The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia plans to open a new theological institute and seminary in Europe in the autumn of 2027, with instruction conducted in Russian. The information was published on the website of the ROCOR Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe.

This was reported by the outlet Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

The decision was adopted at the Bishops Synod in December 2025.

The new theological institute will become a joint project of the Western European and German dioceses. The seminary is also expected not only to prepare candidates for the diaconate and priesthood, but also to offer educational programs for laypeople. The exact location where the seminary will open has not been disclosed.

It is recalled that the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia is a self governing structure within the Moscow Patriarchate. The Act of Canonical Communion with the ROC was signed in May 2007. ROCOR dioceses exist in the United States and in Europe.

Within the European Union, the ROC has at least two additional parallel structures. One of them is the Patriarchal Exarchate of Western Europe, which was established in December 2018 and consists of five dioceses, as well as parishes in Italy and the Bogorodsk vicariate, which is responsible for the pastoral care of the Moldovan diaspora. The second is the Archdiocese of Orthodox Churches of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe. The latter previously fell under the canonical responsibility of Constantinople. However, after Bartholomew I of Constantinople dissolved the structure in 2018, it joined the ROC in November 2019.

It should be recalled that we wrote here about the experience of the absorption of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia by structures of the Russian Orthodox Church.