We, laity of the Russian Orthodox Church from different countries, and under her canonical responsibility, appeal to you to bring before the leadership of the Russian Federation our urgent supplication for an immediate end to bloodshed, and that Russian troops should be withdrawn from the territory of Ukraine.

The Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is endowed with the fulness of ecclesial authority, elected you as its primate so that you should represent its flock of many millions. To you, as primate, has been delegated the duty to appeal to the authorities and bring before them the opinion of the people of the church. We expect you to make your voice heard and appeal in person to President Vladimir Putin, the Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation, with a demand to stop this fratricidal war. We expect you, likewise, to speak words of consolation to the Ukrainian people, assuring them that you are doing everything possible to ensure peace.

The Church is the Body of Christ, and believers are its members. But now the Body is bleeding as Russian soldiers, among whom there are Orthodox Christians, are killing our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, depriving them of a roof over their heads, undermining their health and welfare, forcing them to leave their homes, stealing the future of an entire country. The most vulnerable – children, women and the elderly- are among the victims of the war. We hear their cries for help and cannot remain indifferent, nor be reconciled with the violence which is being meted out to Ukrainians, Russians and representatives of other nationalities who are unified by a common citizenship and love for their homeland, Ukraine. We appeal to you to fulfil your calling as an intercessor before the authorities of Russia, for your flock which is the victim of military action, for the people who are deprived of their homes and livelihoods.

We also call upon you to send out an epistle to the entire body of the Russian Orthodox Church, and publicly condemn the deeds of those who support bloodshed. Unfortunately, there are among your flock both clergy and laity who rejoice over war. In the history of the Church, war in the cause of defence has been blessed, whereas war as aggression has always been condemned. Today Russia is the aggressor and the people of Ukraine are having to defend themselves. To pray for the victory of Russian arms, as some clergy are advocating, is immoral.

Great Lent has begun, a time of fervent prayer and repentance which should culminate in the Paschal eucharistic meal. But can both aggressor and victim share in the one Cup? Our Lord Jesus Christ says ‘if you are offering your gift at the altar…first go and be reconciled to you brother; then come and offer your gift’ (Matt. 5:23-24). Reconciliation does not mean forgetting, and it is not possible without active repentance by the one who has sinned against his brother. Prayer for peace is also impossible without repentance.

As Lent approaches, we appeal to you, Your Holiness, to call upon all believers of the Russian Orthodox Church not only to pray for peace, but to take active steps to restore peace by all possible means: to speak the truth, to expose evil, to seek justice. We hope and believe that our Lord Jesus Christ who said ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ will strengthen you, and that the Spirit of God who works through the prophets, will speak through You to the powerful of this world.

Arvo Pärt, composer, St. John the Baptist Congregation, Tallinn, Estonia

Nora Pärt, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn

Ksenia Krivocheine, Writer, Parish of the Three Holy Hierarchs, Paris, France

Nikita Krivocheine, historian, Parish of the Three Holy Hierarchs, Paris, France

Daniel Struve, Professor, University of Paris, Member of the Board of the Journal of the Russian Christian Student Movement, Parish of St Seraphim of Sarov, Paris, France

Nadezhda Kizenko, Historian, Professor of Russian and East European History, New York University, Parish of the Protection of Our Lady, Albany, New York, USA

Yevgenia Danilovich, Theologian, Icon of the Mother of God Kazan Parish, Münster, Germany

Fyodor Lyudogovski, philologist, Slovakia

Anna Nötzel, theologian and religious scholar, Tübingen, Germany

Fyodor Litvinov, Theologian, Munich, Germany

Irina Paert, Historian, Associate Professor, University of Tartu, St. John the Baptist Congregation, Tallinn, Estonia

Immanuel Pärt, Pilot, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Natalya Munatayeva, Anthropologist, St. John the Baptist Parish, Vilnius, Estonia

Rainer Sarnet, film director, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Aile Tooming, teacher, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Merle Liivak Praks, journalist, editor-in-chief of "Ema," St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Hannes Praks, designer, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Alevtina Serova, choir director, Sillamäe, Estonia

Lyubov Kisselyova, Professor Emerita, University of Tartu, St. Jyr Parish, Tartu

Fedor Liudogovski, Doctor of Linguistics, coach, Slovakia

Maria Smorževskih-Smirnova, Director of Narva Museum, Narva Icon of the Mother of God Parish

Elisabeth Teokritoff, Parish of St. Ephrem the Syrian, Cambridge, UK

Wendy Paula Nicholson, Theologian, Vicar, St. Silwan's Parish, Southampton, United Kingdom.

