Trinity Church (Antarctica)
Holy Trinity Church (
).The ambitious project to establish a permanent church or
The church is a 15m-high wooden structure built in traditional Russian style. It can accommodate up to 30 worshippers. The structure was built out of
The iconostasis of the church was created by Palekh painters. The church bells were commissioned by the descendants of Sergey Muravyov-Apostol.
The church was consecrated on February 15, 2004, by Theognost (
The church is staffed year-round by one or two Orthodox priests, who are
Among the priests' tasks is praying for the souls of the 64 Russian people who have died in Antarctic expeditions and serving the spiritual needs of the staff of Bellingshausen Station and other nearby stations. Besides Russian polar researchers, the church is often visited by their colleagues from the nearby Chilean, Polish, Korean, and other research stations, as well as by tourists. For the benefit of Latin American visitors, some church services are conducted in Spanish.[6]
On occasion, the priest baptizes new adherents of Christianity in the Southern Ocean.[7] On 29 January 2007, the priest of the church celebrated the first church wedding in Antarctica. The husband, Eduardo Aliaga Ilabaca, is a staff member of a Chilean Antarctic base, who had joined the Orthodox Church soon after the opening of the Antarctic temple; his wife, Angelina Zhuldybina, is Russian.[8][9]
In 2016
Priests also assist with the general maintenance of the Bellingshausen station.[6]
See also
- Chapel of the Snows, Antarctica
- Religion in Antarctica
- St. Ivan Rilski Chapel
Notes and references
- ^ World Wide Antarctic Program. A Catholic Church in Antarctica ... a Challenge from WAP Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, 29 January 2006.
- Chapel of the Snows, Antarctica at United States McMurdo Stationis the southernmost religious building in the world. Whether a chapel is a type of church depends on the definition.
- ^ Анна ПАЛЬЧЕВА (Anna Palcheva) (April 2, 2005). "Настоятель Антарктиды (Antarctica's parish priest)". Нескучный сад [Neskuchny Sad] (in Russian). No. 4. (Interview with Father Kallistrat)
- ^ p.8 Archived 2009-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ p.10 Archived 2009-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c "Владимир Петраков: "Антарктика – это особая атмосфера, где живут очень интересные люди" (Vladimir Petrakov: "Antarctic is a special world, full of very interesting people"" (in Russian). Archived 2010-12-20 at the Wayback Machine (Interview with Father Vladimir Petrakov, a priest who twice spent a year at the station
- ^ "Патриаршее подворье в Антарктиде (Patriarch's mission in the Antarctic)" (in Russian). rian.ru. 2007-03-29. p. 13. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03.
- ^ "Первое в Антарктике венчание прошло на российской станции (First ever Antarctic church wedding took place at a Russian station)" (in Russian). Feb 1, 2007.
- ^ Александра Никифорова (Alexandra Nikiforova) (22 Dec 2008). "Повесть о холодном рае. Ч.1 (The Tale of a Cold Paradise. Part 1)" (in Russian). (Interview with Father Gavriil (Bogachihin), who served at the Trinity Church in 2005. Includes the Antarctic wedding pictures.
- ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
External links
- Photos of Trinity Church
- History of the church (in Russian)
- Русская линия / Новости: В Троицком храме в Антарктиде впервые отметили престольный праздник. rusk.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-06-03.
- Itar TASS press release (in Russian)
- Photos (in Russian)