Patriarch Kirill, the highest representative of the Russian Orthodox Church (IOR), reportedly became implicated in Soviet-era espionage in the 1970s, according to declassified materials reviewed by Swiss authorities. The Swiss papers Sonntagszeitung and Le Matin Dimanche report that a document mentions a figure nicknamed “Monsignor Kirill,” identified as a KGB asset linked to the USSR.
During that period, Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev—his secular name at the time—carried out church duties in Geneva, representing the Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches. This council, which brings together most Christian denominations aside from the Catholic Church and a few smaller confessions, was the subject of media attention. The document’s codename, Mikhailov, allegedly described goals that included opposing U.S. interests and allied powers, while also seeking to influence perceptions of religious freedom in the Soviet Union. The council responded by saying it did not have such information, and the Orthodox Church declined to comment on the matter.
The Swiss disclosures quoted the patriarch’s nephew, Mikhail Gundyayev, speaking on behalf of his own faith and signaling a shared view of interdenominational collaboration as had characterized his uncle in the past century. He stressed that while he was a representative, he was not an agent, noting strict controls by the KGB. Gundyayev lived in Switzerland for many years and admitted a strong affinity for the country, which he visited frequently.
He rose through the ecclesiastical ranks until 2009, when he returned to Moscow to assume the public role of Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Under his leadership, the Church has been seen by many as closely aligned with the policies of President Vladimir Putin, a relationship that has been described as a factor in Russia’s move toward greater conservatism in recent years. In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the church’s support for the government has been strongly felt. Its public stance has included statements that religious forgiveness could extend to those who die in the line of duty, a point highlighted around the period of mobilization that began in late September 2022 when many Russians contemplated leaving the country rather than face conscription.
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Patriarch Kirill was quoted in a sermon asserting that the sins of soldiers who died in Ukraine would be forgiven, a claim that drew wide attention and sparked discussion about the church’s position during wartime. This sentiment circulated on social platforms at the time, underscoring the ongoing debate about church-state relations in modern Russia and the broader implications for religious freedom and moral responsibility amid conflict.
—Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) September 25, 2022