Devorina Gamalova, musician, teacher, Church of the Assumption, London, UK

Esther Banev, University Administrator, St. Cuthbert's and St. Bede's Parish (Diocese of Suroz) Durham, United Kingdom

Elizabeth Theokritoff, Researcher and Lecturer, Syrian Congregation of St Ephrem, Cambridge, UK.

Leon Nicholson, Social Worker, St Silwan's Parish (Diocese of Suroz), Southampton, United Kingdom

Alex Roze, Parish of St. Silouan (Diocese of Suroz), Southampton, United Kingdom

Anastasija Jana Roze, St. Siluan Parish (Diocese of Surozh), and St. Nicholas Parish, Southampton, United Kingdom.

Ina Stein, Parish of St. Siluan, Southampton, United Kingdom

Elpi Liutaia, Parish of St Silouan (Diocese of Surozh), Southampton, United Kingdom

Olga Sevastyanova, St. Machar's Parish, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Yevgeny Supin, Producer, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Indrek Sammul, actor, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Liina Olmaru, actress, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Marrit Andrejeva, interpreter, St. John the Baptist congregation, Tallinn

Rain Simmul, actor, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Liivika Simmul, school principal, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Carl Eric Simmul, doctoral student, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Anastassia Šubina, ethnologist, Göttingen

Sofia Jusim, pedagogue, St. Nicholas Parish, Tallinn

Juliania Bumazhnova, student, Sorbonne, Paris

Andrei Lunjov, programmer, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Diana Pfaffenberger, teacher, Willy Brandt Schule, Kassel, Germany

Olga Terpugova, translator, Astrakhan, Russia

Ljudmilla Schmidt, doctor, Germany

Kai Kuusing, Teacher, Tallinn Art School, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Marina Steinhelfer, Parish Elder, Kindergarten Director, St Panteleimon Parish, Kassel , Germany

Aleksandra Dmitrievna Mõzdrikova, religious researcher, doula, Moscow, Russia

Ramy Randlaht, Teacher, St. John the Baptist Congregation, Tallinn, Estonia

Xenia Glebovna Rahr Zabelich, matushka, Holy Resurrection parish

Mikhail Agafonov, political émigré from Russia to Ukraine, NGO Dobass SOS.

Maria Simmul, teacher, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn

Yevgenia Vorsa, funeral director, Priest Vladimir Hirasko parish, Minsk.

Yulia Nazarenko, MP Munich and Dachau Parish; University of Munich, Germany

Evely Timuska, Teacher, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn

Svetlana Ivaskevich, Doctor, Church of the Annunciation, Borovlyany, Belarus

Inna Tulchinskaya, musician, Göttingen, Germany

Lilya Turkina-Colosimo, Secretary of the Orthodox Theological Institute of St Sergius, Paris

Krastu Banev, Associate Professor of Theology, University of Durham, Parish of St Cuthbert and St Bede (Diocese of Suroz) Durham, United Kingdom

Rimma Avdejeva

Grigory Bedov, Political Scientist, Holy Trinity Church, Khokhlov, Moscow, Russia

Irina Yakovleva, Accountant, Diocese of Minsk, member of the congregation of the Monastery of St. Elisabet.

 Kaja Lindal, Teacher, Parish of St. John the Baptist, Tallinn, Estonia

Alison Kolosova, musician and choir singer, member of the Iver Icon Parish, Alatyr, Chuvashia

Anastasia Zelikina, icon painter

Nikolai Bobrinski, lawyer, Holy Trinity Church, Moscow

Natalia Mazo, journalist, pensioner, Moscow

Aleksandr Zelnitsky, Lecturer at St. Petersburg State University, St. John the Forerunner Parish.

