On March 20, 2025, in the throne Room of the Patriarchal Residence, His Beatitude Theophilus, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, presented the Order of the Holy Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (II degree) to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Israel, A.D. Viktorov.
The head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeev), attended the award ceremony, according to the website of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In his speech after the ceremony, Alexander Viktorov warmly thanked His Beatitude for appreciating the contribution of Russian diplomacy to the preservation of the cultural and spiritual Christian presence in the Holy Land and the strengthening of interreligious dialogue. The Ambassador also assured the Primate of the Holy Sepulchre See of the immutability of Russia's attitudes and activities in defense of Middle Eastern Christians, as well as its determination to continue to provide comprehensive assistance to the Patriarch's efforts aimed, inter alia, at maintaining the historically established status quo in Jerusalem.

The Order of the Holy Life—Giving Cross of the Lord is the highest award presented by the Primate of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church for his significant contribution to preserving the Christian heritage of the Holy Land, strengthening interfaith dialogue and supporting Christian traditions.