For the first time in five years, the Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir returns to the United States for a monthlong, nine-city tour that begins with a performance at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre on Monday evening. Critics and audiences are once again eagerly awaiting the much-anticipated event.

This 35-voice men’s choir, under the direction of Nikon Zhila, will pay tribute — not just to Russia’s rich choral tradition — but also to the fact that its chorus has become synonymous with religious freedom in post-Soviet Russia.