South Ossetia, Abkhazia Free to Join Russian Federation

In a televised interview with Russia Today on the 2008 Ossetian War Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev has stated that there are no standing preconditions preventing South Ossetia or Abkhazia from joining the Russian Federation. Although the Russian government recognizes the independence of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia it has also allowed Abkhazian and South Ossetian citizens to become Russian citizens due to the limited international recognize of the South Ossetian government. More here.

25th Anniversary of Chernobyl Disaster Commemorated

In commemoration of today's 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow and All Rus' and Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev traveled to St. Elijah's Church, the only functioning church in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, to serve a supplication there. Concelebrating the service were hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. In attendance at the supplication were Presidents Dmitriy A. Medvedev of Russia and Viktor F. Yanukovych of Ukraine together with many other faithful. More here. Patriarch Kirill's encyclical commemorating the Chernobyl disaster can be found here, .

Church Proposes Core Values for Russian Society

A document still under consideration by the Moscow Patriarchate would call for the foundation of modern Russian society on the values of faith, freedom, and patriotism. The values fit closely with initiatives of Russian President Dmitriy A. Medvedev, but call (in principle at least) for the freedom of Church and state from one another's interference. More here.

Patriarch Cyril and President Medvedev Discuss New Jerusaem Monastery

Patriarch Kiril (Gundyayev) of Moscow and President Dmitriy A. Medvedev of Russia have met with the leadership of the organization overseeing efforts to restore the New Jerusalem Monastery of the Resurrection to the west of Moscow. Among the issues surrounding the Monastery's restoration are the relocation of the museum currently situated on its grounds.

The New Jerusalem Monastery was originally founded by Patriarch Nicon of ill memory, whose liturgical reforms caused one of the largest schisms to date within Russian Orthodoxy, to serve as a patriarchal residence and an earthly symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem. More here.

Ilia II Calls for Dialogue Between Georgian and Russian Presidents

Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Mtskheta and Tbilisi has urged the Presidents of Georgia and Russia to begin a dialogue with one another to resolve the issues between the two countries and prevent them from growing even further apart. More here.

Russian President Meets with Roman Pope

President Dmitriy Medvedev of Russia met with Pope Benedict XVI of Rome today at the Vatican. More here.

Medvedev Calls for Multiculturalism in Russia

During a visit to Bashkortostan, a member republic of the Russian Federation, President Dmitriy Medvedev called for a return to the more idealistic values of the Soviet Union that called for all of the country's many nations to work together to build a better future, also saying that it is "categorically unacceptable to allow into governmental service those who have a criminal record for crimes of an inter-ethnic nature." His statement comes as rising ethnic and religious tension continues to grow in Moscow and Russian Transcaucasia. More here.

Medvedev Calls for Regional Interfaith Councils

President Dmitriy Medvedev of Russia has called for the creation of regional interfaith councils so that religious organizations can participate in national efforts to reduce inter-ethnic tensions and conflict within the Russian Federation. More here.

Cypriot Archbishop Meets with Medvedev

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow and Archbishop Chrysostomos II (Demetriou) of Nea Justiniana met today with President Dmitriy A. Medvedev in the Moscow Kremlin. Archbishop Chrysostomos is in Russia to receive an award for strengthening the unity of Orthodox nations. More here.

Russians Affirm Recognition of Palestinian Independence

During his ongoing state visit to the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank President Dmitriy A. Medvedev of Russia has reaffirmed Russia's acceptance of the 1988 recognition of Palestinian independence by the Soviet Union. The USSR was one of the first nations to recognize an independent Palestine. More here.

Pictured is President Medvedev with President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine.

Medvedev to Inaugurate Jericho Museum

During an upcoming state visit to Palestine President Dmitriy Medvedev of Russia will inaugurate a new museum in Jericho built on lands recently returned to the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, to whose care they were entrusted after their purchase by the Russian imperial government. More here.

Russian Leadership Celebrates Nativity

Both Russia's president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, and its prime minister, Vladimir V. Putin, attended Nativity services yesterday, the former at Christ the Savior Church in Moscow and the later at a church in the small town of Turginovo. More here and here.

Pictured is Patriarch Cyril (Gundyayev) of All Rus' celebrating the Nativity services yesterday in Moscow's Christ the Savior Church.

Ethnic Violence in Moscow

Following this past Saturday's clashes in Moscow that resulted in 32 people being hospitalized and 66 arrested, the Russian Orthodox Church has called on efforts to reduce ethnic tensions in the city to be stepped up to prevent future outbreaks of violence against the city's large population of immigrants from the former Soviet republics in Transcaucasia and Central Asia. President Dmitriy Medvedev has also called for efforts to maintain public order to be stepped up. In the past year there have been 26 ethnically-motivated murders in Russia that were reported as such. More here.