Moscow Patriarch Kirill awards Viennese Bishop Aleksij

Moscow Patriarch Kirill has bestowed the Order of St. Seraphim upon Bishop Aleksij of Vienna, recognizing his dedicated service as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Austria. The honor was presented in Moscow, acknowledging Aleksij's "diligent archiepiscopal work."

Bishop Aleksij, whose birth name is Zanochkin, has led the Russian Orthodox Church in Austria since 2020. The award coincides with his 50th birthday, although this milestone occurred several months prior. The Russian Orthodox Church in Austria reported the ceremony on its website, as noted by Kathpress.

Aleksij was born in Orel, Russia, in 1975. He was ordained a priest in 2000 and took monastic vows in 2004, receiving the name Aleksij. He pursued theological studies in Moscow from 2010 to 2016 and was appointed abbot of a newly established monastery in the Orel region in 2012. He officially assumed leadership of the Austrian diocese in March 2020, relocating to Vienna permanently in December of that year due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Bishop Aleksij's activities in Austria have been primarily focused on pastoral care, social services, and celebrating liturgy. The Russian Orthodox Church in Austria, with an estimated 50,000 adherents, operates under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. Its main cathedral and diocesan facilities are located on the grounds of the Russian embassy in Vienna.