Aleksy II

- Born: February 23, 1929, Tallinn, EstoniaInternational Herald Tribune: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksy II dies at age 79 (December 5, 2008)
- Birth name: Aleksei Mikhailovich RudigerInternational Herald Tribune: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksy II dies at age 79 (December 5, 2008)
- Education: Theological Seminary and the Theological Academy in Leningrad; ordained in 1950Telegraph: His Holiness Alexy II (December 5, 2008)
- Spouse: Vera Alekseeva (married one year and then the marriage was dissolved)Telegraph: His Holiness Alexy II (December 5, 2008)
- Alleged (and denied) that his connections to the KGB assisted his rise in the churchTelegraph: His Holiness Alexy II (December 5, 2008)
- Named archbishop in 1964Telegraph: His Holiness Alexy II (December 5, 2008)
- Named Metropolitan in 1968Telegraph: His Holiness Alexy II (December 5, 2008)
- Became Metropolitan of Novogorod and Leningrad in 1986Telegraph: His Holiness Alexy II (December 5, 2008)
- Elected Patriarch in 1990, after the death of Pimen I and just before the collapse of the Soviet UnionTelegraph: His Holiness Alexy II (December 5, 2008) New York Times: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Dies at 79 (December 5, 2008)
- Worked to heal the split between the Russian Orthodox and Russian Orthodox Church AbroadRadio Free Europe: A Wise Diplomat In Troubled Times (December 5, 2008)
- Post-communist leaders Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin, and Dmitry Medvedev all had close ties to Alexsy IIInternational Herald Tribune: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksy II dies at age 79 (December 5, 2008)

Aleksy II was the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church who led the revival of the church in Russia after the fall of Communism in 1990.New York Times: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Dies at 79 (December 4, 2008)
He died in Moscow on December 5, 2008. He was 79 years old and had suffered from myocardial ischemia.New York Times: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Dies at 79 (December 5, 2008)
Russian Orthodoxy and Communist Russia

Throughout the length of communist rule in Russia, from 1917 to 1990, the Russian orthodox church, like all religion in Russia, was persecuted and discriminated against. Joseph Stalin in particular killed hundreds of clergy and sent others to concentration camps. Beginning in 1990, Alexsy II began rebuilding the churches and introducing Orthodox religion into public schools.New York Times: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Dies at 79 (December 5, 2008) International Herald Tribune: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksy II dies at age 79 (December 5, 2008)
The patriarch also successfully lobbied the government to restrict the activities of other Christian, denominations, especially Roman Catholics.New York Times: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Dies at 79 (December 5, 2008)
Quote
"He was an outstanding religious figure and true spiritual leader, and he was also a great citizen of Russia, a man whose destiny reflected all the great trials and upheavals that our country traversed in the 20th century, a critical time in our country's history.—Dmitry MedvedevInternational Herald Tribune: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksy II dies at age 79 (December 5, 2008)