On the evening of May 27, 2025, in the Cathedral Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia led the XIV solemn ceremony of electing and awarding the laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius.
In recent years, the Patriarchal Literary Prize has become one of the most striking phenomena in Russian literature. Every year, it is awarded to writers who make a special contribution to the development of Russian literature, strengthen the moral foundations of society through their works, and strive to preserve the continuity of the spiritual tradition of Russian culture in their work.
The event was attended by members of the Chamber of Trustees of the Patriarchal Literary Prize, Russian literary critics, journalists, representatives of a number of state and public organizations, and cultural figures.
The ceremony was broadcast live on the Soyuz TV channel and on the website of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
At the beginning of the evening, a film about the Patriarchal Literary Award was shown. It is no coincidence that the Award named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal to the Apostles, bears the high and honorable title of "Patriarchal" — since its foundation, throughout all the years of its existence, the award has existed and developed under the paternal patronage of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the participants and guests of the Patriarchal Literary Award ceremony, as well as numerous television viewers with a Primatial address.
In 2025, more than 50 applications for the Patriarchal Literary Prize were considered from writers' organizations, dioceses and synodal departments of the Russian Orthodox Church, and literary magazines. The Board of Experts of the award had previously reviewed the composition of the long list and proposed candidates for the award. 
According to the voting results, A.G. Baiborodin, A.V. Vorontsov and S.N. Dmitriev became the winners of the Patriarchal Literary Prize in 2025.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presented the laureates with certificates, diplomas and award badges.
In recognition of his work on spiritual understanding and reflection of the feat of the Russian army in literature and for his personal feat, MikhailV. Bakharev, Hero of the Russian Federation, lecturer at the Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, poet, novelist, member of the Writers' Union of Russia, was awarded the Order of the Blessed Prince Dimitri Donskoy, First class, by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

Presenting the church order to Mikhail Bakharev, the Primate of the Russian Church said:
"The applause and the atmosphere in the hall very vividly express the feeling of gratitude for your feat, which is felt by everyone who is present here, and through them, by a very large number of people. War is always associated with death and injury, and every soldier, taking the oath, is clearly aware of what the prospect of his future life path may be. But nevertheless, the number of sons of the Fatherland who, not only in peacetime, but also in wartime, with full awareness of their responsibilities and possible risks, stand up for the defense of the Motherland is not decreasing.
You are one of those heroes. I am deeply convinced that your name will be preserved in history, because you really gave part of your health in order for our people to win. I wish you God's help and strength, so that you will always be surrounded by kind people who would treat your feat with great understanding and respect, and that those who love and know you would always pray for you. God bless you."
In recognition of his work on spiritual understanding and reflection of the feat of the Russian army in literature, the medals of the Blessed Prince Dimitri Donskoy were awarded to the poet S.V. Lobanov, a member of the Writers' Union of Russia, and the writer D.S. Filippov. 
In conclusion, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill once again addressed the audience.: 
"Once again, I sincerely thank our heroes. And the most correct, kind and necessary thing we could do is to always remember the names of those who were awarded today, and the names of those who sacrificed their health and their lives for the sake of the Motherland. So that their names would not disappear into oblivion, but that the feat of these people would be imprinted in literature and in the visual arts. We really need the feat performed today in the name of the Motherland to be actualized in the minds, first of all, of our youth. Because it's one thing to read a book, even if everything is beautifully written there, but another thing is to see and feel that the epic heroes of the Russian land have not disappeared anywhere today.
Once again, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who received heavy seals on their bodies on the battlefield. I thank those who have passed away, from earthly life, but, we believe, not from eternal life. And God grant that the heroes of our time influence the consciousness of youth and our entire society in such a way that the memory of their exploits helps people to become better.
I cordially congratulate all of you and thank you for participating in this celebration. God bless you!"
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The Patriarchal Literary Prize was established by the Holy Synod on December 25, 2009 (journal No. 115) in order to reward writers who have made a significant contribution to the establishment of spiritual and moral values in the life of modern man, family and society, who have created highly artistic works that have enriched Russian literature. The award has no analogues in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Local Orthodox Churches.