishop Alexy spoke of his awareness of his weakness and inexperience, of his youth, and of his anticipation of the difficulties of serving within the Estonian diocese. He spoke about the covenants of Christ the Savior to the shepherds of the Holy Church to “lay down his life for his sheep” (John 10:11), to be an example for the faithful “in word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity” (1 Tim. 4:12), “in righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness, to fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6. 11-12), testified to his bold faith that the Lord would strengthen him and qualify him as “a worker without shame, rightly ruling the word truth” (2 Tim. 2.15) to give a worthy answer at the Lord’s judgment for the souls of the flock entrusted to the leadership of the new bishop.

In the very first days, Bishop Alexy was put in an extremely difficult situation: J. S. Kanter, commissioner of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia, notified him that in the summer of 1961 a decision was made to close the Pükhtitsa monastery and 36 “unprofitable” parishes (“the unprofitability” of churches was a common excuse for their closure during the years of Khrushchev’s offensive on the Church). Later, Patriarch Alexy recalled that before his consecration, when he was rector of the Assumption Cathedral in Tartu and dean of the Tartu-Viljandi district, he could not even imagine the scale of the impending disaster. There was almost no time left, because the closure of churches was supposed to begin in the coming days, and the time for the transfer of the Pyukhtitsa Monastery to a rest home for miners was also determined - October 1. 1961 Realizing that it was impossible to allow such a blow to be dealt to Orthodoxy in Estonia, Bishop Alexy begged the commissioner to postpone for a while the implementation of the harsh decision, since the closure of churches at the very beginning of the young bishop’s episcopal service would make a negative impression on the flock. The Church in Estonia received a short respite, but the main thing was ahead - it was necessary to protect the monastery and churches from the encroachments of the authorities. At that time, the atheistic authorities, whether in Estonia or Russia, took into account only political arguments and positive mentions of a particular monastery or temple in the foreign press were usually effective. At the beginning of May 1962, taking advantage of his position as deputy chairman of the DECR, Bishop Alexy organized a visit to the Pukhtitsa monastery by a delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the GDR, which not only visited the monastery, but also published an article with photographs of the monastery in the Neue Zeit newspaper. Soon, together with Bishop Alexy, a Protestant delegation from France, representatives of the Christian Peace Conference (CPC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) arrived in Pühtitsa (now Kurmäe). After a year of active visits to the monastery by foreign delegations, the question of closing the monastery was no longer raised. Later, Bishop Alexy devoted a lot of effort to the proper organization and strengthening of the Pyukhtitsa monastery, which became in the late 1960s. the center of the spiritual life of the Estonian diocese and one of the centers of monastic life in the country. The so-called Pükhtitsa seminars, to which Bishop Alexy, as President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), invited representatives of all Churches - members of the CEC in the USSR: the Russian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Georgian Orthodox Church, the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christian Baptists, the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and the Reformed Church of Transcarpathia. All this undoubtedly strengthened the position of the Pukhtitsa Monastery. Bishop Alexy often served at the monastery; Estonian and Russian clergy, not only from the Narva deanery, but also from all over Estonia, always gathered for services. The unity of Estonian and Russian clergy in common worship, and then in simple human communication, gave many clergy, especially those who carried out their obedience in the most difficult material and moral conditions of dying parishes, a feeling of mutual support.

Bishop Alexy managed to defend the Tallinn Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which seemed doomed. On May 9, 1962, Archpriest Mikhail Ridiger reposed; on Saturday, May 12, Bishop Alexy buried his father. Immediately after the funeral, the commissioner of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church approached the bishop and suggested that he think about which of the Tallinn churches should become the new cathedral in connection with the decision of the city youth to convert the cathedral into a planetarium. Bishop Alexy asked the commissioner to wait a little with the decision - until the feast of the Holy Trinity, while he himself began to prepare materials in defense of the cathedral. I had to turn to the study of the distant and recent past and prepare for the authorities a comprehensive reference on the history of the cathedral, talk about how pro-German forces in Estonia tried to close the cathedral, which testifies to the indestructible spiritual connection between Estonia and Russia. The most serious political argument was the fact that immediately after the occupation of Tallinn by German troops in 1941, the cathedral was closed and remained inactive throughout the occupation. Before leaving, the German authorities decided to throw down the famous cathedral bells from the bell tower, but they did not succeed either; they were only able to remove the tongue of the small bell, which, despite mountains of sawdust and other precautions, when it fell, it broke the porch of the chapel in honor of St. Prince Vladimir. “The revanchists in Germany will rejoice,” said Bishop Alexy, handing over his note, “what they failed to do, the Soviet government has accomplished.” And again, as in the case of the Pukhtitsky Monastery, after some time the commissioner informed the bishop that the question of closing the cathedral was no longer raised. It was possible to save all 36 “unprofitable” parishes.

In the first years of Bishop Alexy’s episcopal service, which occurred at the peak of Khrushchev’s persecutions, almost all his strength was spent on resisting atheistic aggression and saving churches and shrines. According to the master plan for the development of Tallinn, the new city highway was supposed to pass through the territory where the temple in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God stands. The oldest surviving wooden structure in the city, the Kazan Church, built in 1721, seemed doomed. Bishop Alexy managed to force the city authorities to change the approved general construction plan, convince them to incur additional expenses and design a bend on the route to bypass the temple. Once again we had to appeal to history, to the architectural value of the temple, to feelings of historical and national justice; An article about the Kazan Church published in the magazine “Architecture” also played a role - as a result, the authorities decided to preserve the temple.

In 1964, the leadership of the Jykhvi district executive committee decided to alienate the temple in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh and the former summer residence of Prince S.V. Shakhovsky on the grounds that they were outside the monastery fence (Vladyka Alexy succeeded in enclosing the entire territory of the monastery with a new fence only a few years later). It was clear that it would not be possible to protect the temple and residence, pointing out the impossibility of closing the existing church; to this they answered that there were 3 more churches in the monastery “to satisfy your religious needs.” And again historical justice came to the rescue, which always turns out to be on the side of truth, not force. Bishop Alexy proved that the destruction or transformation into a state institution of the temple where the tomb of the governor of Estonia, Prince Shakhovsky, who put so much effort into strengthening the unity of Estonia and Russia, is located, is historically and politically inexpedient.

In the 60s several churches were closed, not so much due to pressure from the authorities, which in most cases was neutralized, but due to the fact that in rural areas among the Estonian population the number of believers was sharply declining as a result of a change of generations - the new generation was brought up at best indifferent to the Church. Some rural churches were empty and gradually fell into disrepair. However, if there was at least a small number of parishioners left or hope for their appearance, Bishop Alexy supported such churches for several years, paying taxes for them from diocesan, general church or his own funds.

The Tallinn and Estonian diocese, as of January 1, 1965, included 90 parishes, including 57 Estonian, 20 Russian and 13 mixed. These parishes were cared for by 50 priests, there were 6 deacons for the entire diocese, and the diocese had 42 pensioners. There were 88 parish churches, 2 prayer houses. The parishes were geographically divided into 9 deaneries: Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Harju-Lääne, Viljandi, Pärnu, Võru, Saare-Mukhu and Valga. Every year, starting from 1965, the diocese published the “Orthodox Church Calendar” in Estonian (3 thousand copies), Easter and Christmas messages of the ruling bishop in Estonian and Russian (300 copies), leaflets for general church singing in Estonian language at the services of Holy and Easter weeks, on the feast of the Epiphany, at ecumenical memorial services, during funeral services for the deceased, etc. (more than 3 thousand copies). Messages and calendars were also sent to all Estonian Orthodox parishes in exile. Since 1969, the future Patriarch kept notes on the services he performed, necessary for correct and timely visits to different parts of the diocese. Thus, from 1969 to 1986, when Bishop Alexy became Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod, he performed an average of up to 120 services a year, with more than 2/3 in the Tallinn diocese. The only exception was 1973, when on February 3, Metropolitan Alexy suffered a myocardial infarction and was unable to perform divine services for several months. In some years (1983-1986) the number of divine services performed by Metropolitan Alexy reached 150 or more.

Some records have preserved notes characterizing the position of Orthodoxy in the Estonian diocese, for example, during the liturgy in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on the celebration of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem on April 11, 1971, Metropolitan Alexy gave communion to about 500 people, almost 600 people participated in the general conciliar passion. Of course, the cathedral attracted more worshipers than ordinary parish churches, but the records also testify to how great the activity of believers was in all parishes. Of great importance in the archpastoral service of Bishop Alexy was his knowledge of the Estonian language and ability to preach in it. Bishop's services in the cathedral were held with great solemnity and splendor. But this seemingly inalienable property of Orthodox worship also had to be defended in the fight against the atheistic environment. About a year before the appointment of Bishop Alexy to the Tallinn See, Easter religious processions and night services were stopped due to hooligan behavior during the night service. In the second year of his episcopal service, Bishop Alexy decided to serve at night: a lot of people came, and during the entire service there was no hooliganism or angry shouts. Since then, Easter services began to be held at night.

By the same decree by which Bishop Alexy was appointed to the Tallinn see, he was entrusted with the temporary management of the Riga diocese. During the short time he ruled the Riga diocese (until January 12, 1962), he visited Latvia twice and performed divine services in the cathedral, the Riga Sergius Convent and the Riga Transfiguration Hermitage. In connection with the new responsibilities, the Deputy Chairman of the DECR, Bishop Alexy, at his own request, was relieved of the administration of the Riga diocese.

From the very beginning of his archpastoral service, Bishop Alexy combined leadership of diocesan life with participation in the highest administration of the Russian Orthodox Church: on November 14, 1961, he was appointed deputy chairman of the DECR - Archbishop Nikodim (Rotov) of Yaroslavl and immediately, as part of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, was sent by the Holy Synod to the first Pan-Orthodox meeting on the island Rhodes, then to New Delhi to participate in the Third Assembly of the WCC. Patriarch Alexy recalled about this time: “I often had to visit His Holiness the Patriarch both at receptions of ambassadors and at receptions of high delegations, and I often met with Patriarch Alexy I. I always felt deep respect for His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. He had to endure the difficult 20-30s, and Khrushchev’s persecution of the Church, when churches were closed, and he was often powerless to do anything. But His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, from the very beginning of my activity as a diocesan bishop and deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, treated me with great confidence. This was all the more important for me because for me, in fact, my very appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Department was completely unexpected. I didn’t make any effort towards this.” At the III Assembly of the WCC in New Delhi in 1961, Bishop Alexy was elected a member of the Central Committee of the WCC, and subsequently he took an active part in many interchurch, ecumenical, and peacemaking forums; often headed delegations of the Russian Church, participated in theological conferences, interviews, and dialogues. In 1964, Bishop Alexy was elected president of the CEC and since then has been invariably re-elected to this position, in 1987 he became chairman of the presidium and advisory committee of this organization.

On June 23, 1964, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I, Bishop Alexy (Ridiger) of Tallinn was elevated to the rank of archbishop. 22 Dec In 1964, by determination of His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod, Archbishop Alexy was appointed manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and a permanent member of the Synod. The appointment of a young archbishop to this key position in the management of the Church was due to several reasons: firstly, during the venerable old age of Patriarch Alexy I, he needed an active and completely devoted assistant, as the Patriarch considered Bishop Alexy, close to him in origin, upbringing and image thoughts. Secondly, this appointment was also supported by the DECR chairman, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), ​​who saw in his deputy an active and independent-minded bishop who knew how to defend his position even before his superiors. Patriarch Alexy recalled: “When I became a business manager, I saw Patriarch Alexy I constantly, and, of course, there was complete trust and confidence that if you agreed with him on something, you could rest assured. I often had to go to Peredelkino to see His Holiness the Patriarch and prepare resolutions for him, which he signed without looking carefully, but only by looking at them. It was a great joy for me to communicate with him and to have his trust in me.” Working in Moscow and in the first years without Moscow registration, Vladyka Alexy could only live in hotels; every month he moved from the Ukraina Hotel to the Sovetskaya Hotel and back. Several times a month, Bishop Alexy traveled to Tallinn, where he resolved pressing diocesan issues and conducted bishop's services. “During these years, the feeling of home was lost,” recalled Patriarch Alexy, “I even considered that the 34th train, which runs between Tallinn and Moscow, became my second home. But, I admit, I was happy to at least temporarily abandon Moscow affairs and wait for these hours on the train, when I could read and be alone with myself.”

