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→External links: Fixed broken link to CNEWA website.
primate=[[Kyrill I (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Patr. Kyrill I]]|
hq=Moscow, Russia|
territory=Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and orther other former Soviet republics|
possessions=United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Western Europe, China|
language=[[Church Slavonic]]|
calendar=[[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|
population=90,000,000[http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg.aspx?eccpageID=17]|
website=[http://www.patriarchia.ru/ Russian Orthodox Church of Russia]
}}
The '''Church of Russia''', also referred to known officially as the '''Moscow PatriarchateRussian Orthodox Church''' and known officially also referred to as the '''Russian Orthodox ChurchMoscow Patriarchate''', is one of the [[autocephalous]] Local Orthodox Churches, ranking fifth after the Churches of [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]], [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]], and [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]]. It exercises [[jurisdiction]] over the Orthodox Christians living in the former member republics of the USSR and their diasporas abroad. It also exercises jurisdiction over the autonomous [[Church of Japan]] and the Orthodox Christians living in the People's Republic of China. The current Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is His Holiness [[Kyrill I (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Cyril Kyrill I]].
==Jurisdiction==
===Mongol Tartars over Russia (1237-1448) ===
In the 12th century, the period of feudal divisions, the Kievan-Rus' Church (present day Ukraine) remained the only bearer of the idea of unity of the people, resisting the centrifugal aspirations and feudal strife among Rus' princes. Even the Tartar invasion, this greatest ever misfortune that struck Rus' in the 13th century, failed to break the Orthodox Church. The Church managed to survive as a real force and was the comforter of the people in their plight. It made a great spiritual, material and moral contribution to the restoration of the political unity of Russia as a guarantee of its future victory over the invaders.
Also, at this same time, the Grand Duke Alexander of Novgorod, won a great victory on the banks of the Neva' over the Swedes, who had been incited by the Pope to conquer Russia for the Latin Church.
*[http://www.mospat.ru/en/ Department of External Affairs] (Official Website)
*[http://www.synod.com/synod/indexeng.htm Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia] (Official Website)
*[http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-usdefault.aspx?eccpageIDID=17&IndexViewpagetypeID=toc 9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1 Article on the Orthodox Church of Russiaby Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA web site] (CNEWA)
*[http://www.risu.org.ua/library/doc/MP_canter.pdf "The Canonical Territory of the Moscow Patriarchate" by J. Buciora] (Article)
*[http://regels.org/rushistory-1.htm Church in history of Russia. Lev Regelson.]
