1988 was a turning point in the societal perception of the Russian Orthodox Church and its role in the history of Russia. The celebrations dedicated to the 1,000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ became a real triumph for the Russian Orthodox Church, which the faithful themselves could not have imagined. The most memorable event of 1988 was the solemn Divine Liturgy celebrated by the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches on the cathedral square at Moscow’s Danilov Monastery, five years before it was returned to the Church.