Archbishop Alexy was constantly at the center of church events; he had to resolve many, sometimes seemingly insoluble, issues with clergy and bishops. According to the recollections of Patriarch Alexy, when he came to the Patriarchate for the first time, he “saw a full corridor of priests who had been deprived of registration by local commissioners, hieromonks who were left without a place after the authorities in Moldova banned monks from serving in parishes - so they had to make arrangements. And no one came and said, rejoice at how good I am, they came only with troubles and sorrows. Everyone went to Moscow with different problems in the hope of getting some kind of support or a solution to their problem. And although I couldn’t always help, I did everything I could.” A typical example is the case of a parish in the Siberian village of Kolyvan, which turned to Bishop Alexy with a request to protect the temple from closure. At that time, nothing could be done except to preserve the community, to which the local authorities allocated such a small hut that the deceased had to be carried in through the window to the funeral service. Many years later, already being the Primate of the Russian Church, Patriarch Alexy visited this village and the temple, which had already been returned to the community.

One of the most difficult issues that Bishop Alexy faced as manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate was the question of Baptism: local authorities invented all sorts of tricks to prevent the Baptism of children and adults. For example, in Rostov-on-Don it was possible to baptize before the age of 2, and then only after 18 years. Arriving in Kuibyshev in 1966, Archbishop Alexy found the following practice there: Although baptism was allowed by the authorities without age restrictions, schoolchildren had to bring a certificate stating that the school did not object to their baptism. “And there were thick stacks of certificates,” recalled Patriarch Alexy, “that such and such a school did not object to their student of such and such class being baptized. I told the commissioner: you yourself are violating Lenin’s decree on the separation of the Church from the state and the school from the Church. He apparently understood and asked not to report this innovation of his in Moscow, promising to stop this practice within a week, and he actually stopped.” The most outrageous practice was in the Ufa diocese, which was reported to Metropolitan Alexy in 1973 by Archbishop Theodosius (Pogorsky), appointed to this see - at Baptism, it was required that the person being baptized write a statement to the executive body that he asks to be baptized into the Orthodox faith, and 2 witnesses (with passports) had to testify on the text of the statement that no one was putting pressure on the person being baptized and that he was mentally healthy. At the request of Bishop Alexy, Bishop Theodosius brought a sample of this work, with which the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate went to a reception at the Council for Religious Affairs; after a protest declared by Bishop Alexy, this practice was prohibited. On February 25, 1968, Archbishop Alexy was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.

Under the successor of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I, who died in 1971, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, fulfilling the obedience of a business manager became more difficult. Patriarch Pimen, a man of a monastic type, a reverent performer of divine services and a man of prayer, was often burdened by the endless variety of administrative duties. This gave rise to complications with the diocesan bishops, 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 intrigue and favoritism. And yet, Metropolitan Alexy was convinced that in each period the Lord sends the necessary figures; in the period of “stagnation” it was precisely such a Primate as His Holiness Patriarch Pimen that was needed. “After all, if someone else had been in his place, how much trouble he could have made. And His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, with his characteristic caution, conservatism and even fear of any innovations, managed to preserve much in our Church.” Since May 7, 1965, Metropolitan Alexy’s main workload has been supplemented by the duties of chairman of the Educational Committee, and since March 10, 1970, the leadership of the Pension Committee under the Holy Synod. In addition to holding permanent positions in the highest church administration, Bishop Alexy participated in the activities of temporary synodal commissions: on the preparation and conduct of the celebration of the 500th anniversary and the 60th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate, the preparation of the Local Council of 1971, on the celebration of the Millennium of the Baptism of Rus', was the chairman of the commission on reception, restoration and construction at the St. Daniel's Monastery in Moscow. The best assessment of Metropolitan Alexy’s work as a manager of affairs and the performance of other obediences was his election as Patriarch in 1990, when members of the Local Council - bishops, clergy and laity - remembered Bishop Alexy’s devotion to the Church, talent as an organizer, responsiveness and responsibility.

In the mid-80s, with the coming to power of M. S. Gorbachev in the country, changes in the leadership's policy were outlined, and public opinion changed. This process proceeded very slowly; the power of the Council for Religious Affairs, although actually weakened, still formed the basis of state-church relations. Metropolitan Alexy, as manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, felt the urgent need for radical changes in this area, perhaps somewhat more acutely than other bishops. Then he committed an act that became a turning point in his fate - on December 17, 1985, Metropolitan Alexy sent a letter to Gorbachev, in which he first raised the question of restructuring state-church relations. The essence of Bishop Alexy’s position was outlined by him in the book “Orthodoxy in Estonia”: “My position both then and today is that the Church must be truly separated from the state. I believe that during the days of the Council of 1917-1918. The clergy was not yet ready for the real separation of Church and state, which was reflected in the documents adopted at the Council. The main question 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 connection between the Church and the state created a very strong inertia. And during the Soviet period, the Church was also not separated from the state, but was crushed by it, and the state’s intervention in the internal life of the Church was complete, even in such sacred areas as, say, one can or cannot baptize, one can or cannot marry, outrageous restrictions on the performance of the Sacraments and divine services. Nationwide terror was often aggravated by simply ugly, extremist antics and prohibitions by “local level” representatives. All this required immediate changes. 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 education require the unification of the efforts of the state and the Church, an equal union, and not the subordination of one to the other. And in this regard, I raised the most pressing and fundamental question of revising the outdated legislation on religious associations” (“Orthodoxy in Estonia,” p. 476). Gorbachev then did not understand and did not accept the position of the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Alexy’s letter was sent to all members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, at the same time the Council for Religious Affairs indicated that such issues should not be raised. The authorities’ response to the letter, in full accordance with old traditions, was an order to remove Bishop Alexy from the key position of business manager at that time, which was carried out by the Synod. After the death of Metropolitan Anthony (Melnikov) of Leningrad, by the determination of the Holy Synod on July 29, 1986, Metropolitan Alexy was appointed to the Leningrad and Novgorod See, leaving him with the management of the Tallinn diocese. On September 1, 1986, Bishop Alexy was removed from the leadership of the Pension Fund, and on October 16, his duties as chairman of the Educational Committee were removed.

The first days of Metropolitan Alexy's stay at the Leningrad See were marked by prayer at the chapel at the grave of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, and a year later, anticipating the official glorification of Blessed Xenia, Bishop Alexy consecrated the chapel. It depended on the new metropolitan whether it would be possible to organize normal church life in this city, where the Soviet regime was especially hostile to the Church, during the period of changes that had begun in the country. “In the first months,” recalls the High Hierarch, “I acutely felt that no one recognized the Church, no one noticed it. And the main thing that I managed to do in four years was to ensure that the Church began to be taken into account: the situation has changed radically.” Metropolitan Alexy achieved the return to the Church of part of the former Ioannovsky Monastery, in which the sisters from the Pukhtitsa Monastery settled, who began to restore the monastery. On the scale of not only Leningrad and the Leningrad region, but the entire north-west of Russia (the Novgorod, Tallinn and Olonets dioceses were also under the control of the Leningrad Metropolitan), attempts were made to change the status of the Church in society, which became possible in the new conditions. Unique experience was accumulated, which was then applied on a church-wide scale.

In the anniversary year of 1988, a radical shift occurred in the relationship between Church and state, Church and society. In the consciousness of society, the Church has become what it really was since the time of St. Prince Vladimir is the only spiritual support of the state and the existence of the Russian people. In April 1988, a conversation took place between His Holiness Patriarch Pimen and the permanent members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church 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 functioning of the Orthodox Church. After this meeting, the way was opened to a broad national celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', which became a true triumph of the Church. The anniversary celebrations continued from June 5 to June 12, 1988. On June 6, the Local Council opened in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. At the evening meeting of the Council on June 7, Metropolitan Alexy made a report on the peacemaking activities of the Russian Church. His report contained a deep justification for the peacemaking ministry of the Church and showed the organic connection between church peacemaking and the unchanging patriotic position of the Russian Church. At the Council, 9 saints were canonized, among them Blessed Ksenia, the chapel on whose grave before her glorification was restored and consecrated by Bishop Alexy

At the end of the 80s, in an atmosphere of real change, the authority of Metropolitan Alexy grew not only in church, but also in public circles. In 1989, Bishop Alexy was elected people's deputy of the USSR from the Charity and Health Foundation, of which he was a member of the board. Metropolitan Alexy also became a member of the International Peace Prize Committee. Participation in social and political life brought its own experiences: positive and negative. Patriarch Alexy often recalled parliament as “a place where people have no respect for each other.” “I am categorically against clergy being elected today, because I have experienced first-hand how unprepared we are for parliamentarism, and I think that many other countries are not yet ready. The spirit of confrontation and struggle reigns there. And after a meeting of the Congress of People's Deputies, I returned simply sick - this atmosphere of intolerance influenced me so much when they slammed and shouted at the speakers. But I think that my deputyship was also useful, because I was a member of two commissions: on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Estonian delegates asked me to participate in this commission) and on the law on freedom of conscience. On the commission on the law on freedom of conscience there were lawyers who considered the Regulations on Religious Associations of 1929 to be a standard and did not understand, refused to understand, that it was necessary to deviate from the norms of this law. Of course, it was very difficult, I’m not a specialist in jurisprudence, but I tried to convince even these Soviet lawyers, and often succeeded,” recalls Patriarch Alexy.

Election by Patriarch. On May 3, 1990, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen reposed. The last years of his Primate, when the Patriarch was seriously ill, were difficult and sometimes simply difficult for church-wide governance. Metropolitan Alexy, who headed the Administration for 22 years, perhaps better than many imagined the real situation of the Church in the late 80s. He was sure that the scope of the Church’s activities was narrowed and limited, and he saw this as the main source of disorder. To elect a successor to the deceased Patriarch, a Local Council was convened, which was preceded by a Council of Bishops, held on June 6 at the Patriarchal residence in the Danilov Monastery. The Council of Bishops elected 3 candidates to the Patriarchal Throne, of which Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad received the largest number of votes (37).

About his internal state on the eve of the Local Council, His Holiness the Patriarch wrote: “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, in secular terms, “election campaign”. Only after the Council of Bishops... where I received the most votes from 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 manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate for twenty-two years under His Holiness Patriarchs Alexy I and Pimen, I knew very well how heavy the cross of Patriarchal service is. But I relied on the will of God: if the Lord’s will is for my Patriarchate, then, apparently, He will give me strength.” According to recollections, the Local Council of 1990 was the first Council in the post-war period to take place 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, which took place on June 7: “I felt the confusion of many, I saw confusion on some faces - where is the pointing finger? But he wasn’t there, we had to decide for ourselves.”

On the evening of June 7, the chairman of the counting commission of the Council, Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (Bloom), announced the voting results: 139 votes were cast for Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad and Novgorod, 107 for Metropolitan of Rostov and Novocherkassk Vladimir (Sabodan) and 66 for Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia Philaret (Denisenko ). In the second round, 166 members of the Council voted for Metropolitan Alexy, and 143 members of the Council voted for Metropolitan Vladimir. After the announcement of the final voting results, the newly elected Patriarch answered the question addressed to him by the Chairman of the Council with the words prescribed by rank: “I accept the election of me by the Consecrated Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church as Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' with gratitude and in no way contrary to the verb” (JMP. 1990. No. 9. P. 30). A conciliar act on the election of His Holiness the Patriarch and a conciliar charter were drawn up, signed by all bishops - members of the Local Council. At the end of the evening meeting, the senior consecrated archpastor of the Russian Church, Archbishop of Orenburg Leonty (Bondar), addressed the newly elected Patriarch with congratulations. In his response, Patriarch Alexy II thanked all members of the Local Council for their election and congratulations and said: “I am aware of the difficulty and feat of the upcoming service. My life, which from my youth has been devoted to serving the Church of Christ, is approaching evening, but the consecrated Council entrusts me with the feat of Primate service. I accept this election, but in the first minutes I ask your Eminence and Right Reverend archpastors, the honest clergy and the entire God-loving all-Russian flock with their prayers, their help to help me and strengthen me in the upcoming service. Many questions arise today before the Church, before society and before each of us. And their solution requires conciliar reason, a joint decision and discussion of them is needed both at the Councils of Bishops and at Local Councils in accordance with the Charter adopted by our Church in 1988. The conciliar principle must extend to both diocesan and parish life; only then will we resolve the issues that face the Church and society. Church activities today are expanding. From the Church, from each of its ministers, from every church leader, deeds of mercy, charity, and education of the most diverse age groups of our believers are expected. We must serve as a reconciling force, a unifying force even when our lives are often divided. We must do everything to help strengthen the unity of the holy Orthodox Church" (ZhMP. 1990. No. 9. P. 28).

