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== History of the Russian True Orthodox Church ==

===The Early Foundation of Orthodoxy in Russia=== According to tradition, St. Andrew, the first called Apostle, stopped at the hills of what would become the great city of Kiev while preaching the [[Gospel]]. It would, however, take nearly one thousand years before Christianity would begin to take hold of the region. In 954 [[Olga of Kiev|Princess Olga]] of Kiev was [[baptism|baptized]]. But it was her grandson, [[Vladimir of Kiev|Prince Vladimir]], whose baptism in 988 would forever establish Orthodoxy as the principal religion of [[Russia]].  The Orthodox faith grew and flourished throughout the Russian Empire and served as a unifying force in the lives of the Russian people. Not only did the Church provide spiritual strength and nourishment for its people, but it became a center of educational enrichment as well. The Russian Orthodox Church had forever become an inseparable part of the life of period from the people and Russia itself. The unprecedented growth and stability of this [[Church]] inevitably led to the establishment of a new patriarchate within orthodoxy, with [[Metropolitan]] Job of Moscow becoming the first [[Patriarch]] of [[Russia]] in 1589. Following the death of [[Patriarch]] Adrian in 1700, the [[Church]] remained without a Patriarch for more than two hundred years. At the insistence of Peter I, a collective administration, known as the Holy and Governing [[Synod]], was established in 1721. This form of governance lasted until 1917 at which time the All1970s-Russian Council restored the patriarchal office and elected [[Metropolitan]] [[Tikhon of Moscow]] as Patriarch. ===Orthodoxy in Russia in the Early Twentieth Century=== The joy of the election of Patriarch Tikhon would be short lived, as Russia entered a very difficult period in its history. The Bolsheviks, who had come into power in 191780s, saw the Russian Orthodox Church as an enemy to be destroyed as resolutely as the tsarist institution. This period saw the repression of the church as well as the imprisonment of many of its [[bishop]]s, [[priest]]s, [[monasticism|monastics]] and [[laypeople]]. Patriarch Tikhon was himself imprisoned a little more than a year. Upon his release he found a Church embattled by division and an ever-increasing persecution by the government. He continued to be a source of unification among the people and fought vigorously to uphold the faith and traditions of the Church, but the strain of these years weighed heavily upon him. His death in 1925 dealt a severe blow to Russian Orthodoxy and the stability of the Church. ===Orthodoxy in the Post-Tikhon era=== Following the death of Patriarch Tikhon unrest settled over the Russian True Orthodox Church. The designated successors of Patriarch Tikhon were arrested by the civil authorities communities had lost their last bishops and Metropolitan [[Sergius I (Stragorodsky) much of Moscow|Sergius]] was named "locum tenens" of the [[Patriarchate]]their clergy. In 1927 Metropolitan Sergius, in a formal declaration to all members Many of the Church, called for loyalty toward the Soviet government. This event sparked division among the [[hierarchy]], [[clergy]] and [[laity]] and led to the formation of the True Orthodox Church in Russia. Those who opposed Metropolitan Sergius were not simply opposed to his political concessions, which they felt were too extreme, but these groups were also at variance with him on a number of [[canonical]] and theological issues. His alliance with the authorities allowed him to turn over forced to the civil authorities all hierarchs exist and clergy who were at odds with him on political issues as well as purely church-related issues. While the True Orthodox Church celebrate services in Russia was never a single organization, many of its followers were labeled [["Josephites"]], after Metropolitan Joseph of Leningrad, the leader absence of its largest brancha priest.

A considerable part of After the Church change in Russia stood political conditions in opposition to Metropolitan Sergius and took the stand of the True Orthodox Church. The oppositionlate 1980s, however, remained primarily on a church-related basis. The overwhelming majority of the True Orthodox Church tried began to observe emerge from the Soviet lawsunderground. This, however, was not enough. The authorities had taken Various churches solved the question of their stand future existence in the Church dispute and were prepared to use whatever means necessary to bring the bishops under the obedience of Metropolitan Sergiusdifferent ways. This tragic resolve on the part Some of the Soviet government caused communities joined the numerous True [[Russian Orthodox Church eparchies and Outside of Russia]], which by that time had begun to open communities to go underground for within Russia, many of which developed into existing Russian traditionalist jurisdicitions, such as the length of [[Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church]] or the Soviet period[[Russian Orthodox Church in Exile]].

