Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday attended an Orthodox Church Christmas service by himself inside a Kremlin cathedral reasonably than becoming a member of different worshippers in a public celebration.
Russia’s RIA news company mentioned it was the primary time in years that Putin had marked Christmas in Moscow reasonably than within the area across the capital.
State tv confirmed two dwell clips of Putin contained in the gilded Cathedral of the Annunciation as Orthodox monks performed the midnight service, referred to as the Divine Liturgy.
Many Orthodox Christians have a good time Christmas on Jan. 6-7.
Putin, sporting a blue jacket and a high-necked white sweater, was the only real worshipper and crossed himself a number of instances earlier than tv protection lower away to a public service in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral.
Putin, who celebrated Easter final yr within the cathedral with 1000’s of others, additionally attended Christmas by himself final yr in his official Novo-Ogaryovo residence outdoors Moscow. In 2021, he took half in a public Divine Liturgy in Novgorod.
The Russian Orthodox Church backs the battle in Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow on Thursday known as for either side to look at a 36-hour Christmas truce that Putin had introduced.
In a service given to mark the Divine Liturgy, Kirill on Friday criticised Ukraine for cracking down on a department of the Orthodox church with longstanding ties to Moscow.
Ukraine’s safety service has raided property owned by the church and final month accused a senior cleric of participating in anti-Ukrainian exercise by supporting Russian insurance policies.
“Let us pray for our brothers and sisters and let us believe that someday these diabolical temptations will recede,” mentioned Kirill, mocking what he known as “the pathetic attempts” by Kyiv to destroy the church in Ukraine.