On June 8, the meeting of the Council was opened by its new chairman, Bishop Alexy, elected Patriarch. On this day, the Council, based on the report of the Chairman of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, Metropolitan Juvenaly (Poyarkov) of Krutitsy and Kolomna, issued an act on the glorification of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt, the heavenly patron of the city in which the newly elected Patriarch performed his archpastoral service on the eve of the Council, a saint whom Patriarch Alexy especially revered. On June 10, 1990, at the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow, the enthronement of the newly elected Patriarch took place, who was co-served at the Divine Liturgy by Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II, members of the Holy Synod, the representative of the Patriarch of Antioch, Bishop Niphon, and a host of clergy. The enthronement of the named Patriarch was performed by 2 Patriarchal Exarchs. On the day of his enthronement, the newly elected 15th Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II delivered the Primate’s word, in which he outlined the program of the Patriarchal service ahead of him: “We see our primary task, first of all, in strengthening the internal, spiritual life of the Church... The achievement of our goals will also contribute management of church life in accordance with our new Charter, which pays great attention to the development of conciliarity. We are faced with the great task of a broad revival of monasticism, which at all times has had such a beneficial influence on the spiritual and moral state of the entire society... Temples are being restored in large numbers, returned to the Church, and new ones are being built. This joyful process for us is still developing and will require a lot of work and material costs from all of us. Remembering our responsibility to teach the truth of Christ and to baptize in His name, we see before us a vast field of catechetical activity, including the creation of a wide network of Sunday schools for children and adults, providing the flock and the whole society with literature necessary for Christian teaching and spiritual growth. With gratitude to God, we note that new ways and means are opening up before us for the development of free spiritual enlightenment in the most diverse circles of our society... Much remains to be done in establishing justice in interethnic relations. Being multinational, the Russian Orthodox Church, together with other Christian Churches and religious associations of our country, is called upon to heal the wounds caused by national strife... As before, we will develop our fraternal relations with local Orthodox Churches and thereby strengthen pan-Orthodox unity. We see our Christian duty in the witness of Orthodoxy, in the development of dialogue and cooperation with non-Orthodox confessions. To fulfill these plans for our Church, I need the fraternal cooperation of the members of the Holy Synod, the entire episcopate, clergy, monastics and laity” (JMP. 1990. No. 9. pp. 21-22).

The newly elected Patriarch understood: “No one is born a ready-made bishop and there is no one who is born a ready-made Patriarch. I am the same as everyone else, I was also formed in Soviet times. But now the main thing is not to rest on your laurels, not to feel like a prince of the Church, but to work tirelessly” (Conversations with Patriarch Alexy II). There was also a lot of risk in what the new Primate of the Russian Church was going to do: during the Soviet period, the experience of monastic life was practically lost (in 1988 there were only 21 monasteries), the system of spiritual education of the laity was lost, no one knew how to preach in the army, how to conduct work in places of detention. However, the need for such service became more and more obvious. Shortly before the Local Council, the administration of one of the colonies addressed Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad with a letter, informing them that they had decided to build a church in the colony, that the project was ready and even most of the funds had been collected, and they asked to consecrate the foundation site of the temple. Patriarch Alexy recalled that he went there, fearing that he would not be able to find a common language with the prisoners. The meeting took place and strengthened his awareness of the need to carry out systematic work in places of detention. Metropolitan Alexy promised to come to consecrate the temple when it was built; a year and a half later, already as Patriarch, His Holiness fulfilled his promise; at the liturgy after consecration, he gave communion to 72 people. It is significant that for 2 years after his elevation to the Patriarchal throne, the Primate of the Russian Church continued to head the Tallinn diocese, governing it through the Patriarchal Vicar Bishop of Tallinn Cornelius (Jacobs). Patriarch Alexy gave the new bishop the opportunity to gain the necessary experience and supported him with his enormous authority in the diocese. On August 11, 1992, Bishop Cornelius became the ruling archpastor of the Estonian diocese.

A few days after his enthronement, on June 14, Patriarch Alexy went to Leningrad in order to glorify St. Righteous John of Kronstadt. The celebration of glorification took place in the Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka, where the saint of God was buried. Returning to Moscow, on June 27, the Patriarch met with the Moscow clergy at the St. Daniel Monastery. At this meeting, he said that the new Charter on the governance of the Russian Orthodox Church makes it possible to revive conciliarity at all levels of church life and that it is necessary to start with the parish. The Primate's first speech to the Moscow clergy contained a capacious and specific program of reforms in church life, aimed at normalizing it in conditions of a significant expansion of the freedom of the Church. On July 16-20, 1990, a meeting of the Holy Synod was held under the chairmanship of Patriarch Alexy. Unlike previous meetings, which primarily considered issues related to external church activities, this time the focus was on topics related to the internal life of the Church. Under Patriarch Alexy, the Holy Synod began to meet much more often than before: once a month or every 2 months. This ensured compliance with canonical conciliarity in church administration.

Church-state relations in the Patriarchate of Alexy II. Patriarch Alexy ascended the Primate throne when the crisis of the Soviet state entered its final phase. For the Russian Orthodox Church, in rapidly changing conditions, it was important to regain the necessary legal status, which largely depended on the initiative of the Patriarch, on his ability to build relationships with government authorities and politicians in such a way as to affirm the dignity of the Church as the highest shrine and spiritual guide of the people. From the first steps of the Patriarchal ministry, Alexy II, in contacts with the authorities, knew how to protect and emphasize the dignity of the Church, which he headed. Soon after his enthronement, His Holiness the Patriarch brought to the attention of the President of the USSR the critical attitude of the Local Council to the draft new law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”; an agreement was reached on the participation of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and other religious communities in further work on the bill. This had a favorable effect on the content of the law adopted on October 1, 1990, which approved the rights of a legal entity for individual parishes and church institutions, including the Patriarchate. A month after the publication of the union law, the Russian law “On Freedom of Religion” was adopted. It no longer provided for the existence of a government institution similar to the Council for Religious Affairs; instead, a Commission on Freedom of Conscience and Religion was formed in the Supreme Council. The provision on the separation of the school from the Church was formulated in a form that allowed the teaching of religious doctrine in secondary schools on an optional basis.

In the new socio-political situation, the Church could not, as in previous years, refrain from making judgments about the paths of development of the country; such silence would not meet with understanding in society. On November 5, 1990, for the first time since the message of St. Tikhon in 1918 on the anniversary of the October Revolution, His Holiness the Patriarch, in an address to his fellow citizens, gave a meaningful assessment of this dramatic event: “Seventy-three years ago, an event took place that determined the path of Russia in the twentieth century. This path turned out to be sorrowful and difficult... And let all the past years, one after another, stand in our conscience and beg us not to pay with human destinies for the experiments and principles of politicians” (ZhMP. 1990. No. 12. P. 2). At the request of His Holiness the Patriarch, the Russian authorities declared the Nativity of Christ a day off, and in 1991, for the first time since the 20s, Russian citizens were not forced to work on this holiday.

Tragic events took place in the country on August 19-22, 1991. Some state leaders, dissatisfied with the policy of reforms, attempted to overthrow USSR President M.S. Gorbachev by forming the State Committee for a State of Emergency (GKChP). This attempt ended in failure, resulting in the ban of the CPSU and the fall of the communist regime. “In the days that we have just experienced, the Providence of God ended the period of our history that began in 1917,” His Holiness the Patriarch wrote on August 23 in his Message to the archpastors, shepherds, monastics and all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church. “From now on, The time cannot return when one ideology controlled the state and tried to impose itself on society, on all people. Communist ideology, as we are convinced, will never again be the state ideology in Russia... Russia begins the work and feat of healing!” (ZhMP. 1991. No. 10. P. 3). The High Hierarch's speeches on the most pressing problems of public life from high Christian positions made him the spiritual leader of Russia in the minds of our people. At the end of September and beginning of October 1993, the Russian state experienced one of the most tragic political crises in its modern history: a confrontation between the executive and legislative powers, as a result of which the Supreme Council ceased to exist, a new Constitution was adopted, elections were held to the V State Duma and the Council Federation. Having learned about the events in Moscow, His Holiness the Patriarch, who was then at the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Orthodoxy in America, urgently interrupted his visit and returned to his homeland. In the Danilov Monastery, through the mediation of the Hierarchy of the Russian Church, negotiations between representatives of the warring parties took place, which, however, did not lead to an agreement. Blood was shed, and yet the worst did not happen - a full-scale civil war.

The most important document regulating the life of religious organizations in Russia was adopted on September 26. 1997 new law “On freedom of conscience and religious associations.” The Russian Orthodox Church, its hierarchy and Primate faced a well-organized confrontation between various public organizations and the media, which, hiding behind the principles of equality and freedom, tried to defend the right of totalitarian sects and non-religious cults to pursue aggressive policies on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness the Patriarch more than once appealed to the highest bodies of state power, making sure that in its new edition the law, while guaranteeing citizens freedom of religious life, at the same time took into account the special role of Orthodoxy in the history of the country. As a result, in its final version, the law recognized the historical role of the Orthodox Church in the fate of Russia, thus, without infringing on the rights of other religions, it protects Russians from pseudo-spiritual aggression.

In February 1999, the Russian Church and the Russian public celebrated the 70th anniversary of Patriarch Alexy. The anniversary celebrations became a major event in the life of the country; archpastors and pastors of the Russian Church, prominent statesmen and political figures of various directions and parties, outstanding scientists, writers, artists, and actors came to the Bolshoi Theater, where the anniversary was celebrated, to congratulate the High Hierarch.

On the bright Easter days of 2000, coinciding with the celebration of the 55th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Alexy, together with Russian President V.V. Putin, Ukrainian President L.D. Kuchma and Belarusian President A.G. Lukashenko visited Prokhorovo Field in Belgorod diocese. After the Divine Liturgy in the memorial church in the name of St. Apostles Peter and Paul on the Prokhorov Field and prayers for all those who laid down their lives for the Fatherland, the Patriarch consecrated the Bell of Unity of the 3 fraternal Slavic peoples.

On June 10, 2000, the Russian Church solemnly celebrated the tenth anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. During the liturgy in the revived Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Patriarch Alexy was co-served by 70 bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, representatives of fraternal Local Orthodox Churches, as well as about 400 clergy from Moscow and the Moscow region. Addressing the Patriarch with a welcoming speech, Russian President V.V. Putin emphasized: “The Russian Orthodox Church plays a huge role in the spiritual gathering of Russian lands after many years of unbelief, moral ruin and fight against God. Not only the restoration of destroyed temples is taking place. The traditional mission of the Church is being restored as a key factor in social stability and the unification of Russians around common moral priorities - justice and patriotism, peacemaking and charity, creative work and family values. Despite the fact that you had the opportunity to navigate the church ship in difficult and controversial times, the past decade has become a unique era of a real revival of the moral foundations of society. At this crucial moment in our country’s history, millions of our fellow citizens listen with deep respect to your firm, heart-won word as a shepherd. Russians are grateful to you for your prayers, your guardianship for strengthening civil peace in the country, for the harmonization of interethnic and interreligious relations” (Orthodox Moscow. 2000. No. 12 (222). P. 2).

