orthodox church has had it easy after decades of state persecution. churches destroyed during the soviet era are being rebuilt with russian tax payor money. the government has spend hundreds of millions of dollars restoring 23,000 churches. most belong to the orthodox church. we found a mix of the growing bond of church and state. >> i belong to the church. we need to look at the islamic countries in the middle east to see the danagers of such a strong relationship between religion and state. >> a human advocate -- they are on a mission to expand powers and influence. >> the new head of the russian orthodox church is going to depart from the old image as a museum religion old and out of date. ♪ ♪ orthodox's church biggest rivals are the churches that are having the biggest growth. >> in the as christianity in russia on the rise, one church in russia reaching thousands. the good new church is the fastest growing congregations in the country. >> in a land where the russian orthodox church dominants, one evangelical charismatic church is creating spiritual waves. >> protestant movement growing very strongly. >> americans are at the forefront

has been a russian orthodox church on the site since mighty mary three built by the russian community and foreign time artists suffered considerable damage over the years but was restored several times elegant and exotic in much is the city's cultural heritage perfectly reflecting in the true architectural style of seventeenth century moscow today the church is popular with orthodox worshippers from all over tuscany. crooners head now with a business. hello and welcome to our business up at the south as for joining me right now is sun is moving closer to increasing its share in the russian comic after speaking to r.t. at the devils economic forum they head of the alliance said that the agreement could even come within weeks his plan to raise the share from this current twenty five percent to fifty percent that carl is going expects after the us to have the lion's share in the alliance is growing sales in russia. there is a lot of progress hopefully i'm not going to tell you when but soon we'll be able to announce for you a push people usually hopefully weeks maybe months but i don't t

seventeenth century moscow today the church is popular with orthodox worship as from all over tuscany. the church in florence houses many historic relics of the russian orthodox church including works by both russian and it's how you artists it's on the market you can't miss in florence and it's a place that brings the local russian community closer together and welcome addition to russian life in tuscany. was i knew most of the congregation of our church consisted of people of many nationalities including russians ukrainians georgians greeks italians serbs and bulgarians this church is the first big orthodox cathedral that was built initially then more cathedrals and son removed and barry appeared and only five years ago a big church in rome was built to. tchaikovsky the demeter family to c.s.t. a real russians with a strong connection to italy. twenty minutes outside the city well meant to be beautiful scenery vibrant colors. but what has this park got to do with russian culture. to answer that question let's meet this week's guest. great to meet you thank you very much for it's nice to meet you while we here in this beautiful and i guess of the qu

the heads of the russian orthodox church attended by the great and the good the dignitaries old russian society president dmitri medvedev as well as see me a pig is attending this church service around five thousand people in total crammed into the christ the savior you can see more of them in fact actually taking places around the outskirts of the cathedral to just try and get a view of the church something what was going on inside it of course to hear the bells that had been a ringing out to celebrate the birth of jesus christ now. the question it always comes up is why is christmas being celebrated in january now this is jews or the fact that the russian orthodox church as well as some other branches all the docs christianity views the julian calendar as opposed to the calendar used by western christianity which means that in russia as well as some other countries christmas falls on the seventh of january as opposed to the twenty fifth of december now. around five thousand people crammed in there to worship and to celebrate the birth of jesus remember this so. go on go on for several

beginning of january now this is due to the the julian calendar which is followed by the russian orthodox church which. from the gregorian calendar followed by western branches of christianity meaning that christmas day in the russian orthodox church quoting to the calendar they follow falls on the seventh of january as opposed to the twenty fifth of december which is why this is happening right now this is one of the biggest nights in the all comes to evenings of celebration. marking the birth of jesus christ. from all around the world coming together not just here in moscow but from all over. to celebrate the birth of jesus. thanks very much indeed live there in central moscow just outside russia's main cathedral to talk us through what's going on in the cathedral itself we can hear now from the correspondent karen. she is the editor she's indeed with the editor of russia profile magazine on the result and they are currently providing live commentry on all website that's. listen to them right now in st petersburg yes we're now in st petersburg at the holy transfiguration cathedral. prime minis

