Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana have attended an Orthodox Christmas night service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow - as they celebrated Christmas following the Julian calendar.
The Russian president always attends church services on major religious holidays.
Medvedev used to visit the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Russia's main church, for Christmas and the Easter when he was the deputy prime minister and the Kremlin administration chief.
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President Medvedev was present at the Christmas service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour last year as well.
The Patriarch of Russia, Kirill led the Christmas service.
More than 3,500 worshippers attended the service, according to Russian news agency Itar-Tass.
Members of the Russian government, deputies of the Russian State Duma, members of the Federation Council and prominent public figures also attended the service.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is celebrating Christmas in Kostroma, a historic city in central Russia, located on the banks of the Volga River.
