russian church

Russian Church \Rus"sian Church\, Russian Orthodox Church
\Rus"sian Or"tho*dox Church\
   The established church of the Russian empire up to the
   revolution of 1917, at which time the ruling Communist party
   tried to suppress all religious worship. The czar was the
   nominal head of the church, but he never claimed the right of
   deciding questions of theology and dogma. It still forms a
   portion, by far the largest, of the Orthodox (Eastern) Church
   and is governed by the Patriarch and the Holy Synod. In 1988
   the church, with official approval, celebrated the 1000 year
   anniversary of the baptism of Russia. After breakup of the
   Soviet Union in 1991 the Russian Church began to regain some
   its old influence in Russian life, and the government turned
   over some of the confiscated churches back to church control.
   The Russian Church was recognized anew as the official church
   of Russia, with special priveleges, by an act of the Russian
   Duma in 1997. The Metropolitan of Moscow, as Patriarch of the
   church, is regarded as the first among equals in order of
   deference among bishops of the church.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]