Patriarch Alexiy II, the head of the country's powerful Orthodox Church, has died at the age of seventy-nine, Russian media reports say.

A spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church confirmed the reports, adding that Patriarch Alexius II passed away on Friday morning.

Born as Aleksey Ridiger, Alexiy II was enthroned on June 10, 1990, replacing Patriarch Pimen I, less than a month after the latter's death.

Taking power shortly after the downfall of the Soviet Union, he set about restoring the church's authority and oversaw a religious renaissance with the building of churches across the country.

He also demanded better religious education in state schools.

In the past few years, Alexiy II criticized the Catholic Church on several occasions for the methods adopted in western Ukraine to convert people from the Orthodox faith.

In 2006, he called the Vatican's action in the traditionally Orthodox parts of Russia “extremely unfriendly” and “non-brotherly,” according to Russian reports.

The religious leader was considered a popular figure among 50% of the country's population, and deemed extremely involved in Russian politics, according to a poll conducted on the 10th anniversary of his enthronement.

ZHD/DT