The key facts

  • Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem arrived in Moscow on November 4, 2026, at the invitation of Patriarch Kirill
  • The guest was met by a DECR delegation headed by Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk
  • On National Unity Day, Putin visited the exhibition 'The Christian Tradition. Our Days' marking Kirill's 80th birthday

Visit of the Primate of the Church of Jerusalem

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem arrived in Moscow on November 4, 2026, at the invitation of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Moscow Patriarchate's website reports. At Vnukovo-3 airport, the guest was met by a delegation of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate headed by its chairman, Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk, accompanied by the Patriarch's advisor, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov. The ceremonial welcome was also attended by DECR deputy chairman Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Hieromonk Feofan (Lukyanov), Priest Alexander Yershov, and Priest Nikolai Vasin.

Context of the day

On the same day, November 4, on National Unity Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the exhibition 'The Christian Tradition. Our Days,' dedicated to the 80th birthday of Patriarch Kirill, Gazeta.Ru notes. Earlier, the Patriarch said that the sculpture at the Manege depicts him better than he looks in real life. The publications do not report on the program of the Jerusalem Patriarch's visit or the meetings planned.