Patriarch Kirill, whose biography interests so many people today, is the Primate of the Orthodox Russian Church and is recognized as one of the most influential and respected people of our time. The facts of his life confirm the true destiny of the person who chose this difficult but noble way of serving God in life.
The biography of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich) began in the Soviet Union. He was born in 1946, on November 20. His father worked in those years as a mechanic at the plant named after M. Kalinina, and my mother taught German in high school. The family was very pious and intelligent, they read the Bible in it and kept all Christian commandments. The paternal grandfather went through Stalin's exiles and camps. Vladimir’s grandfather was one of the first prisoners of the famous Solovetsky camp, and he was convicted of the struggle against church renovationism and spent about 30 years in prison. My father, Mikhail Vasilievich, graduated from the Higher Theology courses, but for his “disloyalty” to the authorities he was arrested in 1934 and spent three years in a camp in Kolyma. After the birth of Vladimir’s son, Mikhail Vasilievich in 1947 became a priest. He was ordained to the rank of deacon, and then the priest, having begun to serve at the church, located on Vasilyevsky Island.
Patriarch Kirill - biography
In high school, Vladimir studied 8 classes, combining the last years of study with the work of a cartographer. In 1965, he entered the Higher Theological Academy, which he brilliantly graduated in 1970. In 1969, Vladimir Gundyaev was tonsured a monk, after which he was named Cyril. From this moment, a new stage begins in the life of the future Patriarch of All Russia Kirill. He works hard and hard: he teaches, is an assistant inspector of theological schools of Leningrad and a classroom tutor, and serves as secretary to the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nicodemus (Nikolai Rotov). In 1971 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. Patriarch Kirill, whose biography contains information about his extraordinary industriousness and desire to serve God and people, is worthy of all respect. In 1974, he became the rector of the Theological Academy and soon the Bishop of Vyborg, and in 1984 - the Archbishop of Smolensk and Vyazemsky. The future patriarch becomes archbishop of Smolensk and Kaliningrad in 1986, and in 1991 he was elevated to the next rank of Metropolitan.
Metropolitan Cyril - biography
Since 1989, he has been Chairman of the Department of External Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Chairman of the Commission of the Synod. He successfully serves the good of the Fatherland and Orthodoxy. Despite such congestion, Metropolitan Cyril begins to conduct on the first channel the spiritual and educational program “The Word of the Shepherd,” which to this day brings the Word of God to people. Metropolitan Cyril, whose biography can serve as an example of selfless service to our Lord and people, devotes all his strength to serving society, considering it his main duty.
January 27, 2010 was elected His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Today, the living Patriarch Kirill, whose biography is full of vivid events of the Orthodox life, carries the Patriarchal cross with dignity and contributes to the strengthening of Orthodoxy not only in our country, but also in the CIS and countries around the world. He constantly makes pastoral visits, takes part in Divine services, with his direct participation 8 new dioceses are created. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill is constantly working for the benefit not only of the Orthodox, but also of representatives of other religious faiths, whose respect he deservedly enjoys. The biography of Patriarch Kirill continues, and all Orthodox pray for the Lord to give him many summers and good health for further activities in this difficult Patriarchal field.