Old Oil on Canvas Alexis II of Moscow Russia Orthodox Icon

  

Former signature trace at the bottom right. Wax seal on the back of the painting. PANEL: 32 x 21 cm. FRAME: 37 x 25 cm. II), born Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger in Tallinn, Estonia, on February 23, 1929, and died on December 5, 2008, at his residence in Peredelkino, near Moscow, Russia, was the 15th Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' (1990 - 2008).

His surname Ridiger comes from an old family of the Baltic-German nobility (Rüdiger), which embraced Orthodoxy in the 18th century. He had a difficult relationship with Pope John Paul II regarding the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. He missed a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, which would have marked an ecumenical first.

On October 2, 2007, he traveled to France, marking the first time a Russian Orthodox patriarch had visited a country with a Catholic tradition since the Eastern hierarchy broke with Rome in 1054. Patriarch Alexis II was "the first patriarch in Soviet history to be elected without government pressure; candidates were nominated orally, and the election took place by secret ballot." From the moment he took office, Patriarch Alexis became a staunch advocate for the Church's rights, challenging the Soviet government to allow religious education in schools and to pass a law on "freedom of conscience." During the attempted coup d'état in August 1991, he condemned the arrest of Mikhail Gorbachev and issued anathemas against the coup plotters.

He publicly questioned the legitimacy of the junta, called on the military to exercise restraint, and demanded that Gorbachev be allowed to address the public. He made a second appeal against violence and fratricidal war, which was heard by troops outside the Russian White House, the Russian parliament, half an hour before the attack.

Ultimately, the coup failed, leading to the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union. Under his leadership, victims of religious repression under the Soviet regime were glorified (the equivalent of Catholic canonization), starting with Grand Duchess Elizabeth, Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev, and Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd in 1992. In 2000, Tsar Nicholas II and his family, along with many other victims, were canonized. New names continue to be added to the list of Martyrs after each case is studied by the Synodal Canonization Commission.

Patriarch Alexis also issued statements condemning anti-Semitism. In 2005, he was the first recipient of the State Prize of the Russian Federation for his humanitarian work. On April 27, 2007, some Russian media reported the patriarch's serious condition and even his death; it was later shown to be a hoax.

Patriarch Alexis then stated that the motivation behind these rumors was to undermine the upcoming reconciliation between the Russian Orthodox Church loyal to the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. "As you can see, I am healthy, I am active, I am alive," he reportedly said. Despite his age, he appeared to be in good health and continued to lead an active pastoral life. He was frequently seen on Russian television, celebrating services and meeting various government representatives. Funeral of Patriarch Alexis II In October 2007, he delivered a speech before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during his visit to France.

While in Paris, the patriarch, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Paris, visited Notre-Dame Cathedral to pray during a solemn celebration in front of the relics of the Passion. He passed away at his home in Peredelkino on December 5, 2008, and is buried at the Cathedral of the Theophany.