On April 12, 2026, the Feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ (Easter), a traditional teleconference took place between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and the cosmonauts serving aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

This day also marks Cosmonautics Day, a holiday dedicated to the first human flight into space. Sixty-five years ago, on April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin, aboard the spacecraft Vostok-1, completed an orbital flight around the Earth, opening the era of human space exploration. In 1962, Cosmonautics Day was officially established in the USSR, and since 2011, at the initiative of the United Nations, April 12 has been observed as the International Day of Human Space Flight.

Currently, the ISS hosts the crew of Expedition 74 (seven members), including Roscosmos cosmonauts: Sergey V. Kud-Sverchkov, commander of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft and flight engineer of the ISS; Sergey N. Mikaev, flight engineer of Soyuz MS-28 and the ISS; and Andrey V. Fedyaev, ISS flight engineer.
The crew also includes NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway, Jessica Meir, Christopher Williams, and French astronaut Sophie Adenot.

During the conversation, made possible through a communication channel provided by the Mission Control Center and VGTRK, Patriarch Kirill and the Russian cosmonauts exchanged Easter greetings.

Patriarch Kirill warmly addressed the crew, emphasizing the importance and responsibility of their service to the nation. He recalled the historic flight of Yuri Gagarin and shared personal memories of that time, noting that Gagarin was raised in an Orthodox family. He stressed that faith and scientific progress are not mutually exclusive, pointing out that many scientists and engineers today are people of faith.

The Patriarch also reflected on his own youth, recalling how belief in God was once challenged in the context of scientific achievements, including space exploration. He emphasized that today the relationship between faith and science is no longer seen as contradictory, but rather as complementary.

Addressing the cosmonauts, Patriarch Kirill expressed gratitude for their service and wished them God’s help, strength, good health, and success in their mission.

In response, the cosmonauts thanked the Patriarch for his kind words and blessing, and extended Easter greetings to all Orthodox Christians. They noted that science and religion do not contradict one another, but rather complement each other.

Patriarch Kirill concluded by highlighting the importance of combining scientific progress with moral responsibility and faith, noting that without moral awareness, technological advancement could pose a danger to humanity. He emphasized that faith helps a person understand both their capabilities and their limitations, and strengthens the moral foundation necessary for the preservation of the world.

He also noted that in modern Russia, faith and scientific development coexist naturally across various spheres of life. Concluding the meeting, the Patriarch expressed his joy at the opportunity to communicate with the crew, praised their courage and contribution to the country, and imparted his blessing.

The cosmonauts expressed their heartfelt gratitude and support, even from orbit, and thanked the Patriarch for the opportunity to speak on this bright and significant day.

Patriarch Kirill concluded: “May the Lord save you! May God help you, my dear ones! I bless you!”