The Moscow Patriarchate and the Istanbul Greek Orthodox Patriarchate are both transnational actors that have a claim of leadership over World Orthodoxy. The Post-Soviet era brought new challenges to both churches and specific goals: to maintain the integrity of their canonical territory and to gain influence within the Orthodox Church. This article examines the uneasy relation of Istanbul and Moscow under the leadership of two dynamic church leaders Bartholomeos I and Alexei II with special reference to the crisis over Estonia and Ukraine. Please click here to read the text in full