Lazar Garkun, tourism company employee, guide, Berlin

Ekaterina Garkun-Krahmalova, tourism manager, guide, Berlin

Hele-Mai Poobus, musician, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Yuri Tsirihhov, programmer, Tallinn, Estonia

Carolin Freiberg, teacher, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn

Yekaterina Zavalova, illustrator, art teacher, Venice, Italy

Yuri Dushko, IT specialist, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn

Kristiina Kivil, translator, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn

Bella Kumallagova, pensioner, Jurmala, Latvia

Dmitri Shkolnik, icon painter, San Francisco, USA

Inna Sibul, teacher, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Hanna Bos, doctor, Church of St Peter and St Paul, Deventer, The Netherlands

Marina Grits, Orthodox Christian, Widow of Ilja Grits, Professor of Biblical Studies, Jerusalem

Steven Pennings, Professor, Houston, Texas, USA

Aleksander Sapog, Teacher, Church of St Sergius the Pious, Paldiski, Finland

Vladimir Kirejev, Child and Youth Psychiatrist, Existential Psychotherapist, St. John the Baptist Congregation, Tallinn, Estonia

Aet Admann, artist, teacher, Tallinn, Estonia

 Ene Kees, teacher, Estonia

Irina Stepanova, teacher, Eaton Square School, London, Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints

Aleksandr Bražnik, Principal Chorus Master/Conductor, Vanemuine Theatre, Aleksandr Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia

Gary Pheiffer

Karen Colley, Safety Specialist, St Nicholas Parish, Oxford, UK

Alla Gouaud, Music Producer, Parish of the Three Holy Hierarchs, Paris, France

 Marina Niimeister, Custodian, United Kingdom

 Lyubov Bisson, Research Fellow, Moscow

 Stephen Simpson, Security Systems Engineer, St. Elizabeth's Parish, Wallasey, United Kingdom

Olena Simpson, Environmental Consultant, St Elizabeth's Parish, Wallasey, UK

 Rusudan Bregadze, Physician, All Saints Parish, Magdeburg, Germany

Iryna Kurjan, pensioner, Minsk

Yevgenia Šlegel, pensioner, St Andrew's Church, Minsk

Tatyana Pletneva, pensioner, Moscow

 Ivan Ilin, theologian, Moscow

 Fiorenzo Pedrazzini, Italy

 Külli Veerberk, accountant, St. John the Baptist congregation, Tallinn, Estonia

 Jelizaveta Reitsakas, teacher, analyst, St. John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

 Vallo Hansen, rescue worker in the Rescue Service and freelance cultural organiser, St John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn and Kuremäe Monastery

 Darja Kirjanova, New Haven, CT, USA

Tamara Kirjanova, New Haven, CT, USA

Aleksandr Kiryanov, New Haven, CT, USA

 Sebastian Prentis, Judge, St Nicholas Parish, Oxford, England

 Steven Lacey, Strategist, Qualitative Analyst, St. Silwan's Parish, Southampton, UK

 Ncholas Sooy, Lecturer, St. Gregory the Divine Parish, ROCOR, US

 Natalia Likhtenfeld, art scholar, Moscow, Russia

 Elena Brazhnyk, opera singer, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia

 Oksana Belova-Dalton, Doctor of Philology, St. Nicholas' Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

 Maeve Henry, Writer, St Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Oxford, UK

 Eric Jansson, Lawyer, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Parish, Oxford, UK

 Olga Tishkova, Icon Painter, Parish of the Holy Elizabeth Monastery, Minsk, Belarus

 Nick Graham, Lawyer, St. Nicholas the Adorer Parish, Oxford, United Kingdom

James Young, Musician, St Nicholas the Adorer Parish, Oxford, UK

Vitalii Tkachuk, historian, Kiev

Dr. Iannis Carras, Thessaloniki/Moscow

Joanna Willis, Creative Director, Cornwall, United Kingdom

Dmitri Tsion, Doctor, St John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

Dr Stephen Thomas, Lecturer (retired), St Silwan's Parish of Athos, Southampton, UK

Michael Pärt, music producer, Tallinn, Estonia

 Alexander Bliznyuk, Software Developer, Assumption of the Mother of God Parish, Helsinki, Finland

Olga Novikova, Teacher, St John the Baptist Parish, Tallinn, Estonia

 Andrew Williams, Hospital Chaplain, St Nicholas the Adorer Parish, Oxford, UK

 Grainne Archer, Choirmaster, St Nicholas the Imitator Parish, Oxford, UK

 Irina Morozova, Doctor, Tallinn