Pravoslavie.ru

Pravoslavie.ru is a Russian Orthodox religious information portal associated with the Internet projects of Sretensky Monastery in Moscow. It was launched on 29 December 1999 under the name Orthodoxy 2000 and subsequently developed into a broad, Russian-language online publication known for Orthodox news, commentary, historical writing, theological material, cultural coverage, interviews, sermons, church documents, and practical religious resources. The project was created with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and has generally presented the moderate conservative perspective of the Russian Orthodox community. The portal's editorial identity was shaped from its beginning by Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov), who served as editor-in-chief from the site's creation according to the referenced biographical material. Its stated ambition was not limited to serving practicing Orthodox Christians: early editors described the project as an attempt to make the Church and Orthodox thought understandable to believers and nonbelievers alike. In the early 2000s, the site moved beyond a narrowly polemical reputation and expanded its coverage of church life, history, geopolitics, society, culture, patristics, apologetics, and contemporary public issues. A major early development was the Local Churches project, opened in the winter of 2001 as a database and information resource covering the world's autocephalous Orthodox churches. The portal also became a Yandex.News affiliate in 2004 and later joined or developed associated online projects. In 2006, Pravoslavie.ru and the Orthodox Calendar website Days.ru announced a union of their online efforts. That year, the portal participated in the first Mrezha-2006 competition for Orthodox websites on the Runet. It also supported Let Us Be of One Mind, a 2006 information project documenting the relationship between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia before their restoration of canonical communion. The service expanded its digital archive, reporting that a complete archive of its materials had been available from 2008. The Sretensky Monastery's Internet group also launched thematic and affiliated sites, including Byzantine Lesson in 2008 and an official website for the monastery choir later that year. Pravoslavie.ru established a presence on VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, and LiveJournal in 2010. International editions followed: Serbian in 2011 and Greek in 2019, while an English version also became part of the portal's multilingual offering. Pravoslavie.ru has been described in the supplied reference material as one of the most-read religious resources on the Russian internet and as a frequently cited source in the society category. It received early directory recognition, placed fifth in the popular vote for the 2006 Runet Prize, and won the Prince Konstantin Ostrogsky Prize in 2020. Its positioning combines institutional Orthodox information with conservative religious commentary and a substantial historical and educational archive. The portal remains an active digital media property, although the supplied sources do not identify a separate legal owner, corporate financial structure, or current traffic figures that can be independently confirmed here.

Pravoslavie.ru began on 29 December 1999 as Orthodoxy 2000, a project of the editors responsible for Sretensky Monastery's Internet initiatives. Its establishment was blessed by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow. The new portal entered a Russian web environment in which Orthodox sites existed but were comparatively limited in scope, and its editors sought to create a publication that could address both church members and people outside the Church. Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) was identified as editor-in-chief from the project's creation. During its first years, the site broadened its editorial range. In the winter of 2001 it opened the Local Churches project, intended to gather structured information about the world's local Orthodox churches. The portal also published news and commentary alongside sermons, theological and patristic materials, historical studies, interviews, cultural writing, social analysis, and a questions-for-a-priest service. A 2003 assessment cited in the reference material described an evolution from an initially alarmist or strongly patriotic reputation toward more balanced and expert-oriented Orthodox coverage. The portal entered wider online distribution in 2004 when it joined the Yandex.News affiliate program. In January 2006, it announced cooperation and project unification with Days.ru, the Orthodox Calendar website. Pravoslavie.ru also participated in Mrezha-2006, described as the first Runet competition for Orthodox websites. In March of that year, the associated Let Us Be of One Mind website was launched before the opening of the IV All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. That project collected documents concerning dialogue between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Abroad and the process that led to restoration of their unity. The Sretensky Internet projects continued to add specialist and affiliated resources. By 2008, the portal had assembled an archive covering its earlier publications. In May 2008, the thematic Byzantine Lesson website was launched in connection with the 555th anniversary of the fall of Constantinople and public discussion of the film The Death of an Empire: The Byzantine Lesson. In October of the same year, an official website for the Sretensky Monastery choir was opened in Russian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. In November 2010, the portal announced accounts on VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, and LiveJournal. Internationalization continued with the launch of a Serbian version on 28 June 2011, the Serbian holiday Vidovdan. An English edition was also maintained, and a Greek version was launched on 6 September 2019. The site was reportedly blocked in Uzbekistan in 2013 before the restriction was lifted. In November 2015, the portal announced a new design, simplified navigation, additional headings, a media section, and a structure adapted to mobile devices. Recognition has included a 2000 @Rus directory distinction, fifth place in the popular vote at the 2006 Runet Prize, and the Prince Konstantin Ostrogsky Prize in 2020. The supplied reference describes Pravoslavie.ru as a leading and heavily read Russian religious resource, but no current independently verified audience, ownership, revenue, or legal-company information is provided. Its historical identity is therefore best understood as that of an Orthodox publishing and information platform connected to Sretensky Monastery rather than a conventional consumer brand.

