Solemn Act marking 5th anniversary of restoration of canonical unity within Russian Orthodox Church takes place in Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

On 20 May 2012, the solemn Act on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the restoration of canonical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church took place at the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia officiated at the celebration. Taking part in the event were the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, hierarchs and clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church, members of the ROCOR’s delegation.

The evening began with showing the documentary about the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion on the 17^th of May, 2007.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church delivered an opening speech.

Timur Prokopenko, deputy head of the Directorate for Internal Policy of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, read out the message of greetings from the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After that Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York delivered a speech.

The Moscow Synodal Choir conducted by Alexei Puzakov, the Choir of the Academy of Choral Arts conducted by Alexei Petrov, and the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Alexander Mayorov performed compositions by Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov, Sviridov, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), and Russian folk songs.