Chapel-Church of the Archangel Michael at the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
The Church-Chapel of the Archangel Michael at the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia named after V.Ya. Kikot was erected as a monument to law enforcement officers who perished in the line of duty. In Orthodox tradition, the Archangel Michael, whose name translates from ancient Hebrew as “Who is like God,” is revered as the Archistrategos – the supreme commander of the holy angelic host. He is considered the patron saint of warriors, judges, and defenders of law and order, which makes his image deeply symbolic for this memorial church. The iconography of Archangel Michael traditionally depicts him as a formidable warrior in armor, with a sword or spear, trampling a serpent, alluding to the victory of heavenly forces over the spirit of evil. According to Church tradition, the Archangel Michael cast down the prideful Lucifer from heaven, participated in Old Testament events, and appears in the Book of Revelation as the leader in the battle against the dragon-devil. The Church’s veneration of the Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Heavenly Powers is celebrated on November 21 (November 8 according to the old calendar). The church itself, founded on November 8, 2010, and consecrated on November 7, 2012, serves as the center of religious life for the university community. Its architecture, executed in the spirit of Moscow’s 15th-century churches, is a single-domed structure with a bell tower above the southeastern façade, creating a space for prayer and remembrance.
Address: Moscow, Akademika Volgina str., 12, building 4
