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→Early Career
'''Metropolitan Kirill''' (Митрополит Кирилл), born as Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev (Владимир Михайлович Гундяев), on [[November 20]] 1946, [[w:Leningrad|Leningrad]], [[w:Soviet Union|Soviet Union]], is a [[Russian Orthodox Church]] (ROC) bishop, the Metropolitan of [[w:Smolensk|Smolensk]] and [[w:Kaliningrad|Kaliningrad]] since 1991, the Chairman of the External Church Relations Department of the Moscow Patriarchate since November 1989, permanent member of the Holy Synod.
Since August 30, 1970, he was a personal secretary to [[Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad|Nikodim (Rotov)]], Metroplitan of Leningrad.
On September 12, 1971, he became archimandrite and was posted as a representative of the ROC to the [[World Council of Churches]] (WCC) in [[w:Geneva|Geneva]].
On December 26, 1974, he was appointed Rector of the Leningrad Academy and Seminary.
