Compare
Eastern Orthodox ChurchandRussian Orthodox Church
At a glance
- Common groundIn full: Common ground
- The same Orthodox faith, creed, councils and Byzantine liturgy: the Russian Church is one of the communion's self-governing churches.
2 sources
- The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern ChristianityIdentified, not independently read
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.
- The same Orthodox faith, creed, councils and Byzantine liturgy: the Russian Church is one of the communion's self-governing churches.
- What distinguishes themIn full: What distinguishes them
- Government, not doctrine: Moscow became self-governing from Constantinople in 1448 and a patriarchate in 1589.
2 sources
- Jonas (metropolitan of Moscow)Source verified
- The Orthodox Church of RussiaSource verified
- Ukraine: Moscow rejects Constantinople's 2018–2019 grant of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
2 sources
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
- Orthodoxy at the start of 2026: key challenges aheadSource verified
Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.
- Government, not doctrine: Moscow became self-governing from Constantinople in 1448 and a patriarchate in 1589.
- How their histories connectIn full: How their histories connect
- A mother church and a daughter church that became self-governing (1448; a patriarchate from 1589); the break of 2018 concerns jurisdiction.
3 sources
- Jonas (metropolitan of Moscow)Source verified
- The Orthodox Church of RussiaSource verified
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
- Autocephaly · 1448The Russian Church becomes self-governingRead the account in Russian Orthodox Church
- Later · Recognition or non-recognition · 2018Ukraine and the break between Moscow and ConstantinopleRead the account in Russian Orthodox Church
- A mother church and a daughter church that became self-governing (1448; a patriarchate from 1589); the break of 2018 concerns jurisdiction.
- Connected today?In full: their relationship today
Communion brokenas of April 2026
Moscow broke Eucharistic communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 15 October 2018.
2 sources
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
- Orthodoxy at the start of 2026: key challenges aheadSource verified
A summary of the researched comparison below; each point links to its evidence.
Researched comparison. Written for this pair from sourced research; each statement links to its evidence. Russian Orthodox Church is counted within Eastern Orthodox Church. This compares a church with the wider body it belongs to.
2 sources
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
- Orthodoxy at the start of 2026: key challenges aheadSource verified
Where they differ
- Primacy and jurisdiction. Constantinople holds a primacy of honour and has granted autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; Moscow, the largest Orthodox church, rejects that grant and regards Ukraine as part of its own canonical territory.
3 sources
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
- Orthodoxy at the start of 2026: key challenges aheadSource verified
- The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern ChristianityIdentified, not independently read
Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.
How their histories relate
3 sources
- Jonas (metropolitan of Moscow)Source verified
- The Orthodox Church of RussiaSource verified
- Byzantium and the Rise of RussiaIdentified, not independently read
Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.
Source
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
Autocephaly · 1448
The Russian Church becomes self-governing
A church becomes self-governing (autocephalous) within the same faith: a change of government and jurisdiction, not of doctrine.
After Moscow rejected the Union of Florence, a council of Russian bishops elected Jonah metropolitan in 1448 without the consent of Constantinople. Constantinople did not recognise this at the time; Moscow's patriarchal rank followed in 1589 with Constantinople's participation.Read in Russian Orthodox Church history3 sources
- Jonas (metropolitan of Moscow)Source verified
- The Orthodox Church of RussiaSource verified
- Byzantium and the Rise of RussiaIdentified, not independently read
Recognition or non-recognition · 2018
Ukraine and the break between Moscow and Constantinople
A decision by one church to recognise, or to refuse to recognise, another church’s sacraments, hierarchy or status.
When Constantinople moved to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate ended Eucharistic communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Minsk, 15 October 2018).Read in Russian Orthodox Church historySource
- Russian Orthodox break communion with Ecumenical PatriarchSource verified
Their relationship today
Communion brokenas of April 2026
3 sources
Based on Ukraine and the break between Moscow and Constantinople
Developments towards reconciliation
No documented agreement or formal dialogue between these traditions is recorded in the Atlas.
Explore further
Eastern Orthodox Church
All citations link to the Atlas’s single source register.