Patriarch Kirill of Moscow

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in 2016, photo by Borodin/Bigstock.com

Birth Name:Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev

Place of Birth: Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Date of Birth: 20 November, 1946

Ethnicity: Russian

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is a Russian Orthodox bishop. He has been Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’ and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, since 1 February, 2009.

He is the son of Raisa Vladimirovna, a teacher of German, and Rev. Mikhail Vasilyevich Gundyaev. His brother, Archpriest Nikolay Gundyaev, is a professor, and a rector of the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg. In 1969, Metropolitan Nicodemus (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod gave him the name Kirill and declared him a hierodeacon.

Patriarch Kirill’s paternal grandfather was named Rev. Vasily Stepanovich Gundyaev (the son of Stepan Trofimovich Gundyaev-Dobrovidov and Varvara Petrovna). Rev. Vasily was born in Astrakhan, Astrakhan Oblast. He was a prisoner at the Solovki prison camp, and was imprisoned and exiled during the 1920s-1940s for his religious activity and struggle against Soviet Renovationism. Stepan was the son of Trofim Grigorevich Gundyaev-Dobrovidov.

Patriarch Kirill’s paternal grandmother was named Paraskeva Ivanovna Lopudeeva (the daughter of Ivan Lopudeev). Paraskeva was born in Lada, Mordovia.

Patriarch Kirill’s maternal grandfather was named Vladimir Kuchin.

Patriarch Kirill is said to have Mordvin ancestry on his father’s side. It is not clear if this is accurate.

Source: Genealogy of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow – https://www.geni.com