On June 16, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with Mikhail Drozdov, Chairman of the World Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad, in the Throne Room of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church presented M.V. Drozdov with the Order of Prince Daniel of Moscow, III degree. He was awarded this high award in recognition of his efforts to strengthen the ties of his compatriots abroad with the Russian Orthodox Church and in connection with his 55th birthday.
The award ceremony was attended by Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, and Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, Personal Secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.
His Holiness the Patriarch noted the importance of the guest's labors. "Working with compatriots is a topic that I have been associated with for a significant part of my life, and I can imagine the joys and sorrows that come along the way," said the Primate.  Russian Russians should not lose their real connection with their homeland, keep the Orthodox faith and bring up their children and grandchildren in it, and the Russian Diaspora should be a part of the wider Russian world.
Sincerely thanking for the high award and warm parting words, Mikhail Drozdov shared his memories of how in the early 2000s he had the opportunity to accompany His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, then Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, during his visit to China. "I am glad that since then I have been able to work for the benefit of the Russian Orthodox Church, among other things," said Mikhail Drozdov, who has served as chairman of the World Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad since 2015.