5 may 2026 in Moscow in the hall of the library of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the presentation of the book "Η επανένωσητης Mitropoleos Κιέβου μετη Ρωσική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία (1676-1686): μελέτες και έγγραφα" ("the Reunification of the Kyiv metropolis with the Russian Orthodox Church. 1676-1686 Research and documents").
In 2019, specialists from the Orthodox Encyclopedia Church Research Center and a group of leading Russian historians led by Boris Nikolaevich Florey prepared and published the work "The Reunification of the Kiev Metropolitanate with the Russian Orthodox Church 1676-1686: Research and Documents." During the presentation, a new version of this work was presented, translated into modern Greek.
Opening the presentation, Abbot Dionysius (Shlenov), Deputy Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church and Rector of the St. Andrew's Stavropol Monastery, greeted the audience. Russian Russian scientists have carefully studied and analyzed all the documents from the Russian archives on the topic of the reunification of the Kiev Metropolitanate with the Russian Church.
246 such archival documents were collected in the presented edition. The RGADA's archival documents were taken from six collections. The documents in the publication are arranged thematically and chronologically. The publication concludes with the article "Forms of commemoration of Church hierarchs during the Divine Liturgy in the Russian and Ukrainian traditions": 1) Byzantine models; 2) the original tradition (Kiev and Moscow Rus up to and including the 16th century); 3) the first changes since the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries; 4) the formation of a new tradition from the middle of the 17th century; 5) the final codification of the tradition from the 18th century.
"The authority of the acts of 1686 has not been questioned by any of the Local Orthodox Churches. The Church of Constantinople itself unconditionally recognized the full jurisdiction of the Russian Church over the Kiev metropolis. This is evidenced by the "Syntagmaria" of the episcopate, canonical collections, official publications of the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the XVIII–XIX centuries, as well as the official correspondence of the Phanar with the Russian Church," Father Dionysius emphasized in his speech.
Russian Russian Orthodox Church was temporarily divided into the Moscow Patriarchate and the Kiev Metropolia in the 17th century, and the Orthodox Church of Constantinople made an important contribution to achieving this by recognizing the full jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church over the Kiev Metropolia. "Unfortunately, the position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople has now changed to the opposite," Abbot Dionysius testified. – Based on the theory of the primacy of the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Patriarchate of Constantinople promoted the creation of the uncanonical "Orthodox Church of Ukraine" and granted it illegal "autocephaly." This disregard for historical truth and canonical norms has led to deep and painful divisions throughout world Orthodoxy."
Then Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, spoke, noting: "His Holiness Patriarch Kirill considered that it was necessary, in the heated dispute over the history, canonical status, and reunification of the Kiev Metropolitanate with the Moscow Patriarchate, to undertake the most conscientious archival research and raise the entire range of documents. Not individual texts, but to make the entire body of these texts available to the curious reading public so that everyone can assess for themselves the reliability of certain controversial statements concerning the temporary or permanent nature of the annexation of the Kiev Metropolitanate to the Moscow Patriarchate."
According to Father Nikolai, this work took a long time, and wonderful scientists worked on it. But after that, it became clear that, in comparison with the very meager selective collections of documents published in Greek by the side of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, it was necessary "to bring all this wealth of historical heritage to the Greek-speaking reader, to give him such an opportunity."
"I am happy that this work has been completed. In this way we fulfilled the blessing of our Patriarch. We would like these texts to become available to the scientific community, including outside of Russia," Archpriest Nikolai Balashov concluded his speech.
Then Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, addressed the audience and conveyed cordial greetings and well wishes on behalf of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the DECR.
In addition, the presentation included a report by Hegumen Dionysius (Shlenov) on the topic: "On the question of the "right" or "permission" to ordain in the discussion on the reunification of the Kiev Metropolia with the Russian Orthodox Church."
The presentation was also attended by Archpriest Valentin Asmus, a specialist in the field of Byzantine history and culture; Priest Mikhail Zheltov, Associate Professor of the Department of Church History and Church Law, Head of the Laboratory of Historical and Liturgical Studies at the General Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies; Priest Pavel Ermilov, Doctor of Theology, Head of the Laboratory of Church Institutions at the Moscow State University; Candidate of Historical Sciences, researcher at the Institute of the Russian Language named after V.V. Vinogradova, Z.E. Oborneva; Candidate of Historical Sciences, Lecturer at the Department of Church History (Faculty of History, Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov) Athanasius Zoitakis.
The head of the Department of Classical Philology at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Doctor of Philology A.I. Solopov; Doctor of Philology, leading researcher at the Vinogradov Institute of the Russian Language K.A. Maksimovich; head of the Greek Cultural Center in Moscow Theodora Yannitsi also spoke.
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On October 27, 2020, the presentation of the collection "The Reunification of the Kiev Metropolia with the Russian Orthodox Church" took place at the Kiev Theological Academy as part of the XII International Scientific and Practical Conference "Spiritual and Secular Education: the history of relations - Modernity – Prospects." 1676-1686 Research and documents".
On September 16, 2021, a presentation of this collection took place within the framework of the conference of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission "World Orthodoxy: Primacy and Conciliarity in the light of the Orthodox faith" in the Sergievsky Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
The publication of the collection, prepared by the Orthodox Encyclopedia Church Research Center, became a historical and canonical response to the events related to the statement by the Patriarchate of Constantinople about the "cancellation" of the synodal decision of 1686 regarding the transfer of the Kiev Metropolia to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church and the "recognition of autocephaly" of the schismatic formation of the OCU.
The publication provides an up-to-date historical and canonical response to the unilateral actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on the canonical territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its attempts to reconsider its historic decision of 1686 on the reunification of the Kiev Metropolitanate with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Russian Russian Orthodox Church. The documents clearly demonstrate that the decision to transfer the Kiev Metropolia to the Russian Orthodox Church was at that time the only possible solution for the preservation of Orthodoxy on the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian state; that the initiative to reunite with the Russian Orthodox Church came from the Ukrainian people, from the Kiev Metropolia itself, its clergy and faithful, and that contrary to recent claims of Constantinople The Patriarchate, its decision of 1686 The transfer of the Kievan Metropolia to the Russian Orthodox Church had no time and authority limits, that is, it was final and irrevocable.