The Collaborative International Dictionary
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.
Usage examples of "russian church".
The part of the room behind the columns, with a high silk-curtained mahogany bedstead on one side and on the other an immense case containing icons, was brightly illuminated with red light like a Russian church during evening service.
Wolodomir and Anne are ranked among the saints of the Russian church.
He'd seen enough Russian churches in flames during Barbarossa, but a Russian church didn't carry the same weight for him as a Roman Emperor's palace.
And you will never hear from these lips about how Lavrenti Pavlovich raised money for this purchase by selling Russian church artifacts and icons abroad a transaction handled with complete discretion by Metcalfe Industries.
Or they might have belonged to the Russian church, some of their clergy smuggling them abroad to keep them out of Her Imperial Majesty's hands.
On my villain, angels, the Russian church, bridges, dragons, clouds, trees .
In Rome, Olibanum alone is employed: in the Russian church, Benzoin is chiefly employed.