On May 14, 2026, a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was held at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. It was headed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
Vladimir Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media, spoke about the decisions taken at the meeting.
One of the issues on the agenda was a message from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill about his Primatial visit to the Kuban Metropolis. The Synod members took note of the message and thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for his efforts and the joy of prayerful communication with the clergy and laity of the Yekaterinodar Diocese. Gratitude was also expressed to Metropolitan Vasily of Yekaterinodar and Kuban and Veniamin Kondratiev, Governor of the Krasnodar Territory, for the attention and warm welcome extended to the Patriarch and his entourage.
In addition, the Holy Synod reviewed the reports of synodal institutions on their activities in 2025. Following the discussion, the reports were approved.
The meeting also approved the journals of the Synod of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe dated February 11, 2026 and the journals of the Synod of the Central Asian Metropolitan Area dated March 17, 2026.
The members of the Synod paid special attention to the issues of canonization and church veneration of saints. At the request of Metropolitan Eugene of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, the name of Monk Vladimir Elizarov was included in the Cathedral of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church. The Synod decided that his honest remains, if found, should be considered holy relics and given due veneration. It was also decided to paint icons for worship to the newly glorified saint and include his name in the Cathedral of the Yekaterinburg Saints and the Cathedral of the Perm Saints.
Another decision was to include the name of Athanasius Andreevich Saiko, who died in 1967, in the list of names of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church in the face of Confessors. His honest remains, if found, are also decreed to be considered holy relics. The name of Blessed Athanasius Saiko will be included in the Cathedral of the Oryol Saints.
The Holy Synod also considered issues related to local cathedrals of saints. In connection with the request of Metropolitan John of Yoshkar-Ola and Mari, the list of names of the Cathedral of Saints of the Mari Metropolis was approved and the date of its celebration was determined. At the request of Metropolitan Theodosius of Samara and Novokuibyshev, the Synod decided to add the Cathedral of the Saints of the Archdiocese of Samara to the name of St. Gerasim Dobrosedov, Bishop of Astrakhan, who headed the Samara diocese for 11 years.
The meeting of the Holy Synod on May 14 became important both from the point of view of the current management of church life, and in matters of preserving the memory of the ascetics of the faith, whose names are included in church veneration.