The Russian Orthodox Church does not support the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, as it is not connected to Russian cultural and spiritual traditions, a senior cleric has said.

Archpriest Konstantin Khartinov, the rector of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in Peresvet, stressed that “it is not women that the Orthodox Church does not support,” but rather the celebration of the holiday itself, which it associates with women’s emancipation and “so-called freedom.”

Speaking to Abzats news outlet on Friday, he argued that Women’s Day is not connected with the country’s traditions, culture, or history.​

“In fact, the Church, its ministers, and all Orthodox Christians honor their sisters, mothers, wives,” he said. For this purpose, there is a special Orthodox holiday that has always existed – the Day of the Myrrh-bearing Women, he explained.

The archpriest suggested that it would be beneficial if people celebrated this church holiday instead of the international holiday, but stressed that no one should be forced to do so.

Khartinov went on to say that Christianity elevated the status of women. “Christ exalted women. Before Christianity, they were denigrated, and it was Christianity that raised women up. We honor the Mother of God. That is why for us the Feast of the Myrrh-bearing Women is a call to be equal to the Mother of God,” he said. He went on to question the figures associated with International Women’s Day: “And March 8 – who is it equal to? To Clara Zetkin?”

Zetkin was a German Marxist theorist and women’s rights activist. In 1910, she proposed the establishment of an annual international day to advocate for women’s rights, leading to its first observance in 1911.

The Day of the Myrrh-bearing Women is celebrated on the second Sunday after Easter. In 2025, it falls on May 4.

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