In his report at the anniversary Council of Bishops in 2000, Patriarch Alexy described the current state of church-state relations as follows: “The Patriarchal Throne maintains constant contact with the highest state authorities of the Russian Federation, other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltics, parliamentarians, and regional leaders. During conversations with heads of state, government, deputies, and heads of various departments, I invariably try to raise pressing problems of church life, as well as talk about the troubles and needs of the people, about the need to create peace and harmony in society. As a rule, I find understanding and subsequently see the good fruits of maintaining church-state relations at the highest level. I regularly meet with the leaders of foreign countries, their ambassadors accredited in Moscow, the heads of foreign churches and religious organizations, and the leadership of intergovernmental structures. I’m not afraid to say that these contacts greatly contribute to strengthening the authority of our Church in the world, its involvement in global social processes, and the organization of life of the Russian Orthodox diaspora.” Patriarch Alexy maintains unchanged his idea of ​​the relationship between the Church and the state, seeing them not as a merger or subordination, but as cooperation in solving many socially significant problems.

Intra-church life in the Patriarchate of Alexy II. During the years of Patriarch Alexy's Primateship, 6 Bishops' Councils were held, at which the most important decisions for the life of the Russian Orthodox Church were made. 25-27 Oct. In 1990, the first Council of Bishops met in the Danilov Monastery, chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. The Council focused on 3 issues: the church situation in Ukraine, the schism initiated by the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR), as well as the legal status of the ROC, stipulated by 2 new laws on freedom of conscience and religion. At the initiative of His Holiness the Patriarch, the Council of Bishops, in its appeal to the archpastors, pastors and all faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church, expressed the position of the Hierarchy of the Russian Church on those issues that received a misinterpretation in the polemical speeches of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad: “Paying tribute to deep respect for the memory of Patriarch Sergius and remembering him with gratitude struggle for the survival of our Church in the difficult years of persecution for it, we nevertheless do not at all consider ourselves bound by his Declaration of 1927, which retains for us the significance of a monument to that tragic era in the history of our Fatherland... We are accused of “trampling on the memory of the holy new martyrs and confessors “... In our Church, the prayerful commemoration of those who suffered for Christ, whose successors our episcopate and clergy had the opportunity to become, has never been interrupted. Now, as the whole world is witnessing, we are undergoing a process of their church glorification, which, in accordance with the ancient church tradition, should be freed from vain politicking, put in the service of the changing moods of the time” (JMP. 1991. No. 2. P. 7-8). The Council of Bishops decided to grant the Ukrainian Orthodox Church independence and autonomy in governance while maintaining jurisdictional ties with the Moscow Patriarchate.

On March 31, 1992, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church opened in the Danilov Monastery, whose meetings continued until April 5. In his opening address, His Holiness the Patriarch reviewed the program of the Council: the canonization of the new martyrs of Russia and the holy parents of St. Sergius of Radonezh; the question of the status of the Ukrainian Church and church life in Ukraine, the relationship between the Church and society. The Council of Bishops decided to canonize the Venerable Schema-monk Kirill and Schema-nun Maria, parents of the Venerable. Sergius of Radonezh, as well as the canonization of the new martyrs Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Vladimir (Epiphany), Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Veniamin (Kazan) and those like him who were murdered Archimandrite Sergius (Shein), Yuri Novitsky and John Kovsharov, led. Princess Elizabeth and nun Varvara. The act of canonization stated that this was only the beginning of the church glorification of the new martyrs and confessors who suffered during the years of revolutionary unrest and post-revolutionary terror.

The Council of Bishops discussed the petition of Ukrainian bishops to grant the Ukrainian Church autocephalous status. In his report at the Council, Metropolitan. Filaret (Denisenko) justified the need to grant the Ukrainian Church autocephaly by political events: the collapse of the USSR and the formation of an independent Ukrainian state. A discussion began, in which most of the bishops participated; during the discussion, His Holiness the Patriarch took the floor. Most of the speakers rejected the idea of ​​autocephaly; Metropolitan Philaret was named as the culprit of the church crisis in Ukraine, expressed in the emergence of an autocephalist schism and the fall of most parishes into the union. The archpastors demanded his resignation from his post. Metropolitan Philaret promised that upon returning to Kyiv he would convene a Council and resign from his duties as Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia. However, upon returning to Kyiv, Metropolitan Filaret stated that he did not intend to leave his post. In this situation, His Holiness the Patriarch took measures to save the canonical unity of the Russian Church - on his initiative, the Holy Synod instructed the oldest ordained archpastor of the Ukrainian Church, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rusnak) of Kharkov, to convene a Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Church in order to accept the resignation of Metropolitan Philaret and elect a new primate of the Ukrainian Church Churches. On May 26, the Primate of the Cyriarchal Church, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, sent a telegram to Metropolitan Philaret, in which, appealing to his archpastoral and Christian conscience, he asked, in the name of the good of the church, to submit to the canonical Hierarchy. On the same day, Metropolitan Philaret gathered his supporters in Kyiv for a conference that rejected the resolution of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Council of Bishops, convened in Kharkov on May 27 by Metropolitan Nikodim, expressed no confidence in Metropolitan Philaret and dismissed him from the Kyiv See. Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) was elected head of the Ukrainian Church. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church at its meeting on May 28 expressed agreement with the decision of the Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Church. Patriarch Alexy in accordance with the definition “On the Ukrainian Orthodox Church” adopted by the Council of Bishops in October. 1990, blessed the newly elected Metropolitan of Kyiv for his service as Primate of the Ukrainian Church.

On June 11, 1992, a Council of Bishops was held in the Danilov Monastery under the chairmanship of His Holiness the Patriarch, specially convened to consider the case of former Metropolitan Philaret being accused of anti-church activities. Having considered all the circumstances of the case on charges of grave ecclesiastical crimes against the former Metropolitan of Kyiv Philaret (Denisenko) and Bishop Jacob (Panchuk) of Pochaev, the Council decided to depose Metropolitan Philaret and Bishop Jacob.

On November 29, 1994, the next Council of Bishops opened in the Danilov Monastery, the activities of which continued until December 2. On the first day of the council meetings, His Holiness the Patriarch read a report, which reflected the most important events in church life over the 2.5 years that have passed since the previous Council of Bishops: the resumption of regular services in the Kremlin churches and St. Basil's Cathedral, the consecration of the restored Kazan Cathedral on Red Square , the beginning of the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the nationwide celebration of the 600th anniversary of the death of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The Patriarch noted in his report the widespread revival of monastic life.

On February 18, 1997, the next Council of Bishops opened with a brief speech by His Holiness the Patriarch. The first day of the council meetings was devoted to the report of the High Hierarch. Patriarch Alexy reported on the works of the Primate of the Russian Church and the Holy Synod, on the situation of dioceses, monasteries and parishes. Regarding the missionary service of the Church, the speaker especially noted the work on organizing missions among young people. In the section of the report devoted to church charity, official statistics were presented showing that in Russia from 1/4 to 1/3 of the population lives below the poverty line. In this regard, the High Hierarch said that the Russian Orthodox Church should become a full-fledged subject of social policy that could change this dramatic situation. In the part of the report devoted to inter-Orthodox relations, His Holiness the Patriarch particularly focused on the characterization of the complex relationship with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which was a consequence of Constantinople’s intervention in the church life of Estonia: the seizure of several Estonian parishes and the extension of its jurisdiction to Estonia. Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, His Holiness the Patriarch noted that, despite all the efforts of the schismatics, supported in some places by the authorities and the press, the Ukrainian flock rejected the new temptation of schism, which did not become noticeably widespread. The High Hierarch’s report expressed the reaction of the clergy and church people to the slanderous publications of a number of newspapers devoted to church life: “It is simply useless to argue with them... We do not forget the call of the Apostle Paul addressed to every Christian: Avoid stupid and ignorant competitions, knowing that they give rise to quarrels; The servant of the Lord should not quarrel, but be friendly to everyone, teachable, gentle, and instruct opponents with meekness (2 Tim. 2. 23-25)” (JMP. 1997. No. 3. P. 77). The Council of Bishops in 1997 was evidence of the unity of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, serving in different states and regions, around the High Hierarch; behind this unity of the archpastors is the unity of the church people in a society torn apart by contradictions and enmity. On February 20, participants of the Council of Bishops made a pilgrimage to the shrines of Moscow and visited the Kremlin cathedrals. A significant event took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin - the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church ascended to the Patriarchal seat for the first time since Patriarch Adrian.

The Jubilee Council of Bishops, held in the year of celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, opened in the hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on August 13. On the first day of the Council, Patriarch Alexy delivered a detailed report in which he deeply and realistically analyzed all aspects of modern life and activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Alexy described the state of diocesan and parish life in the Russian Church as generally satisfactory. The main result of the Council, in which 144 bishops took part, was the decision to canonize 1154 saints. saints, including 867 new martyrs and confessors of Russia, among whom are St. passion-bearers - the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family. The council established church-wide veneration for 230 previously glorified and locally venerated sufferers for the faith. The cathedral canonized 57 devotees of piety from the 16th to 20th centuries. A new edition of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church was approved, which, according to Patriarch Alexy, “should be the basis and program for further improvement” of church life. “It is very important,” the Patriarch noted, “that the norms of the Charter are not only approved by the council, but also actually implemented in the life of our Church. It seems especially important to strengthen the connection between each parish and its diocesan administration, and the dioceses with the center and among themselves.” An important event was the adoption of the “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Church,” which “formulated the Church’s responses to the challenges of the turn of the century.” The Council of Bishops adopted special definitions in connection with the situation of Orthodoxy in Ukraine and Estonia. At the end of the Council, the solemn consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the canonization of the newly glorified saints took place, in which the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches took part: Patriarch and Catholicos of All Georgia Ilia II, Patriarch Pavel of Serbia, Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria, Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania Anastasios, Metropolitan Nicholas of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, as well as representatives of the Local Churches - Archbishop Demetrius of America (Patriarchate of Constantinople), Metropolitan Irenaeus of Pilusia (Patriarchate of Alexandria), Bishop Niphon of Philippopolis (Patriarchate of Antioch), Archbishop Benedict of Gaza (Patriarchate of Jerusalem), Metropolitan of Kalavrite and Egiali Yiskiy Ambrose (Greek Church), Archbishop Jeremiah of Wroclaw and Szczecin (Polish Church), Archbishop Herman of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania (American Church), who led the delegations of their Churches. The guest of the celebrations was the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

The closest collaborators of the Patriarch in the implementation of the highest church government are the permanent members of the Holy Synod. From March 1997 to August 2000, 23 meetings of the Holy Synod were held, in which, in addition to permanent members, 42 diocesan bishops took part. The expansion of the sphere of activity of the Russian Orthodox Church required the creation of new synodal departments and institutions: in 1991, departments for religious education and catechesis and for church charity and social service were established, in 1995 - a department for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies and a Missionary Department, in 1996 - Church and Scientific Center of the Russian Orthodox Church "Orthodox Encyclopedia". New commissions were formed: Biblical (1990), Theological (1993), Monastic Affairs (1995), Economic and Humanitarian Issues (1997), Historical and Legal (2000). In 1990, the All-Church Orthodox Youth Movement was created.

In 1989-2000 the number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church increased from 67 to 130, the number of monasteries - from 21 to 545, the number of parishes increased almost 3 times and approached 20 thousand, the number of clergy also changed significantly - from 6893 to 19417. During the years of his episcopal service, Patriarch Alexy He headed 70 episcopal consecrations: 13 as Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod and 57 as Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. In 2000, the Russian Orthodox Church numbered up to 80 million people.

A characteristic feature of the Primate ministry of Patriarch Alexy is numerous visits to dioceses, which began with a trip to the northern capital immediately after his enthronement; During the first year of his Patriarchate, His Holiness visited 15 dioceses, while performing divine services not only in cathedrals, but also in parishes remote from the diocesan center, in opening monasteries, met with local leadership, with the public, visited higher and secondary schools, military units , nursing homes, prisons, bringing joy and comfort to people. And in subsequent years, the High Hierarch did not abandon the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church with his attention. For example, in the last 5 years alone, Patriarch Alexy visited over 40 dioceses on pastoral visits: in 1997, the Elista, Murmansk, Vilna, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Odessa, Vienna and Vladimir dioceses, as well as the Holy Land, where he led the celebrations on the occasion of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem; in 1998 - Tambov, St. Petersburg, Minsk, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Kaluga and Voronezh; in 1999 - Krasnodar, Tula, Kaluga, St. Petersburg with a visit to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, Syktyvkar, Arkhangelsk, Rostov, Penza, Samara and Krasnoyarsk; in 2000 - Belgorod, St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Saransk, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Tokyo, Kyoto, Sendai, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk dioceses, as well as the Diveyevo monastery and the Valaam monastery; in 2001 - Baku, Brest, Pinsk, Turov, Gomel, Cheboksary, Tobolsk, St. Petersburg, Kaluga, Tula, Petrozavodsk, as well as the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery. From June 1990 to December 2001, Patriarch Alexy visited 88 dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church and consecrated 168 churches. On March 23, 1990, for the first time after many decades of the ban on religious processions outside the church fence, a religious procession led by His Holiness the Patriarch took place along the Moscow streets from the walls of the Kremlin to the Church of the “Great” Ascension.

