A commentary published after an investigation by Proekt focuses on Lidiya Leonova, whom Russian media and church circles have linked to Patriarch Kirill for many years. The author notes that Leonova’s name appeared in the press as early as 2004, when Ogonyok magazine wrote about her long relationship with the future head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The article says Leonova had long been known in church circles. According to a version voiced in 2012 by Vladimir Solovyov, citing the patriarch, Lidiya and Elena Kholodova were supposedly part of the extended Gundyayev family. However, Archimandrite Avgustin (Nikitin), quoted in the text, said church circles in St. Petersburg had never heard of a “second sister.”
The author also revisits the so-called “dust apartment” case involving a flat in Moscow’s House on the Embankment. In 2011, Leonova sued her downstairs neighbor, Yury Shevchenko, seeking compensation for damage allegedly caused by renovation work. According to the article, the court ultimately awarded her 20 million rubles, and the patriarch then uttered the widely cited phrase that forgiving the neighbor would have been “incorrect.”
The piece also lists property allegedly linked to Leonova: an apartment in a former Central Committee building in Moscow, housing in St. Petersburg, and a house in the Moscow region. Leonova’s sister, Elena Kholodova, is mentioned in connection with the church-linked Peresvet Bank.
Citing Proekt’s findings, the article says that in 2016–2021 Gundyayev and Leonova crossed the border together 11 times, including trips to Finland, Germany, and Austria. It separately mentions their joint stay in Baku in 2019 during the anniversary of the patriarch’s enthronement.
In conclusion, the author connects these claims to church rules governing monasticism and episcopal service, while noting that the article provides no conclusive evidence about the exact nature of Kirill and Leonova’s relationship, including whether they have children.