With the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, Chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks, a webinar dedicated to cooperation between the Church and the Central Cossack Army was held on September 30, 2026. The meeting was headed by the Executive Secretary of the committee, Priest Timofey Chaikin.
Alexey Kirichenko, Executive Secretary of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Cossack Affairs, Igor Kochubeev, Deputy ataman of the All-Russian Cossack Society for Youth Policy and Sports, Gennady Sidorin, First Deputy Ataman of the Central Cossack Army, staff of the Synodal Committee, representatives of diocesan departments, Cossack clergy and atamans took part in the work.
Opening the meeting, Priest Timofey Chaikin read out Metropolitan Kirill's greeting. It was reported that by the decision of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks was temporarily entrusted with the spiritual care of the Central Cossack Army.
"The main goal of our joint efforts is undoubtedly the unification, churching and spiritual care of the Cossacks and their family members, students of Cossack schools and Cossack youth," Metropolitan Kirill emphasized. The bishop also recalled the advanced training courses for heads of specialized diocesan departments and Cossack clergy, which will be held on October 6-9 at the Church-wide Postgraduate and Doctoral School named after Saints Cyril and Methodius.
Alexey Kirichenko noted the importance of cooperation between the Church and the Cossacks in educating the younger generation on the basis of traditional spiritual and moral values. He mentioned the All-Russian meeting of Cossack Youth and the "Ready for Work and Defense" rally that took place in the Lipetsk region as one of the examples of joint work.
Igor Kochubeev read out a greeting from the ataman of the All-Russian Cossack Society, Vitaly Kuznetsov, dedicated to the importance of the Orthodox faith in the life of the Cossacks. Gennady Sidorin spoke about the main activities of the Central Cossack Army, which unites the Cossacks of 18 subjects of the Central Federal District, and stressed the importance of spiritual care for the Cossacks and their families.
The staff of the Synodal Committee presented an overview of the work of the diocesan departments, considered the issues of information activities and spiritual care of Cossack educational organizations. Cossack clergy, atamans and representatives of dioceses shared their experience of cooperation and discussed the tasks of further joint work.