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== History of the Russian True Orthodox Church == ===The Early Foundation of Orthodoxy in Russia=== According to tradition, St. Andrew, the first called Apostle, stopped at the hills of what would become the great city of Kiev while preaching the [[Gospel]]. It would, however, take nearly one thousand years before Christianity would begin to take hold of the region. In 954 Olga of Kiev|Princess Olga of Kiev was [[baptism|baptized]]. But it was her grandson, Vladimir I of Kiev|Prince Vladimir, whose baptism in 988 would forever establish Orthodoxy as the principal religion of [[Russia]]. The Orthodox faith grew and flourished throughout the Russian Empire and served as a unifying force in the lives of the Russian people. Not only did the Church provide spiritual strength and nourishment for its people, but it became a center of educational enrichment as well. The Russian Orthodox Church had forever become an inseparable part of the life of the people and [[Russia ]] itself. The unprecedented growth and stability of this [[Church ]] inevitably led to the establishment of a new patriarchate within orthodoxy, with [[Metropolitan ]] Job of Moscow becoming the first [[Patriarch ]] of [[Russia ]] in 1589. Following the death of [[Patriarch ]] Adrian in 1700, the [[Church ]] remained without a [[Patriarch ]] for more than two hundred years. At the insistence of Peter I, a collective administration, known as the Holy and Governing [[Synod]], was established in 1721. This form of governance lasted until 1917 at which time the All-Russian Council restored the patriarchal office and elected [[Metropolitan ]] Tikhon of Moscow as [[Patriarch]]. ===Orthodoxy in Russia in the Early Twentieth Century=== The joy of the election of [[Patriarch ]] Tikhon would be short lived, as Russia entered a very difficult period in its history. The Bolsheviks, who had come into power in 1917, saw the Russian Orthodox Church as an enemy to be destroyed as resolutely as the tsarist institution. This period saw the repression of the church as well as the imprisonment of many of its [[bishops]], [[priests]], [[monastics ]] and [[laypeople]]. [[Patriarch ]] Tikhon was himself imprisoned a little more than a year. Upon his release he found a [[Church ]] embattled by division and an ever-increasing persecution by the government. He continued to be a source of unification among the people and fought vigorously to uphold the faith and traditions of the [[Church]], but the strain of these years weighed heavily upon him. His death in 1925 dealt a severe blow to Russian Orthodoxy and the stability of the [[Church]]. ===Orthodoxy in the Post-Tikhon era=== Following the death of [[Patriarch ]] Tikhon unrest settled over the Russian Orthodox Church. The designated successors of [[Patriarch Tikhon ]] were arrested by the civil authorities and [[Metropolitan ]] Sergiy was named "locum tenens" of the [[Patriarchate]]. In 1927 [[Metropolitan ]] Sergiy, in a formal declaration to all members of the [[Church]], called for loyalty toward the Soviet government. This event sparked division among the [[hierarchy]], [[clergy ]] and [[laity ]] and led to the formation of the True Orthodox Church in Russia. Those who opposed [[Metropolitan ]] Sergiy were not simply opposed to his political concessions, which they felt were too extreme, but were also at variance with him on a number of [[canonical ]] and theological issues. His alliance with the authorities allowed him to turn over to the civil authorities all hierarchs and clergy who were at odds with him on political issues as well as purely church-related issues. While the True Orthodox Church in Russia was never a single organization, many of its followers were labeled [["Josephites"]], after [[Metropolitan ]] Joseph of Leningrad, the leader of its largest branch. A considerable part of the [[Church ]] in [[Russia ]] stood in opposition to [[Metropolitan ]] Sergiy and took the stand of the True Orthodox Church. The opposition, however, remained primarily on a church-related basis. The overwhelming majority of the True Orthodox Church tried to observe the Soviet laws. This, however, was not enough. The authorities had taken their stand in the church [[Church]] dispute and were prepared to use whatever means necessary to bring the bishops under the obedience of [[Metropolitan ]] Sergiy. This tragic resolve on the part of the Soviet government caused the numerous True Orthodox Church eparchies and communities to go underground for the length of the Soviet period. ===The Emergence from the Underground and the Establishment of the Russian True Orthodox Church - Metropolia of Moscow===  In the period from the 1970s-80s, many of the True Orthodox Church communities had lost their last [[bishops ]] and much of their [[clergy]]. Many of these groups were forced to exist and celebrate services in the absence of a [[priest]]. After the change in political conditions in the late 1980s, the True Orthodox Church began to emerge from the underground. Various churches solved the question of their future existence in different ways. Some of the communities joined the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]], which by that time had begun to open communities within [[Russia]]. Others renewed their episcopacy and [[clergy ]] through arrangements made with other jurisdictions. The [[Russian True Orthodox Church ]] - Metropolia of Moscow chose the latter. In 1996 an initiative group of Russian orthodox [[clergy ]] and [[laity ]] approached [[Patriarch ]] Dimitriy of the [[Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]], asking him to assist them in the [[canonical ]] restoration of a hierarchy for the True Orthodox Church. It was decided that the name for the restored church would be the [[Russian True Orthodox Church]]. In June of 1996, with the [[blessing ]] of [[Patriarch ]] Dimitriy, [[Archbishop ]] Roman and [[Bishop ]] Methodiy of the [[UAOC ]] ordained [[Hieromonk ]] John a [[bishop ]] of the [[Russian True Orthodox Church ]] in order to restore apostolic [[Apostolic succession]]. In December of 1996 [[Bishop ]] John and [[Bishop ]] Methodiy ordained [[Archimandrite ]] Stefan a [[bishop ]] for the [[Russian True Orthodox Church]]. These two [[bishops]], John and Stefan, would pass the apostolic Apostolic succession to the rest of the [[bishops ]] of the [[Russian True Orthodox Church]]. In 2000 the [[Russian True Orthodox Church ]] officially added "Metropolia of Moscow" to its name in order to distinguish it from other groups within [[Russia]]. Today, the Church is led by [[Metropolitan ]] Vyacheslav of Moscow and Kolomensk together with [[Archbishop ]] Mikhail of Bronitsk and Velensk, [[Archbishop ]] Alexy of Minneapolis and Chicago, [[Bishop ]] Haralampos (Western Rite) and [[Bishop ]] Vladimir. The [[Church ]] strives to live the [[Gospel ]] of Our Lord, [[God ]] and Savior [[Jesus Christ ]] through adherence to the Holy Scriptures, [[Holy Tradition]], the [[Canons ]] of the [[Ecumenical Councils]], and regulations of the Church Councils of the [[Orthodox Church]]. Its desire is to serve the needs of its faithful through spiritual nourishment and with compassion and understanding.  ==Sources and external External links==