At the end of 1990, St. relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. On January 11, 1991, His Holiness the Patriarch arrived in St. Petersburg and after a prayer service in the chapel of Blessed Xenia and in the Ioannovsky Monastery on Karpovka, he went to the Kazan Cathedral. The relics of St. Seraphim were transferred from the Kazan Cathedral to the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and remained there until February 6, during which time thousands of Orthodox St. Petersburg residents came to venerate St. saint of God. From St. Petersburg, the holy relics, accompanied by the High Hierarch, were delivered to Moscow and transferred in a procession to the Epiphany Cathedral. They stayed in Moscow for 5.5 months, and every day there was a long line of people wanting to kiss them. July 23-30, 1991 St. the relics were transferred in a religious procession, accompanied by His Holiness the Patriarch, to the Diveyevo monastery, revived shortly before the second discovery of the relics of the holy founder of this monastery. Other significant events also took place: the second discovery of the relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod (February 28, 1991), the miraculous discovery of the incorruptible relics of St. Patriarch Tikhon (February 22, 1992). In the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, while maintaining its museum regime, divine services began to be held regularly, and this ancient temple again became the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church.

A symbol of the revival of the Russian Church in the 90s. XX century was the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, barbarically destroyed in 1931. His Holiness the Patriarch and the Mayor of Moscow Yu. M. Luzhkov led this truly national undertaking. On Easter 1995, Patriarch Alexy, co-served by a host of archpastors and shepherds, performed the first service in the restored church - Easter Vespers. On December 31, 1999, His Holiness the Patriarch performed a minor consecration of the upper Church of the Nativity of Christ, and on August 19, 2000, the solemn consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior took place. Thousands of Orthodox clergy and laity walked in religious processions from all over Moscow in the morning to the recreated shrine. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' was co-served by the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, as well as 147 bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate. Addressing the flock, the Patriarch emphasized: “It is providential that the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior took place on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. For the life of our Fatherland is being transformed, the souls of people are being transformed who find the way to God and the temple of God. This day will remain in the history of our Church as the triumph of Orthodoxy” (Orthodox Moscow. 2000. No. 17 (227). P. 1).

In his speeches at the Councils of Bishops and at Moscow diocesan meetings, His Holiness the Patriarch constantly addresses issues of pastoral service and the moral character of the clergy, recalls the difficulties and shortcomings of modern parish life, the tasks of the clergy, both unchangeable and eternal, independent of the circumstances of the time, and dictated topic of the day. In his speech at the diocesan meeting in December 1995, Patriarch Alexy spoke with particular concern that some clergy do not value church traditions: “This leads to voluntary or involuntary distortions of the entire church life... Some have recently been actively trying to introduce religious democratic pluralism... It is legitimate and fair to talk about religious pluralism in the state, but not within the Church... In the Church there is not democratic pluralism, but grace-filled conciliarity and freedom of the children of God within the framework of the law and holy canons, which do not hinder the good purity of freedom, but put a barrier to sin and elements alien to the Church" (Address of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to the clergy and parish councils of Moscow churches at the diocesan meeting on December 21, 1995. M., 1996. P. 15). “A misunderstanding of the meaning of the church hierarchy, which has a Divine establishment, sometimes leads a clergyman or monastic to a dangerous discrepancy with canon law, to a state that is disastrous for the soul” (from a report at the Council of Bishops in 2000).

Patriarch Alexy is attentive to the spiritual aspirations of his flock: both those people who are just coming to faith, and those who are already strengthened in their service to God. “In the area of ​​organizing parish life, the most important attention should be paid to ensuring that people who have recently found their way to church do not leave it due to insensitivity and rudeness on the part of church officials, which, unfortunately, is observed in our parishes. Everyone who comes to the temple should find themselves in a supportive environment and feel the love and care of believers. People are driven away from the Church by the clergy’s careless attitude towards pastoral duties and indifference” (from a report at the Council of Bishops in 2000). The demands of Patriarch Alexy to perform the sacrament of Baptism in accordance with the church rules and tradition of the Russian Church, to precede Baptism with catechesis, and the call to abandon the practice of general confession - all this testifies to the desire to strengthen the canonical and spiritual life of the parish. In general, positively assessing the works of the modern parish clergy, the First Hierarch draws attention to the insufficient theological education and lack of necessary life and spiritual experience among many priests, which is the reason for the existence of “young age,” which, according to Patriarch Alexy, is associated “not with the age of the clergyman, but with his lack of a sober and wise approach to spiritual practice.” Protecting his flock from spiritual temptations, the Primate more than once expressed serious concern about “the use by some clergy of various innovations that contradict the established Orthodox church tradition. Showing excessive zeal, such pastors often strive to organize parish life according to the model of the early Christian community, which confuses the conscience of believers and often leads to division in the parish or to its deliberate isolation. The preservation of church tradition must be strictly consistent with historical reality, since the artificial restoration of outdated forms of parish life can seriously distort the spiritual structure of the community and bring confusion.” Patriarch Alexy calls on clergy not to limit the life of the community only to divine services, but to organize charitable, missionary, and catechetical work in the parish. “Until recently, the circle of activity of a priest was limited to the walls of the temple, and the Church was artificially cut off from the life of the people. Now the situation has changed radically. The priest has become a public figure, he is invited to radio and television, to prisons and military units, he speaks in the media, meets with people of different professions and different intellectual levels. Today, in addition to high morality, impeccable honesty and true Orthodox spirituality, a pastor is also required to be able to speak the language of a modern person, to help resolve the most difficult problems that modern reality poses to believers.” Activation of parish life presupposes, in the opinion of Patriarch Alexy, the most active participation of parishioners, “the warming up of cathedral principles in the life of the parish... Ordinary members of the parish should feel their involvement in the common cause and their responsibility for the future of the church community.” Alexy believes that the most important area of ​​parish activity is charity, helping the disadvantaged, the sick, and refugees. “The Russian Orthodox Church must make every effort so that the ministry of mercy becomes one of the priority areas of its activities” (from the report at the Council of Bishops in 2000).

The Patriarch considers the care of persons in prison to be an area of ​​special pastoral responsibility. The High Hierarch is convinced that pastoral service in prisons and colonies - administering the Sacraments, providing humanitarian assistance to prisoners - can and should contribute to the correction of people who once violated the law, and best contribute to their return to a full life. During the years of the Primate of Patriarch Alexy, more than 160 Orthodox churches and 670 prayer rooms were created in places of detention and prisons in the Russian Federation alone.

In his report at the Council of Bishops in 2000, the Patriarch emphasized: “The influence of monasticism on the world and the reverse influence of the world on monasticism in various periods of history in Rus' acquired a fateful, sometimes tragic character, associated with the flourishing or impoverishment of the ascetic ideal in the people's soul. Today, modern monasticism has a special pastoral and missionary responsibility, because due to the urbanization of life, our monasteries are in close contact with the world. The world comes to the walls of the monasteries, trying to find spiritual support there, and our monasteries, with their prayerful deeds and good deeds, create and heal the soul of the people, again teaching them piety.” The increase in the number of monasteries in the Russian Orthodox Church over the last decade by more than 25 times was accompanied by many difficulties and problems, because it was necessary to restore what seemed to be almost completely lost - the traditions and foundations of monastic feat. And today, according to Patriarch Alexy, “there are still many difficulties in the life of monasteries. The lack of experienced confessors remains a big problem, which sometimes negatively affects both the structure of monastic life and the pastoral care of the people of God. Since the confessor not only accepts repentance, but is also responsible before God for the counseling he performs, he must make many efforts to acquire the gift of compassionate love, wisdom, patience and humility. For only one’s own spiritual experience, real knowledge of the struggle against sin, can protect the confessor from mistakes, make his words understandable and convincing for his flock” (from a report at the Council of Bishops in 2000). The hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Patriarch Alexy, decided to strengthen the monastic dispensation by setting the minimum age for tonsure into the mantle no earlier than 30 years, with the exception of students of theological schools and widowed clergy. This is done so that those embarking on the path of monastic activity carefully consider the step they are taking and, under the guidance of an abbot and an experienced confessor, undergo sufficient experience of novitiate.

External relations of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Patriarchate of Alexy II. In the field of external church relations, Patriarch Alexy consistently pursues an independent, clear and realistic policy based on unconditional loyalty to Orthodoxy, strict adherence to canonical institutions, and the Christian understanding of love and justice.

Constantly concerned about strengthening fraternal relations between Local Orthodox Churches. Churches, Patriarch Alexy has special sympathy for the Serbian Church and provides it with support during the years of suffering of the Serbian people from external aggression. The Patriarch of Moscow not only repeatedly protested against the punitive military actions carried out by the international alliance on the territory of independent Yugoslavia, but twice during these difficult years (1994 and 1999) he visited the long-suffering Serbian land, clearly expressing the position of the multi-million flock of the Russian Church. In the spring of 1999, at the height of the escalation of NATO military aggression against Yugoslavia, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' flew to Belgrade, which was being bombed, to support the fraternal people with joint prayer. On April 20, after the Divine Liturgy in Belgrade, Patriarch Alexy said: “We are witnessing blatant lawlessness: several strong and rich countries, boldly considering themselves the global measure of good and evil, are trampling on the will of the people who want to live differently. Bombs and missiles are raining down on this earth not because they are protecting someone. NATO's military actions have a different goal - to destroy the post-war world order, which was paid for in great blood, and to impose on people an order alien to them, based on the dictates of brute force. But injustice and hypocrisy will never win. After all, according to the ancient saying: God is not in power, but in truth. Let the enemy’s power exceed yours - but on your side, my dears, God’s help. This is the meaning of all historical lessons” (ZhMP. 1999. No. 5. P. 35-36). Patriarch Alexy tried to prevent bomb attacks. Immediately, as it became known about the “illegitimate and unfair” decision of the NATO leadership, the Patriarch in his statement supported the Hierarchy of the Serbian Church, whose hierarchs considered NATO’s military intervention in the Yugoslav conflict unacceptable. On behalf of the Russian Church, Patriarch Alexy addressed the heads of NATO member countries and the leaders of the North Atlantic bloc with a demand to prevent the use of military force against the sovereign Republic of Yugoslavia, since this could cause “an inevitable escalation of military actions in the very center of Europe.” However, the voice of reason was not heard, and the Patriarch of Moscow again issued a statement, expressing the protest of the multi-million flock of the Russian Church: “Yesterday evening and tonight Yugoslavia was subjected to numerous air strikes from NATO... We are told that the armed action is aimed at achieving peace. Isn't this hypocrisy? If “for the sake of peace” they kill people and trample on the right of an entire people to decide their own fate, then aren’t there completely different goals behind the calls for peace? A group of states, without receiving any legitimation from the world community, arrogated to themselves the right to judge what is good and what is bad, who to execute and who to pardon. They are trying to accustom us to the idea that strength is the measure of truth and morality. The brutal economic and political pressure that Western states have been practicing in recent years to serve their interests has given way to outright violence... What is being done is a sin before God and a crime from the point of view of international law. Many lawlessnesses were committed supposedly in the name of peace, supposedly for the sake of introducing “freedom and civilization.” But history teaches us that we cannot deprive a sovereign nation of its history, its shrines, its right to an original life. And if the peoples of the West do not understand this, the judgment of history will be inevitable, for cruelty damages not only the victim, but also the aggressor” (ZhMP. 1999. No. 4. P. 25). With the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, funds were collected in churches in Moscow and in other dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church to help refugees from Kosovo. Patriarch of the Serbian Church Paul highly appreciated the selfless help of the Russian First Hierarch.

