On May 8, 2025, President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić presented the Order of the Republic of Serbia on the Grand Collar to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia during a solemn ceremony at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow.
“It is a great personal honor for me to present the Order of the Republic of Serbia to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill,” President Vučić said during the ceremony. “This is yet another important step in the continued development of Serbian-Russian relations.”
The president emphasized the significance of the moment and the strong historical and spiritual bonds between Serbia and Russia. He expressed deep gratitude for his many meetings with Patriarch Kirill, from which, he said, he had learned much about the position of the Russian Orthodox Church in society.
“I had the great privilege of learning a lot from Patriarch Kirill about the role of the Russian Orthodox Church, and I was also heartened by his kind words regarding the cooperation between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian state,” Vučić noted.
The Order on the Grand Collar is Serbia’s highest state decoration, awarded for extraordinary contributions to the Serbian state and people. The awarding of this honor to Patriarch Kirill is seen as a symbolic gesture of gratitude for his role in promoting ties between the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches, as well as fostering strong bilateral relations between the two nations.
The event was attended by church officials and dignitaries from both countries, further underscoring the deep cultural and religious connection shared by Serbia and Russia.
Source and photos: Patriarchate of Serbia