===The Emergence from In 1996 an initiative group of Russian orthodox clergy and laity approached Patriarch Dimitriy of the Underground and [[Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]], asking him to assist them in the Establishment canonical restoration of a hierarchy for the True Orthodox Church. It was decided that the name for the restored church would be the "Russian True Orthodox Church - Metropolia of Moscow=== ". The reason they did not go under the other existing Russian jurisdictions is unclear.

In June of 1996, with the period from [[blessing]] of Patriarch Dimitriy, [[Archbishop]] Roman and Bishop Methodiy (Kuriakov) of the 1970s-80s, many UAOC ordained [[Hieromonk]] John a bishop of the Russian True Orthodox Church communities had lost their last bishops and much of their clergyin order to restore [[Apostolic succession]]. Many In December of these groups were forced to exist 1996 Bishops John and celebrate services in Methodiy consecrated [[Archimandrite]] Stefan a bishop for the absence of a priestnew body.

After These two bishops, In 2000 the change in political conditions in the late 1980s, jurisdiction officially changed the name to "Russian True Orthodox Church began to emerge from the underground. Various churches solved the question -Metropolia of their future existence Moscow" in different ways. Some of the communities joined the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]], which by that time had begun order to open communities distinguish it from other groups within Russia. Others renewed The jurisdiction has been fraught with divisions usually due to modernists within their episcopacy ranks and clergy through arrangements made with other jurisdictions. The [[Russian True Orthodox Church]] - Metropolia is most notable for revision of Moscow chose the latterterm "godless authority" as a general admonition towards those who "hurt the poor".

In 1996 an initiative group of Russian orthodox clergy and laity approached Patriarch Dimitriy of the [[Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]], asking him to assist them in the canonical restoration of a hierarchy for the True Orthodox Church. It was decided that the name for the restored church would be the Russian True Orthodox Church. In June of 1996, with the [[blessing]] of Patriarch Dimitriy, [[Archbishop]] Roman and Bishop Methodiy of the UAOC ordained [[Hieromonk]] John a bishop of the Russian True Orthodox Church in order to restore [[Apostolic succession]]. In December of 1996 Bishops John and Methodiy consecrated [[Archimandrite]] Stefan a bishop for the Russian True Orthodox Church. These two bishops, John and Stefan, would pass the Apostolic succession to the rest of the bishops of the Russian True Orthodox Church. In 2000 the Russian True Orthodox Church officially added "Metropolia of Moscow" to its name in order to distinguish it from other groups within Russia. Today, the Church is led by Metropolitan Vyacheslav of Moscow and Kolomensk , together with Archbishop Mikhail of Bronitsk and Velensk, and Bishop Vladimir. In the United States this group is represented by Archbishop Alexy of Minneapolis and Chicago, who was born in Kiev, Ukraine. He and his clergy run several small missions in the upper Midwest. Bishop Haralampos (Western Rite) and Bishop Vladimir. The Church strives to live the [[Gospel]] of Our Lord, [[God]] Dallas runs some missions and Savior also has a small [[Jesus Christ]] through adherence to the Holy Scriptures, [[Holy Tradition]], the [[CanonsWestern Rite]] monastic community (whom uses a variety of the [[Ecumenical Councils]]Western Rites, and regulations including a "liturgy of the Church Councils St James-Scottish rite" of the [[Orthodox Church]]. Its desire is to serve the needs of its faithful through spiritual nourishment and with compassion and understandingAnglican provenance.)

*[http://www.trueorthodox.org Russian True Orthodox Church] (Russian/Ру�?�?кий)*[http://www.theorthodox.org Russian True Orthodox Church: Archdiocese of North America] (English/�?нглий�?кий) 

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