the beginning of january now this is due to the julian calendar which is followed by the russian orthodox church which differ from the calendar followed by western branches of christianity meaning that christmas day in the russian orthodox church according to the calendar they follow falls on the seventh of january the twenty fifth of december which is why this is happening right now this is one of the biggest nights in the state. two evenings of celebration this vigil mass marking the birth of jesus christ all the docs followers from all around the world coming together states not just here in moscow but from all over the world to celebrate the birth of jesus. peter one of i will be back with the summary news stories for about ten minutes from now in the meantime we head to italy to see what footprint russian artists and public figures have left on the country's culture through the ages stay with us for that that's next. hello and welcome to the program from architecture to music russians have been fascinated with italian culture for centuries and today they come here in the tens of thousands i

it's all of the russian orthodox church attended by the great new good the dignitaries old russian society president dmitri. as well as see me a pig is attending this church service around five thousand people in total crammed into the christ the savior cathedral more of them actually taking places around the outskirts of the cathedral to just try and get a view of the church hopefully she'll hear something what was going on in. to hear the bells that had been ringing out to celebrate the birth of jesus christ now. question it always comes up is why is christmas being celebrated in january this is due to the fact that the russian orthodox church as well as some of the branches all the docs christianity. as opposed to the calendar used by western christianity which means in russia as well as other countries christmas falls on the seventh of january huge day in the old calendar something that has become a real tradition here in russia opening in one thousand nine hundred seven the traditional christmas. christ the savior. continues online. christmas celebrations here in russia. you can see t

that service presided over by the patriarch of moscow and all russia kirill it's all of the russian orthodox church attended by well the great new good the dignitaries. russian society president jimmy t. made to get it in there as well as other senior figures attending missed church service around five thousand people in total crammed into the christ the savior you can see more of them in fact actually taking places around the outskirts of the cathedral to try and get a view of the church hopefully to hear something what was going on inside and close to hear the bells that had been a ringing out to celebrate the birth of jesus christ now. question it always comes up is why is christmas being celebrated in january now this is due to the fact that the russian orthodox church as well as some other branches of all the docs christianity use the julian calendar as opposed to the gregorian calendar used by western christianity which means that in russia as well as of some other countries christmas falls on the seventh of january huge day in the old calendar and something that has become a real tradition h

twenty fourth when you faiths that's december but julian calendar the ancient calendar the russian orthodox church together with several other orthodox churches such as the church of georgia church of serbia the greek orthodox patrik age of jerusalem mournin stories of loan to office and never change the calendar which in the western church in to sixteen st sheree was adept to become the what is known as a greek orian. and today there was a two week difference that's why the twenty fifth of december julian calendar falls on two january seventh the gregorian calendar which is called when you use civil calendar and there's also a forty day fast that occur. to us precedes the. the holiday of the native it t. it's not as strict as the lent but it's still of a rather lengthy. for the forty days. are there any kind of special foods that break that fast i hear there's you have to have a white candle on the table for instance there are a lot of lots of folk tradition scared of which differ from from place to place so you wouldn't say that necessarily there has to be a white general. edge of people stand t

there's been a russian orthodox church on the site since nineteen zero three building by the russian community and foreign time artists suffered considerable damage over the years but was restored several times elegant and exotic to match is the city's cultural heritage perfectly reflecting in the true architectural style of seventeenth century moscow today the church is popular with author talks worshippers from all over tuscany. well let's cross over to the business desk now and join me. hello and welcome to our business up at the south thanks for joining the devils economic forum is displaying signs of a split personality at the likes of the i.m.f. david cameron and george soros warning of potential catastrophes while on the other side and number of heavyweight industrialists who think much of the rescue work has been done among them is under a question the head of russia's second biggest bank. there was a practical discussions on for example the introduction of new regulations for. banks and financial sector. at the wedding on the of course it will take maybe two to three years t