His Holiness Patriarch Kirill awarded Order ‘For Merit to the Fatherland,’ 1st Class

Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, awarded His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia with the Order ‘For Merit to the Fatherland,’ 1^st Class.

According to the document signed by the President on November 19, 2016, the Primate of the Russian Church was awarded in consideration of “his outstanding service of preserving and promoting spiritual and cultural traditions, as well as for his active educational and peacemaking activities aimed at strengthening friendship between peoples.”

On November 20, 2016, His Holiness will celebrate his 70^th birthday.

In 2001 and 2006 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill (then Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad) was presented with the Order ‘For Merits to the Fatherland,’ 3^rd and 2^nd Class.

Patriarchal Press Service

DECR Communication Service