List of metropolitans and patriarchs of Moscow in the context of "Russian Orthodox"

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; Russian: Русская православная церковь, РПЦ, romanized: Russkaya pravoslavnaya tserkov, RPTs;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: Московский патриархат, romanized: Moskovskiy patriarkhat), is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The primate of the ROC is the patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'.

The history of the ROC begins with the Christianization of Kievan Rus', which commenced in 988 with the baptism of Vladimir the Great and his subjects by the clergy of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. Starting in the 14th century, Moscow served as the primary residence of the Russian metropolitan. The ROC declared autocephaly in 1448 when it elected its own metropolitan. In 1589, the metropolitan was elevated to the position of patriarch with the consent of Constantinople. In the mid-17th century, a series of reforms led to a schism in the Russian Church, as the Old Believers opposed the changes.

The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' (Russian: Патриарх Московский и всея Руси, romanized: Patriarkh Moskovskiy i vseya Rusi), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). It is often preceded by the honorific "His Holiness". As the ordinary of the diocese of Moscow, the office holder's direct canonical remit extends only to Moscow; however, as the patriarch, the office holder has a number of church-wide administrative powers as laid down by the charter of the ROC.

The patriarchate was established in 1589 when the status of the Russian metropolitan was elevated, with Job becoming the first patriarch. The patriarchate was abolished in 1721 by Peter the Great and replaced with the Most Holy Synod as the supreme governing body of the ROC, before being restored on 10 November [O.S. 28 October] 1917, by decision of the All-Russian Local Council. The current patriarch is Kirill, who acceded to the position in 2009.

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church begins with the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in 988 during the reign of Vladimir the Great. In the following centuries, Kiev and later other cities, including Novgorod, Pskov, Rostov, Suzdal and Vladimir, became important regional centers of Christian spirituality and culture. Following the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, the seat of the metropolitan was moved to Vladimir in 1299, and then to Moscow in 1325, which would become the spiritual center of Russian Orthodoxy.

The metropolitans of the Russian Church supported the rise of the Moscow principality and his presence increased the Muscovite prince's authority and ambition to unify the lands. In turn, the metropolitans were able to increase the stability of the Church and to inspire unity among the divided Russian principalities. By the mid-15th century, Moscow was both the political and religious center of the country. The Russian Church declared autocephaly in 1448, shortly before the fall of Constantinople, owing to its protest over the Council of Florence. At the behest of the grand prince of Moscow, a council of Russian bishops elected a local bishop without the approval of Constantinople.

Job (Russian: Иов, romanized: Iov; died 19 June 1607) was Metropolitan of Moscow and all Rus', the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, from 1587 to 1589, and the first Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' from 1589 to 1605.

He was the seventeenth metropolitan in Moscow to be appointed without the approval of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as had been the norm. In 1589, Jeremias II, the patriarch of Constantinople, regularized Job's canonical status and raised him to the status of patriarch. 400 years later, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized him in 1989.

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; Russian: Русская православная церковь, РПЦ, romanized: Russkaya pravoslavnaya tserkov', RPTs;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: Московский патриархат, romanized: Moskovskiy patriarkhat), is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The primate of the ROC is the patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'.

The history of the ROC begins with the Christianization of Kievan Rus', which commenced in 988 with the baptism of Vladimir the Great and his subjects by the clergy of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. Starting in the 14th century, Moscow served as the primary residence of the Russian metropolitan. The ROC declared autocephaly in 1448 when it elected its own metropolitan. In 1589, the metropolitan was elevated to the position of patriarch with the consent of Constantinople. In the mid-17th century, a series of reforms led to a schism in the Russian Church, as the Old Believers opposed the changes.