Patriarchate of Moscow: The development of the state must be linked to moral principles

On September 15, 2026, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow visited the Moscow City Duma, where he took part in events marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Church of the Holy and Pious Prince Alexander Nevsky.

The church is located on the grounds of the historic building of the Novo-Yekaterininskaya Hospital, near the Petrovsky Gates, which today forms part of the Moscow City Duma’s building complex. The Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, which holds the status of a Patriarchal metochion, belongs to the Moskvoretsky Deanery of the Central Vicariate of the Moscow Diocese and serves as a chapel of the Church of St. Maron the Hermit (of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos) in the Stariye Pany area of Moscow.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was welcomed by the Chairman of the Moscow City Duma, Alexei Shaposhnikov; the head of the Duma’s administrative service, Vadim Timofeyev; the head of Moscow’s Department for National Policy and Interregional Relations, Vitaly Sutskov; as well as Archpriest Alexander Marchenkov, rector of the Church of St. Maron the Hermit and of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky at the Moscow City Duma.

Also present at the events were…