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VLADIMIR PUTIN. Your Excellence,

Dear hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,

I would like to start with thanking you for the opportunity to see the monastery and its shrines, and listen to what you tell me about the life of the Orthodox clergy and flock in Ukraine. Please allow me to pass you hearty brotherly wishes from Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia, with whom I recently met in the Kremlin, where, as you know, the Patriarch has a residence—the Patriarchal Chambers. It is the venue of his many meetings, mainly international. The most recent was during the visit of the Patriarch of Antioch to Moscow.

The Patriarchal Chambers are among the oldest extant buildings in the Kremlin and entire Moscow. I see a symbolism here as Russian Christianity and the Russian Orthodox Church are at the roots of our spirit.

We know the problems you mentioned today. We do not interfere in Church affairs, and have no way to do so. We shall not interfere in it later, either. We know, however, how hard the schism you mentioned is on you. So, without interfering in what is on inside the Church, I merely say that we are with you heart and soul.

Our nations went through sharp turns of history in the early 1990s, which bred many problems. These problems spectacularly enhanced the role of the Orthodox faith in the life of our peoples.

Today, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is fully independent of the Russian Orthodox, and of anything else. The only contacts remaining between our Churches are canonical and theological. I see it as an essential part of the unity of our nations. It is the precious little something that stays intact in this unity. We must cherish and preserve it for our children and grandchildren.

I know how much attention Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma pays to supporting the Church. We often mention its problems in our talks. When he visited Moscow in 2001, we met with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and had a long talk about inter-Church cooperation. Just now, on our way here, Mr Kuchma said what he intended to do for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and told about his contribution to restoring a church. He invited me to attend a celebration of the restoration of this monastery in summer.

Thank you for your service to the people of Ukraine and the entire Orthodox world. As I have said, we remember that Christianity came to Russia as the Dnieper turned into a font when Prince Vladimir started the baptism of Russia here. Our spiritual unity took source here.

Thank you. God bless you.