The firm position of the Russian Church and the decisive support of Patriarch Alexy for the canonical Hierarchy of the Bulgarian Church, its Primate Patriarch Maxim, helped to overcome the schism in one of the ancient Orthodox Churches. Patriarch Alexy became one of the initiators of the meeting in Sofia of the Primates and hierarchs of the Local Churches (September 30 - October 1, 1998) for a pan-Orthodox discussion and healing of the church schism in Bulgaria.

In the 90s XX century There was an acute crisis in the relationship between the Russian and Constantinople Churches, caused by the situation in Estonia. In the early 90s. The nationalist-minded part of the Estonian clergy declared its submission to the non-canonical foreign “synod”, after which, with the encouragement of the authorities, schismatics began to seize the parishes of the canonical Estonian Church, which was declared by the Estonian government to be an “occupying Church”. Despite this, the overwhelming majority of clergy and laity in Estonia remained faithful to the Russian Church. In October 1994, the Estonian authorities turned to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople with a request to accept schismatics associated with the Stockholm “synod” into his jurisdiction. Patriarch Bartholomew gave a positive answer and, avoiding negotiations with the Moscow Patriarchate, called on the Estonian clergy to come under his omophorion. On February 20, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, citing the “urgent request of the Estonian government,” decided to restore the tomos of Patriarch Meletios IV of 1923 and establish an autonomous Orthodox Estonian Metropolis on the territory of Estonia as part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Alexy, who devoted 25 years to the archpastoral care of the Orthodox Church in Estonia, was very sensitive to the schism in the Estonian clergy. The response of the Hierarchy of the Russian Church to the schism in Estonia was a temporary cessation of canonical communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This move was supported by some autocephalous Orthodox Churches. As a result of negotiations between representatives of the Russian and Constantinople Churches at a meeting in 1996 in Zurich, an agreement was reached that in Estonia there would simultaneously be dioceses under the jurisdiction of 2 Patriarchates, clergy and church people could voluntarily choose their jurisdictional affiliation. It also envisaged cooperation between the two Patriarchates in presenting their position to the Estonian government with the goal that all Orthodox Christians in Estonia would receive the same rights, including the right to historical church property. However, Constantinople put forward more and more new conditions, up to the demand to recognize the diocese under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople as the only autonomous Orthodox Church in Estonia.

Relations between the Russian and Constantinople Churches were also complicated due to the not entirely clear position of Patriarch Bartholomew on the issue of the church schism in Ukraine. From the schismatic so-called side. The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) is making active attempts to find support from the Patriarch of Constantinople. In order to avoid confrontation between the two Patriarchates over the Ukrainian church problem, Patriarch Alexy gave his blessing to enter into negotiations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the hope that through the cooperation of the two Churches and with the support of the entire Orthodox Plenity, the right solution will be found that will help overcome schisms and unite Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

Patriarch Alexy pays great attention to the still unresolved problem of relations with the Romanian Orthodox Church, caused by the creation by the Romanian Church on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church of a structure called the “Bessarabian Metropolis”. His Holiness the Patriarch considers the only canonically acceptable possibility for the presence of the Romanian Patriarchate on the territory of the Russian Orthodox Church to be the structure of parishes united in the representation of the Romanian Church in Moldova.

The year of the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ became an important milestone in the strengthening of inter-Orthodox relations: on January 7, 2000, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, in the Bethlehem Basilica, the concelebration of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches once again witnessed to the world the unity of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. During his First Hierarchal service, Patriarch Alexy repeatedly visited fraternal Local Churches, the guests of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' were Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Patriarch Peter of Alexandria, Patriarch-Catholicos of Georgia Ilia II, Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria, Patriarch of Romania Theoctistus, Archbishop of Tirana and all Albania Anastasius , Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland Savva, Primates of the Church, Metropolitans of the Czech Lands and Slovakia Dorotheos and Nicholas, Metropolitan of All America and Canada Theodosius.

Today, headed by Patriarch Alexy, the Russian Orthodox Church is the most numerous in its composition, number of dioceses and parishes in the family of fraternal Local Orthodox Churches. This fact imposes considerable responsibility on the Primate of the Russian Church for the development of Orthodox life throughout the world, especially in those countries where Orthodox missionary service is possible and necessary and where the Russian diaspora exists.

The position of Patriarch Alexy in his relations with non-Orthodox Churches, religious and ecumenical organizations is based on 2 principles. Firstly, he believes that witnessing the truth of the Orthodox faith in a divided Christian world is one of the most important areas of external church activity, responding to the call of the Lord Jesus Christ to overcome those mediastinums that divide those who believe in Him (John 17:21-22), interfere with the grace-filled unity of people in the love of God, pre-established by the Divine economy. Secondly, the basis of any testimony at any level of inter-Christian contacts can only be a clear ecclesiological self-awareness of the Orthodox Church as the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. “At all times,” the Patriarch emphasized in his report at the Council of Bishops in 2000, “our Church remained faithful to the commandment of standing in sacred Tradition, which she was taught by the apostolic “word or epistle” (2 Thess. 2.15), following the Savior’s commandment to preach to all nations, “teaching them to observe all things” that He commanded (Matthew 28:20).”

The Russian Church maintains contacts with the Eastern (pre-Chalcedonian) Churches both within the framework of pan-Orthodox dialogue and independently. In bilateral relations, the most important direction is to conduct a complex and responsible theological dialogue on Christological issues. His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod, in the definition of the Synod of March 30, 1999, emphasized the need to intensify the mutual study of the theological traditions of the Russian and Eastern Churches, to make the results of the joint work of theologians clearer for a wide range of believers. It is important that the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, accompanied by bishops and clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, was a guest of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and the Russian Orthodox Church twice in the anniversary year 2000. In conversations between Patriarch Alexy and the Primate of the Armenian Church, decisions were made on a fundamental expansion of cooperation in the areas of theological education and social service.

On relations with the Roman Catholic Church in the 90s. XX century The situation in Galicia, where the Orthodox Church became a victim of Uniate expansion, had a negative impact. Vatican diplomacy seeks to expand the sphere of influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Russia and other countries located in the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Alexy outlined the position of the Russian Orthodox Church regarding the proselytism of the Catholic Church at the Council of Bishops in 1994: “The restoration of Catholic structures in our canonical territory must correspond to real pastoral needs and contribute to the restoration of the religious, cultural and linguistic identity of peoples with traditionally Catholic roots.” The approach to Russia as an absolute religious desert, the Patriarch emphasized, testifies to the proselytizing nature of the ways and methods of the “new evangelization” practiced by the Roman Catholic Church in Russia and the CIS countries. In a report at the Moscow diocesan meeting in 1995, Patriarch Alexy spoke about the Uniate factor complicating relations with the Roman Catholic Church. The revival of the union poses a danger for the Church and the people. “More than 120 Catholic priests work in Belarus today,” said His Holiness the Patriarch. “Of them, 106 are citizens of Poland and spread Catholicism and Polish nationalism, and are openly engaged in proselytism. And you can’t look at this calmly.”

In his report at the 2000 Council of Bishops, Patriarch Alexy noted with regret the lack of progress in relations with the Vatican, the reasons for which were the ongoing discrimination against Orthodox Christians by Greek Catholic communities in Western Ukraine and Catholic proselytism in the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Vatican, according to the Patriarch, rejects all efforts of the Russian Church to normalize the situation and promote a fair division of churches between Orthodox and Greek Catholics, probably in the hope that the Russian Church will come to terms with the existing situation. However, Patriarch Alexy’s position on this issue is firm: “We continue to insist on the restoration of equal rights for all believers in Western Ukraine, on providing Orthodox Christians with places for worship where they are deprived of this opportunity, and on excluding cases of discrimination against them. The pain and tears of Orthodox people in Western Ukraine, who are today forced to pay for the injustices committed against Greek Catholics by a godless government, must be wiped away and healed.” At the same time, Patriarch Alexy is not inclined to reject the possibility of cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church in the social, scientific, and peacemaking spheres.

During the period of the Primate ministry of Patriarch Alexy, mutual visits of heads and representatives of Christian Churches took place, and bilateral dialogues continued with the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and the Episcopal Church in the USA.

In the 90s XX century The Russian Church was faced with the proselytizing activity of some Protestant denominations, which often used the humanitarian aid provided by the Russian Federation for their own purposes. This kind of activity, as well as the further liberalization of Protestant churches, undermined the trust of the Orthodox flock of Russia in ecumenical contacts with Protestant Churches, and raised doubts about the appropriateness of the participation of the Russian Church in the WCC, where the influence of Protestant Churches predominates. Under these conditions, the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, with the support of fraternal Local Churches, initiated a process of radical reform of the WCC, so that inter-Christian dialogue could be carried out more effectively, without introducing new ecclesiological problems and divisions within the Orthodox Churches. At a meeting of representatives of all Local Orthodox Churches in Thessaloniki in April-May 1998, held on the initiative of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Patriarchate, a decision was made on cardinal changes in the existing structure of the WCC, which would allow the Orthodox Churches to carry out their witness to the non-Orthodox world, avoiding ecclesiological and canonical collisions, which are very painfully perceived by a significant part of the Orthodox clergy and believers.

Patriarch Alexy attaches the greatest importance to the participation of the Church in peacemaking activities. In his report at the Council of Bishops in 1994, His Holiness the Patriarch gave a positive assessment of the participation of the Russian Church in the activities of the CEC, especially noting the great efforts made by the CEC to reconcile the warring parties in the former Yugoslavia, promoting reconciliation and eliminating the harmful consequences of hostility, conflicts and disasters in Armenia, Azerbaijan , Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Baltic countries. In May 1999, an informal inter-Christian peacekeeping group was created, which contributed to the end of the bombing of Yugoslavia and the development of a fair attitude of Christian Churches and organizations to the Kosovo problem.

In his report at the Council of Bishops in 2000, Patriarch Alexy, noting that recently he had repeatedly encountered a misunderstanding of the essence of contacts with non-Orthodox Churches and inter-Christian organizations, said: “From my personal experience I can say that such contacts are important not only for them , but also for us Orthodox. In the modern world it is impossible to exist in complete isolation: broad inter-Christian cooperation is necessary in theological, educational, social, cultural, peacemaking, diaconal and other areas of church life. It is not enough to simply declare that the Orthodox Church is the repository of the fullness of Revelation. It is also necessary to testify to this by deeds, giving an example of how the apostolic faith, preserved by the Orthodox Church, transforms the minds and hearts of people, changes the world around us for the better. If we truly, and not falsely, grieve for divided brothers, then we have a moral duty to meet with them and seek mutual understanding. It is not these meetings that are harmful for the Orthodox. Indifference and lukewarmness, which the Holy Scripture condemns, are destructive in spiritual life (Rev. 3:15).”

The name of Patriarch Alexy II occupies a strong place in church science. Before ascending to the Holy See, he published 150 works on theological and church-historical topics. In total, about 500 works of the High Hierarch were published in the church and secular press in Russia and abroad. In 1984, Patriarch Alexy presented to the Academic Council of the LDA a three-volume work “Essays on the History of Orthodoxy in Estonia” for the degree of Master of Theology. The Academic Council decided to award the dissertation candidate the degree of Doctor of Church History, since “the dissertation, in depth of research and volume of material, significantly exceeds the traditional criteria for a master’s thesis” and “on the eve of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', this work can form a special chapter in the study of the history of the Russian Orthodox Church "(Alexy II. The Church and the spiritual revival of Russia. P. 14). This work is informative and extremely relevant at the end of the 20th century, when Orthodoxy in Estonia found itself in a difficult situation. The monograph contains strong historical evidence that Orthodoxy in Estonia has ancient roots and was nurtured by the Russian Church, without any special patronage from the Russian government, and often with direct opposition to the movement of the people towards the Orthodox Church on the part of local officials and their influential patrons In Petersburg. Patriarch Alexy is also a Doctor of Theology (honoris causa) of the Theological Academy in Debrecen (Hungary), Faculty of Theology. John Comenius in Prague, Tbilisi DA, Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church and a number of other theological educational institutions, honorary professor of many universities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, honorary member of St. Petersburg DA and MDA, Minsk DA, Cretan Orthodox Academy, since 1992 - full member of the Academy of Education of the Russian Federation, and since 1999 - honorary professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

His Holiness the Patriarch was awarded the highest orders of the Russian Orthodox Church, including the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, St. Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir (1st and 2nd degrees), Rev. Sergius of Radonezh (1st degree), St. Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow (1st degree) and St. Innocent (1st degree), orders of other Orthodox Churches, as well as high state awards, including the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Friendship of Peoples (twice), “For Services to the Fatherland "(2nd degree) and St. Andrew the First-Called. Patriarch Alexy was also awarded state awards from Greece, Lebanon, Belarus, Lithuania and a number of other countries. Patriarch Alexy is an honorary citizen of St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Sergiev Posad, the Republic of Kalmykia, and the Republic of Mordovia. 6 Sep. 2000 The Primate was elected an honorary citizen of Moscow.

