RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN’S CONDOLENCES OVER THE DEMISE OF HIS BEATITUDE METROPOLITAN VLADIMIR OF KIEV AND ALL UKRAINE
July 2014
The President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin, expressed his condolences to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, and bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church over the demise of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine.
I was deeply grieved to learn about the demise of Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Serving at high posts in the Russian Orthodox Church and in his capacity of Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir took care of the spiritual health of the Russian and the Ukrainian people and fought for the strengthening of fundamental principles of Orthodoxy and for the canonical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Vladimir’s long-term intensive work, his selfless pastoral service, great personal contribution to the strengthening of the Russian-Ukrainian friendship, and his lustrous talent of preacher won him deep appreciation and well-deserved respect of the people of Russia and Ukraine and will always be in our memory.
V. Putin
