Russian Orthodox Church

**Russian Orthodox Church**
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The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), also known as the Moscow Patriarchate, is an autocephalous local Orthodox Church that has the fifth place in the diptych of the autocephalous Orthodox churches of the world. It is the largest local Orthodox Church in the world and the largest religious organization in Russia, Belarus, Moldova (including Transnistria), and Ukraine.

**History**
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The Russian Orthodox Church was founded on December 15, 1448, with Jonah Moskowski as its first patriarch. The church has undergone several relocations throughout its history:

* Moscow (1448-1721)
* St. Petersburg (1721-1917)
* Moscow (1917-present)

**Structure and Recognition**
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The Russian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous church, meaning it has the right to govern itself without external authority. It regards itself as the only canonically legitimate Orthodox administrative-independent church on the territory of the former Soviet Union, excluding Georgia.

The ROC was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1589, with the name of Jeremiah II Tratray being associated with this recognition. The church has been led by the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Russians since its founding.

**Relationships with Other Churches**
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Prior to 2018, the Russian Orthodox Church was in communion with all the Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches, occupying the fifth place among them after the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.

However, since 2018, the ROC has been in a state of schism with some other Orthodox churches due to its decision to recognize the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as an independent church. This decision was made by the synod of Russian bishops in 2018.

**Statistics**
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As of 2011, the Russian Orthodox Church had the largest number of parishes, clergy, and religious buildings among all Orthodox churches in Ukraine. However, according to a sociological survey conducted at the beginning of 2015, the ROC did not have the largest number of adherents in Ukraine.

**References**
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* [Source 1]
* [Source 2]
* [Source 3]