• 2019

  Greek edition launched

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  The portal added a Greek-language version.

• 2015

  Responsive redesign announced

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  The portal announced simplified navigation, new sections, and a mobile-oriented redesign.

• 2011

  Serbian edition launched

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  A Serbian-language edition was introduced on Vidovdan.

• 2008

  Archive and thematic projects expanded

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  The portal reported a complete historical archive and launched Byzantine Lesson and a multilingual choir site through the Sretensky Internet projects.

• 2006

  Days.ru cooperation announced

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  The portal announced the unification of its Internet projects with the Orthodox Calendar website.

• 2004

  Yandex.News affiliation

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  Pravoslavie.ru joined the Yandex.News affiliate program.

• 2001

  Local Churches project opens

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  The portal created a structured information project covering local Orthodox churches.

• 1999

  Portal launched as Orthodoxy 2000

  [1]Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org

  The Sretensky Monastery Internet-project editors launched the site on 29 December.

A Russian Orthodox information and commentary portal combining church news, conservative religious analysis, theological education, historical resources, cultural journalism, and affiliated digital projects.

• Religious digital media · 1999

  Pravoslavie.ru main portal

  The core Russian-language publication provides Orthodox news, commentary, interviews, historical and theological articles, cultural reporting, church documents, sermons, and discussion of social and public issues. It is positioned as an information and educational resource rather than merely a news feed.

• Reference database · 2001

  Local Churches

  Launched in 2001, this project was designed to collect information about the local Orthodox churches in one online resource. It reflects the portal's reference and educational function and extends its coverage beyond Russian church affairs.

• Religious reference

  Orthodox Calendar

  The Orthodox Calendar project, associated with Days.ru and identified in the editorial description with Dmitry Tsypin, provides calendar-oriented religious information within the wider Sretensky online-project network.

• International digital publishing · 2011

  Multilingual editions

  Alongside the Russian portal, the administration developed English, Serbian, and Greek versions. These editions extend the project's Orthodox information and commentary to audiences outside the Russian-language web.

• 2008Byzantine Lesson

  Russia · Online international audience

  A thematic site was launched around the anniversary of Constantinople's fall and public discussion of the film The Death of an Empire: The Byzantine Lesson.

  Outcome. The project expanded the Sretensky Internet network's historical and cultural publishing.

  Source
• 2006Let Us Be of One Mind

  Russia · Russian Orthodox diaspora

  Pravoslavie.ru's associated project published key documents concerning negotiations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia before their restoration of canonical communion.

  Outcome. It served as an unofficial information resource during the reconciliation process.

  Source

• 2015

  Mobile-oriented portal redesignGeneration change

  Background

  The portal sought to simplify access to a growing archive and an expanding set of headings and media materials.

  Action taken

  A new design, navigation structure, and media section were introduced with mobile devices in mind.

  Aftermath

  The redesign modernized the presentation of the established publication without changing its core Orthodox editorial positioning.

  Source

• 2006

  Unification with Orthodox Calendar projectM&A

  Background

  Pravoslavie.ru and Days.ru were both involved in developing Orthodox web resources and in the Community of Orthodox Web Developers.

  Action taken

  The projects announced that their Internet initiatives would be united.

  Aftermath

  The move broadened the portal's reference and calendar offering within the Sretensky-associated network.

  Source

1. 1Pravoslavie.ruen.wikipedia.org