Archive materials:

• Conversations with His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II // Archive of the Central Scientific Center.

Essays:

• Speech at the presentation of the diploma of Doctor of Theology honoris causa by the Faculty of Theology. John Amos Comenius in Prague on November 12, 1982 // ZhMP. 1983. No. 4. P. 46-48;
• Philocalia in Russian ascetic thought: Dokl. upon presentation of the diploma honoris causa // Ibid. pp. 48-52;
• Speech [at the graduation of Leningrad theological schools] // Vestn. LDA. 1990. No. 2. P. 76-80;
• Collection of selected works for the anniversary of enthronement (1990-1991). M., 1991;
• Speeches at the presentation of the bishop's staff to newly installed bishops. M., 1993;
• Correspondence with the monk Iuvian (Krasnoperov) // Valaam Chronicler. M., 1994;
• Message from 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: Historical-publicist. or T. almanac. M., 1995. S. 70-72;
• Russia needs not only itself, but the whole world // Lit. studies. 1995. No. 2/3. pp. 3-14;
• Return interethnic, political and social peace to people: From the answers of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II to questions from a columnist for the newspaper “Culture” // Russian Observer. 1996. No. 5. P. 85-86;
• Address to the participants of the international conference “Spiritual foundations of politics and principles of international cooperation” // ZhMP. 1997. No. 7. P. 17-19;
• Statement in connection with the situation around the new law “On freedom of conscience and religious associations” // Ibid. 1997. No. 8. P.19-20;
• Message from 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 II and his family // Ibid. 1998. No. 7. P. 11;
• Address to the participants of the scientific and theological conference “Mission of the Church. Freedom of conscience. Civil society" // Ibid. 1998. No. 9. P. 22-37;
• Word at the opening of the Council meeting “Russia: the path to salvation” // Ibid. 1998 No. 11. P. 49-50;
• Speech at a meeting with His Beatitude Anastasius, Archbishop of Tirana and all Albania // Ibid. 1998. No. 11. P. 52-53;
• Welcoming speech on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Metochion of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Moscow // Ibid. pp. 57-58;
• Message to the participants of the church-historical conference “Protopresbyter Gabriel Kostelnik and his role in the revival of Orthodoxy in Galicia” // Ibid. pp. 58-61;
• The role of Moscow in the defense of the Fatherland // The role of Moscow in the defense of the Fatherland. M., 1998. Sat. 2. P. 6-17;
• Word of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II: [On the crisis of the Russian school] // Christmas readings, 6th. M., 1998. P. 3-13;
• On the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church in the modern world: Speech at the celebrations. Act of the Tbilisi Theological Academy // Church and Time / DECR MP. 1998. No. 1(4). pp. 8-14;
• A word to the participants of the Council hearings [World Russian People's Council on March 18-20, 1998] // Ibid. No. 2 (5). pp. 6-9;
• Open letter... dated 10/17/1991 [protoproc. A. Kiselev, prot. D. Grigoriev, Yu. N. Kapustin, G. A. Rar, G. E. Trapeznikov on overcoming the split between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad] // Ibid. pp. 47-50;
• Address of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II to the clergy and parish councils of Moscow churches at the diocesan meeting on December 23. 1998 M., 1999;
• Report at the solemn act dedicated to the 600th anniversary of the repose of St. Sergius of Radonezh // ZhMP. 1999. Special. issue pp. 36-41;
• Greetings to the participants of the conference “Manuscript collections of church origin in libraries and museums of Russia” // ZhMP. 1999. No. 1. P. 41-42;
• The same // Manuscript collections of church origin in libraries and museums of Russia: Sat. / Synod. b-ka. M., 1999. P. 7-8;
• Word... on the Week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy // ZhMP. 1999. Special. issue pp. 29-35;
• Word at the opening of the VII International Christmas Readings // Ibid. 1999. No. 3. P. 24-27;
• The difficult path of a dramatic century: To the 80th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate in Russia: Art. // Ibid. 1999. Special. issue pp. 46-50;
• Orthodoxy in Estonia. M., 1999;
• The Church and the spiritual revival of Russia: Words, speeches, messages, addresses, 1990-1998. M., 1999;
• Russia: Spiritual revival. M., 1999;
• Appeal in connection with the armed action against Yugoslavia // ZhMP. 1999. No. 4. P. 24-25;
• Speech at a meeting of the Academy of Social Sciences // Ibid. pp. 17-21;
• Speech at a meeting of the Russian Committee for Preparation for the Celebration of the 2000th Anniversary of Christianity // Ibid. 1999. No. 7. P. 32-34;
• Speech at the gala meeting dedicated to the 275th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences // Ibid. P. 8;
• Speech at a meeting of the renewed Patriarchal Synodal Biblical Commission // Ibid. No. 11. P. 18-20;
• Speech at the solemn presentation of awards in memory of Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov) for 1998-1999 // Ibid. pp. 28-29;
• The Sorrower of the Russian Land: The Word and Image of the High Hierarch. M., 1999;
• “I look at the 21st century with hope”: Conversation with correspondent. and. “Church and Time” 28 Jan. 1999 // Church and time. 1999. No. 1(8). pp. 8-21;
• Words, speeches and interviews from different years: A word at the naming of a bishop; Address at the opening of the II European Ecumenical Assembly; What should a priest be like?; The earth is entrusted to man by God; “It’s not your business to know times or dates...”; The difficult path of a dramatic age; Christian view of the environmental problem // Ibid. pp. 22-84;
• Opening speech by Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus' at a meeting of the organizing committee for preparations for the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity // ZhMP. 2000. No. 1. P. 18-21;
• Word at the first service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior // Ibid. pp. 44-45;
• Address at the opening of the V World Russian People's Council // Ibid. pp. 21-23;
• Word after the Divine Liturgy and the grand opening in Moscow of the Compound of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia // Ibid. No. 2. P. 52-54;
• Word at the opening of the VIII International Christmas Educational Readings // Ibid. No. 3. P. 47-52;
• Address at the opening of the theological conference of the Russian Orthodox Church “Orthodox theology on the threshold of the third millennium” // Ibid. No. 4. P. 42-44;
• The same // East. Vestn. 2000. No. 5/6 (9/10). pp. 12-14;
• Greetings to the participants of the Orthodox Press Congress “Christian Freedom and Independence of Journalism” // ZhMP. 2000. No. 4. P. 47-48;
• Greetings to the participants of the X Theological Conference of the St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute // Ibid. No. 5. P. 15-6;
• Word at the reception dedicated to the enthronement of the Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church // Ibid. No. 6. P. 52-53;
• Word at the solemn presentation of the volume “Russian Orthodox Church” - the first volume of the 25-volume “Orthodox Encyclopedia” // Ibid. No. 7. P. 11 -12;
• Speech at a meeting of the Russian Organizing Committee for preparations for the meeting of the third millennium and the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity // Ibid. pp. 12-15;
• Message to archpastors, pastors, monastics and all faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with the bringing of the holy relics of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon from Holy Mount Athos, June - Aug. 2000 // Ibid. No. 8. P. 4-5;
• Materials of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 // Official. MP website on the Internet www.russian-orthodox-church.org.ru ;
• Speech at the opening of the conference “The Holy Land and Russian-Palestinian relations: yesterday, today, tomorrow (October 11, 2000, Moscow) // Ibid.

Literature:

• Pimen, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Speech at the reception on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Metropolitan Alexy (Ridiger) of Tallinn and Estonia on March 1, 1979 // ZhMP. 1979. No. 5. P. 8;
• 50th anniversary of Metropolitan Alexy of Tallinn and Estonia: Album. Tallinn, 1980;
• Patriarch. M., 1993;
• Pospelovsky D.V. Russian Orthodox Church in the twentieth century. M., 1995;
• Polishchuk E. Visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus' to Germany // ZhMP. 1996. No. 1. P. 23-38;
• Polishchuk E. On the land of Austria // Ibid. 1997. No. 8. P. 42-52;
• Polishchuk E. Trip of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy to Lithuania // Ibid. No. 9. P. 44-52;
• Volevoy V. Trip of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy to Central Asia // Ibid. No. 1. P. 16-37;
• Urzhumtsev P. Stay of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II in the Holy Land // Ibid. No. 8. P. 30-39;
• Tsypin V., prot. History of the Russian Church. 1917-1997 // History of the Russian Church. M., 1997. Book. 9;
• Kiryanova O. Pastoral visit of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II to the Tobolsk-Tyumen diocese // ZhMP. 1998. No. 10. P. 46-53;
• Kiryanova O. Church celebration of the anniversary of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church // Ibid. 1999. No. 2. P. 12-17;
• Kiryanova O. Name-name of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy // Ibid. 2000. No. 4. P. 30-33;
• Zhilkina M. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II: Biogr. essay // Ibid. 1999. Special. issue pp. 3-28;
• Zhilkina M. Visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus' to the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church // Ibid. 2000. No. 6. P. 27-50;
• Zhilkina M. Ten years of enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy // Ibid. No. 7. P. 51-56;
• His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II: (Photo album). M., 1999;
• Chronicle of the visits of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1990-1998. // ZhMP. 1999. Special. issue pp. 51-54;
• High Priest. M., 2000;
• Safonov V. Meeting of the High Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church with the heads of Diocesan education departments // ZhMP. 2000. No. 3. P. 57-61.

Quite recently, less than ten years ago, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', who headed the Russian Orthodox Church during the most difficult turning point years for the entire country in the late 80s and early 90s, reposed in the Lord. His Holiness, despite his high position, was easy to communicate with, and therefore loved by everyone who knew him closely, a principled man of a bright soul. He became the fifteenth Primate of the Church after the restoration of the Patriarchate in Russia.

The name of Alexy II also occupies a solid place in the science of Church history and theology. Just before his accession to the Holy See, he had more than 150 publications on church history and theology. Who is Patriarch Alexy (Ridiger), why he is revered as a righteous man and what he did for the Church and all of Russia - you will find out in this article.

Childhood of the Patriarch

At birth, in the world, the Patriarch also had the name Alexei Ridiger - which is quite unusual, usually the name is changed when tonsured as a monk. He was born on February 23, 1929 in the “capital of Soviet Estonia” - Tallinn. The history of his family is unusual: according to his father, Mikhail Alexandrovich, he was a descendant of a German family of nobles who moved to the new capital - St. Petersburg under Anna Ioannovna or even Peter the Great and became Russified, that is, adopted the Orthodox faith. Through his mother, Elena Iosifovna Pisareva, His Holiness was an Estonian. The family were emigrants who left Petrograd through the Finnish lands after the revolution. Despite the poverty of life, characteristic of all refugees, Alyosha Ridiger was brought up with knowledge of and respect for cultural values, interest in art and the Church.

The roots of Alexy II's deep faith and piety were laid by his family, which led a truly Christian life. The father of the future Patriarch was a priest and blessed his son to help him during divine services; church life was inseparable from family life. The time of the first service in which the future His Holiness the Patriarch participated is even known: at the age of six, in 1936, he began to help pour holy water for parishioners at Epiphany. Probably, from childhood he wanted to serve the Church - but only God knows how and when that strength of spirit appeared in him, which allowed him to lead the entire Russian Church.

