Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in 1997. In his 2002 interview with "Izvestia", Metropolitan Kirill called the allegations about his profiteering a political campaign against him. Alexander Pochinok who was the minister of taxes and levies (1999-2000), said in 2009 that Kirill had no involvement in the violations. Three female members of the feminist group Pussy Riot were arrested in March 2012 for performing a song in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow during which they called on the Virgin Mary to "chase Putin out". The women were arrested for hooliganism and were later sentenced to two years' imprisonment. The song contained swear words
Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate Divine Liturgy by clergy of both churches. Among the dignitaries present was President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Mayor of Moscow Yuriy Luzhkov, presidential envoy Georgy Poltavchenko, and other government officials. Putin has been hailed by the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' Alexy II of Moscow as instrumental in healing the 80-year schism between it and the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia in May 2007. Some opponents of the Act, who have left ROCOR, claim that the reconciliation of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was the result of