The Moscow Patriarchate has named Archpriest Igor Vyzhanov as Deputy Chairman of its Department for External Church Relations (DECR), a move widely seen as one of Patriarch Kirill’s most calculated strategic appointments.
Vyzhanov’s ties to Kirill stretch back decades. After graduating with distinction from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he became an advisor and speechwriter for the then–Metropolitan Kirill, who at the time led the DECR. This early collaboration provided him with deep familiarity with Kirill’s thinking and long-term objectives—knowledge that now positions him as one of the Patriarch’s most trusted allies.
A defining period in Vyzhanov’s career was his long tenure in the United States, where he served as Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York. These roles placed him in the heart of the Western world, giving him valuable experience in organizing Orthodox communities abroad, fostering interfaith dialogue, and adapting to a culturally diverse environment. Such skills are now seen as crucial for navigating the Church’s increasingly complex international relations.
Igor Vyzhanov is no stranger to his new superior. In 2011, he and Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk served together at the Church of St. Catherine in Rome, with then-Hieromonk Anthony as rector and Archpriest Igor as parish priest. During one of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk’s many visits to Pope Benedict, both men were at his side. In a twist of fate, the two now hold the influence that Hilarion has since lost.
Despite his diplomatic background, Vyzhanov has been vocal in his criticism of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He has described its actions in Ukraine as an “unprecedented ecclesiological scandal” that has caused “many bleeding wounds on the sacred body of Orthodoxy.” He rejects the legitimacy of granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, calling it “uncanonical” and “arbitrary,” and disputes the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s authority to intervene in another Church’s jurisdiction.
For Vyzhanov, the dispute is not only theological but also geopolitical in scope. As the new deputy head of the Russian Church’s “foreign ministry,” he is expected to use both his international experience and unwavering loyalty to Moscow to promote and defend the Patriarchate’s hardline stance on the global stage.