An important page in the beginning of the life of Alexy II was his regular visit with his parents to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery - the spiritual pearl of Ladoga, an ancient monastery. Here he also served at the altar. It is clear that in this monastery he developed a desire to give his life to monastic service to God and people.

Russian Patriarch in his youth

Talent for inspired prayer, piety, knowledge of church services - this is what determined the calling of Alexei Ridiger, who at the age of 15 became a subdeacon (that is, accompanying and constantly serving the bishop during divine services) of Bishop Isidore and Archbishop Paul of Estonia and Tallinn. At the age of 16 - in the year of the end of the Great Patriotic War - Alexey even became a sacristan (responsible for vestments and church utensils), continuing to serve as an altar boy in the Tallinn Cathedral.

Soon he entered the Leningrad Orthodox Theological Seminary (now SPbPDAiS) and upon graduation became a student at the Theological Academy of the Northern Capital. Having been ordained as a priest, at first he was simply a white celibate priest (who did not have monastic vows, but only took a vow of virginity). Having begun his priestly service in the small town of Jõhvi, he soon became the rector of the Epiphany Monastery, and in 1957, the rector of the local Assumption Cathedral. So for about a year he led two monasteries and the parish of the cathedral. He was then officially appointed dean of the district (that is, a priest overseeing the activities of a number of parishes - usually this position is given to the rector of a large cathedral in the region, who has many years of pastoral experience).

Since 1959, the future Patriarch decides to completely devote himself to God in monasticism. Very little time passed from his ryasophore tonsure—the naming of a new name, the symbolic cutting of his hair with the opportunity to wear some monastic robes—to his monastic tonsure. At this time, Alexy, like all ryassophore novices, had the opportunity to refuse tonsure as a monk; this would not be a sin. However, the future Primate was already firm in his decision to renounce worldly life, and in 1959 he was tonsured into the mantle, that is, the “small angelic image,” the small schema. He took vows of obedience to the bishop, renunciation of the world and non-covetousness - that is, the absence of his property. This tonsure of monks has been going on since ancient times and continues to the present day.

Father Alexy was tonsured into the mantle while keeping his name, which is quite unusual for church practice. Also, after a short time - only 2 years later - he was consecrated bishop. At 32 years old, he was one of the youngest archpastors of the Church. He was sent to manage his native Riga diocese with the title of Estonian and Tallinn bishop.

Bishop Alexy - future Patriarch of Moscow

Despite the “Khrushchev thaw,” the 1960s, when Bishop Alexy began his episcopal service, were difficult for the Church. If in the 1930s priests were shot along with everyone else as enemies of the people, then during the Great Patriotic War they began to be returned en masse from the camps, opening churches. Khrushchev opened new persecutions: first of all, by organizing an information wave not even of atheism, but of stereotypical slander against the Church in the media. Revolutionary slogans arose, condemning “obscurantism,” and people were put under psychological pressure, shamed at work, for example, for attending Easter services. Seminaries were closed under the pretext of poor quality education and churches, which simply “needed” to be used for warehouses, factories and granaries.

Having become Patriarch, Alexy II often spoke, including in print, but without details, about these times, that only God knew how difficult it was for priests and bishops to survive the time of persecution. However, the interests of the Orthodox Church were defended. She did not die with the help of such zealous servants of the Lord as Bishop Alexy.

Thus, having become a bishop, His Eminence Alexy began to actively work in the field of international and interchurch relations. He worked on many committees and was a member of delegations. His Eminence (this is an address to the bishop) was an active supporter of the joint work of the Churches of various Christian denominations, emphasizing that in a perfect world people forget in principle about Christ, and that all Christians should seek common ground in service and communication with each other, acting together.

After a short period of time, the active and active archpastor was noticed in the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate, and began to be promoted to even more responsible positions. In 1964, at the age of 35, he became an archbishop, deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, and then, in fact, the first deputy of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow. He received the rank of metropolitan (that is, higher than episcopal) of Tallinn, and then was in the rank of metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod transferred to St. Petersburg (Leningrad), at that time, as now, the center of church science and prayer life. Through the labors of Vladyka Alexy, many events took place, the memory of which is preserved by grateful St. Petersburg residents: the return of the brethren to the Valaam Monastery - the spiritual cradle of Vladyka Alexy himself, the revival of the St. John Convent, founded by the holy righteous John of Kronstadt on the Karpovka River, and the discovery of the relics of the most holy righteous John of Kronstadt. In 1989, His Eminence even became a people's deputy of the USSR, which was extremely unusual, and, in fact, a political figure.

Despite his active ministry, Bishop Alexy prepared and defended his doctoral dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology.

In 1990, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen died, and on June 10 of the same year, Patriarch Alexy II was chosen in his place as Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

Words and deeds of Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy 2

It is interesting that the activities of the Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church are expanding with each subsequent election of a Primate. Usually the Patriarch was elected from among venerable hierarchs who had extensive pastoral experience, but were therefore divorced from the too advanced trends of society. In the middle of the twentieth century, no one thought about the importance of attracting young people to the Church: it was difficult to talk to them, the guys not only sought ordinary entertainment, but also had an opinion of the Church as a “gathering of obscurantists.” Lacking life experience, they relied on the judgment of teachers and the authority of the state.

Over time, things began to change. The intelligentsia and emigrants turned to Christianity as a de facto religion of protest, a breath of fresh air in the stuffy Soviet ideology. If Patriarchs Alexy the First and Pimen were mainly concerned about maintaining parishes, about the existence of a church at least in every city, about protecting pastors from repression (and Pimen also about celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', that is, the cultural and historical establishment of the Church ) - then His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II developed activities to spread the missionary service of the Church, work with youth (on which the new, current Patriarch Kirill places great emphasis), restructuring the Church, and creating new dioceses.

Church and secular historians highlight the following pros and cons of the activities of Alexy II as Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus':

An increase in the number of churches, monasteries and dioceses - despite the fact that the number of believers and churchgoers did not require such a number of church structures.




The active return to the church of historical temple buildings, their restoration - this was called the “claim of the Church to canonical territory.” If some churches were given over to warehouses or workshops and were returned painlessly, then the return of temple-museums and temple-monuments met with active resistance from public activists. There have been incidents when the Church and cultural organizations found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades. Nevertheless, it was during the period of Patriarch Alexy’s activity that the experience of overcoming such confrontation was laid. The intelligentsia became convinced that the Church really knows how to preserve the cultural heritage of the country, especially since it was she who created this property: it was for prayer that the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, and the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma were built.




An increase in the number of ordained bishops, priests, monks and the apparatus of church officials - Synodal departments - at a time when people were not spiritually prepared for responsible church service. This is a controversial point to this day: from apostolic times until the revolution in Russia, priests were not ordained before the age of 30. Under Alexy II, even bishops under thirty began to be ordained.




At the same time, such an “increase in the flow of personnel” and places for prayer created a foundation, space for the further coming of many, many people to the Church. Today, not only the revival of churches in historical church buildings begins, but also the construction of new ones. Thus, in Moscow there is a program to create 200 new churches in residential areas of the capital; in the Vyborg diocese alone, 36 churches are being built, and in the entire St. Petersburg Metropolis - more than 100. People really do not fit in the buildings of small churches; many parishes on Sundays and holidays take speakers outside the building so that people can pray on the street.




The number of educational centers has increased, and the missionary activity of the Church has intensified. Many believed that the Church should not attract new people to itself, but occupy a niche in a certain service sector. Nevertheless, it was Patriarch Alexy who again began the catechetical work of the Church: after all, Christ also commanded the apostles to enlighten all nations with the light of Christianity, to save the souls of people. He himself fearlessly gave speeches all over the world aimed at strengthening traditional moral values ​​- after all, they are based on the commandments of God - at a time when a movement to promote homosexuality, leveling differences between the sexes, and legalizing euthanasia began in Europe. The primate has repeatedly stated that the moral decay of society leads to the death of civilization.




Intra-church relations were not easy: Local Councils were rarely convened, relations with the Roman Catholic Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople became strained. At the same time, a number of clergy accused His Holiness of ecumenism, that is, too active interaction with other faiths and religions.




During the period of Patriarchal service of Alexy II, military conflicts occurred in the world and in Russia. This Patriarch is famous. by the fact that in 1993 he admonished the State Emergency Committee, taking the Vladimir Icon out of the storerooms of the Tretyakov Gallery and praying in front of it for peace and God’s help with all the people. In addition, he regularly came up with peacemaking initiatives regarding the wars in the North Caucasus, South Ossetia, and during the US Air Force bombings in Iraq and Serbia.




In an interview shortly before his death, His Holiness Alexy II himself summed up the results of his work, assessing the fruits of his labors as a completely new relationship between the Church and the state, which he was forced to build. By the will of God, he was able to turn his interaction with both society and government towards the acceptance of the Church.

Patriarch Alexy II was killed?

His Holiness passed on to the Lord just two months shy of his 80th birthday. Alexy II died at the Patriarchal residence in Peredelkino, during the Nativity Fast - December 5, 2008. The Orthodox people of all Russia and neighboring countries are so accustomed to the fact that this good shepherd of the Church is always cheerful, travels around the country and even visits distant dioceses, that his death caused shock and amazement. Against this background, rumors even began to spread that the Patriarch had been killed, but they were refuted by the testimonies of hierarchs who knew him closely and the conclusion of a medical examination: Alexy II suffered several heart attacks and a stroke during the last years of his life, so his death was due to natural causes, becoming a consequence of cardiac insufficiency.

Where is Patriarch Alexy II buried?

When bidding farewell to the Patriarch, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the largest temple in Moscow, recreated on the site of one blown up in the 1930s in the same architectural forms, was full of people. Day and night they walked in a stream to take a last look at the fifteenth Archpastor of the Russian Church, who led it during the years of perestroika, the collapse of the Soviet system and the creation of a new society, leading the Ship of the Church through the waters of one of the most difficult times in the history of the country.

The coffin with the body, in a majestic funeral procession, was transported across Moscow to the Epiphany Cathedral of Yelokhovsky, where it was buried. There is now a marble tombstone with a cross over the grave. The clergy of the temple and employees of the Church testify that many pilgrimage routes from different regions of the country necessarily have a stop at the cathedral at the tomb of Alexy II. Already now there is veneration of His Holiness among the people.
Not only his spiritual children, who during their lifetime asked for Patriarchal advice, but also many people, from village parishioners who came to venerate the shrines of the capital, to the President himself and various celebrities, come to consult with His Holiness, to ask for his help and blessing for good and necessary deeds. The Patriarch has not yet been canonized - after all, more than a dozen years must pass for canonization - but miracles are already being recorded through prayers to him at his grave, materials and evidence of the milestones of his life are being thoroughly studied, and popular veneration is growing.
Thus, Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, who was the deputy of Alexy II - he had the position of Administrator of the Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate - wrote that in close communication he always saw in him a sensible shepherd of the Church, who had truly God-given love for all people. For all Orthodox people, he was like a caring father, leading the Church with a sincere experience of its problems in his own heart. For him, there was no question of unimportant people, even the simplest people who were treated unfairly; he defended them before the authorities, helping the most distant and poor church parishes. According to His Eminence Clement, more than ten thousand letters were addressed to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy annually (that is, about 30 daily) - and he did not leave any unattended, every day setting aside time to read correspondence and instructions at the requests of the addressees. Many people who served with His Holiness or were former employees of the Synodal departments testify that communication with him became a school of life. He set an example of pastoral service in constant striving for the Lord and love for every person.

Tomb of Patriarch Alexy

On any day you can visit the Yelokhovsky Cathedral of the capital and talk at the grave of His Holiness with him. Prayer is a dialogue with a deceased person who has signs of holiness.

Buy a candle in the temple, place it on a candlestick at the grave, turn to the Lord:

“Rest, O Lord, the soul of Your departed servant, Your Holiness Patriarch Alexy, where there is no sorrow and tears, but life and endless joy. Forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and with his holy prayers have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Then you can, in your own words, turning to the Patriarch, ask him for your needs. Many ask him, as a wise leader,

• About advice in business;


• About making a decision in a difficult choice;


• About help to get rid of the injustice of the authorities;


• On justification for slander;


• With gratitude for the deeds done, the things received.

Through the prayers of Patriarch Alexy, may the Lord protect you!