On September 17, 2026, the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Hanoi hosted a solemn ceremony of awarding the official permission for collective religious activities to the community of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The permit was issued to a community of foreign citizens legally residing in Vietnam and professing Orthodoxy, the website of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia reports.
The ceremony was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Vietnam G.S. Bezdetko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Vietnam V.V. Borovikov, Head of the Representative Office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Vietnam V.V. Murashkin, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department for Ethnic Minorities and Religions Fan Wu, Rector of the Parish of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg in Hanoi Abbot Mikhei (Selyakov), rector of the Parish of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Ho Chi Minh City, Priest Stanislav Rasputin, as well as representatives of the Orthodox community of Hanoi.
Obtaining an official permit was an important event in the life of Orthodox Christians living in the capital of Vietnam, and created the necessary conditions for the further development of the church life of the community in accordance with the legislation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Orthodox community of Hanoi unites believers of the Russian Orthodox Church living in Vietnam. Currently, the spiritual care of Orthodox Christians in the country is carried out by clergymen who carry out pastoral ministry in the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Vietnam.
Speaking at the ceremony, Fan Wu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs, noted that the paperwork was the result of joint work and dialogue based on respect for legislation, religious needs and cultural traditions of the parties.
The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Vietnam, G.S. Bezdetko, expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese side for assistance in the proper registration of the Orthodox community's activities. "The opportunity for our compatriots who profess Orthodoxy to continue their spiritual life far from their homeland is becoming particularly relevant," he said.
Vladimir Murashkin, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in Vietnam, stressed that the Russian House in Hanoi traditionally promotes the preservation of spiritual and cultural ties between compatriots and Russia, and expressed his willingness to support the Orthodox community.
In the future, the Church expects to receive permission for full-fledged religious activities as a legal entity, including for Orthodox citizens of Vietnam.
"Russians" Russian Icon Museum's photo exhibition "Holy Warriors", dedicated to the images of holy warriors revered by the Russian Orthodox Church, was also presented during the event.