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Russian President Vladimir Putin attended Orthodox Easter celebrations on Sunday night at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in central Moscow, even as questions swirled around the sincerity of a Russian-declared ceasefire in Ukraine.
The midnight service, led by Patriarch Kirill—the head of the Russian Orthodox Church—was solemn and symbolic. Putin, dressed in a dark suit and red tie, stood quietly with a lit candle, exchanging traditional Orthodox Easter greetings: “Christ is Risen” and “Truly He is Risen.” He was joined by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and other senior officials.
The President’s appearance, a tradition he has kept for years, highlights the deep connection between the Kremlin and the Orthodox Church. Over the years, the Church has remained a vocal supporter of Putin’s vision of Russian national identity and its expanding regional influence.
Patriarch Kirill, in his homily, urged for peace and reconciliation, calling on worshippers to “treat others with kindness” and to remember that “all people are children of God.” Without directly referencing the war in Ukraine, he spoke of the shared history of the peoples of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus—an echo of the “historical Rus” narrative often cited by the Kremlin to justify its regional stance.
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Yet the Easter service unfolded against the backdrop of renewed violence. Just hours before midnight, Ukrainian officials accused Russian forces of violating the ceasefire Putin had announced days earlier. Explosions were reported in multiple regions across Ukraine, including Donetsk and Kharkiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the so-called ceasefire as a “political performance” intended to ease international pressure without changing realities on the ground. “You do not stop a war by simply declaring a pause in press releases,” he said in a recorded statement. “You stop it by actually stopping the shelling.”
Despite these tensions, the Easter celebration in Moscow carried on. For the thousands gathered at the cathedral, the night was one of candlelight, chants, and prayers for peace. But outside the ornate walls of the cathedral, the conflict continues—with little indication of resolution.
