Orthodox community in Hanoi receives official authorisation to engage in religious activities

DECR Communication service, 22.09.2026.

On the 17th of September 2026, a ceremony was held at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Hanoi to present the Russian Orthodox Church community with official authorisation to engage in collective religious activities.

The authorisation was issued to a community of foreign nationals legally residing in Vietnam and professing the Orthodox faith, the website of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia reports.

The ceremony was attended by Gennady S. Bezdetko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Vietnam; Vladimir V. Borovikov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Vietnam; Vladimir V. Murashkin, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in Vietnam; Phan Vu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Ethnic Minority and Religious Affairs; Hegumen Micah (Selyakov), rector of the Parish of Blessed Xenia of St Petersburg in Hanoi; Priest Stanislav Rasputin, rector of the Parish of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in Ho Chi Minh City; and representatives of the Orthodox community of Hanoi.

The receipt of official authorisation marked an important event in the life of Orthodox Christians residing in the Vietnamese capital and created the necessary conditions for the further development of the community’s ecclesiastical life in accordance with the legislation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The Orthodox community of Hanoi brings together faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church residing in Vietnam. At present, pastoral care for Orthodox Christians in the country is provided by clergy serving at Russian Orthodox Church parishes in Vietnam.

Speaking at the ceremony, Phan Vu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Ethnic Minority and Religious Affairs, noted that the completion of the documentation was the result of joint work and dialogue based on respect for the law, the religious needs and the cultural traditions of the parties.

G. S. Bezdetko, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Vietnam, expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese side for its assistance in properly formalising the activities of the Orthodox community. “The opportunity for our compatriots who profess the Orthodox faith to continue their spiritual life far from their homeland is particularly important,” he said.

V. V. Murashkin, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in Vietnam, emphasised that the Russian House in Hanoi traditionally supports the preservation of the spiritual and cultural ties between Russian compatriots and Russia, and expressed his readiness to support the Orthodox community.

Going forward, the Church hopes to obtain authorisation to engage in full religious activities as a legal entity, including for Vietnamese citizens of the Orthodox faith.

The event also featured a presentation of the “Holy Warriors” photographic exhibition of the Mikhail Abramov Museum of Russian Icons, dedicated to images of holy warriors venerated by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Print publication

Orthodox community in Hanoi receives official authorisation to engage in religious activities

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons