Russian Church

Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow Russian: Храм Христа Спасителя [Khram Khrista Spasitelya]
Founder	Apostle Andrew (legendary), Vladimir the Great "Baptism of Rus'" in 988, Metropolitan Michael I of Kiev
Independence	1448, de facto in the Moscow part
Recognition	1589, by Ecumenical Patriarchate
Primate	Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow
Headquarters	Danilov Monastery, Moscow, Russia
Language	Church Slavonic, local languages
Members	150 million (2011)
Bishops	368
Priests	35,171 priests + 4,816 deacons (2016)
Parishes	34,764 (2016)
Monasteries	926 (455 male monasteries and 471 convents) (2016)
Website	www.patriarchia.ru

Coordinates: 55°42′40″N 37°37′45″E / 55.71111°N 37.62917°E / 55.71111; 37.62917

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; Russian: Ру́сская правосла́вная це́рковь, tr. Rússkaya pravoslávnaya tsérkov), alternatively legally known as the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: Моско́вский патриарха́т, tr. Moskóvskiy patriarkhát), is one of the Eastern Orthodox churches, in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox patriarchates. The Primate of the ROC is the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'. The ROC, as well as the primate thereof, officially ranks fifth in the Orthodox order of precedence, immediately below the four ancient Patriarchates of the Greek Orthodox Church, those of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The official Christianization of Kievan Rus' widely seen as the birth of the ROC is believed to have occurred in 988 through the baptism of the Kievan prince Vladimir and his people by the clergy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate whose constituent part the ROC remained for the next six centuries, while the Kievan see remained in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate until 1686.