Alexy II flew to Kyiv

The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II flew today to Kiev to participate in celebrations dedicated to the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia.

Upon arrival in Kiev, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church will visit the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where he will bow to the relics of the holy saints in the Lavra cave. After that, the ceremony of presenting the patriarch of the diploma of the honorary doctor at the Kiev Theological Academy is planned, Interfax reports. In the laurel, apparently, a meeting of Alexy II will be held with the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Vladimir .

The last time Patriarch Alexy II was in Ukraine in September 1997 - with a six -day pastoral visit. Then, on a visit in this country, the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew was also in this country. The principles of both churches expressed their negative attitude towards a split in Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

Prior to this, Alexy II visited Ukraine in October 1990, when the Bishop Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church transformed the Ukrainian exarchate into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and gave it independence as a self -governing part of the Moscow Patriarchate.