Trinity Church (Antarctica)

The Trinity Church (Russian Церковь Святой Троицы ) is a small Russian Orthodox church on King George Iceland, near the Russian Bellingshausen Station in Antarctica. She is the first Orthodox church in Antarctica and the most southerly Orthodox church in the world.

History

In contrast to other Christian denominations, there was before the building of the Trinity Church no Russian Orthodox church in Antarctica. At the suggestion of Patriarch Alexius II, specifically the initiative " A temple for the Antarctic " (Russian Храм - Антарктиде ) called into existence, there were 2002 first considerations for a church building. The entire building was financed with donations and realized by the architect Pyotr Anisiforow from Barnaul, in a contest by sat with his concept. The church was completely built in Russia, and only broken one year after completion and brought from Kaliningrad with the ship Akademik Sergey Vavilov in the Antarctic and assembled there. The polar explorer of the nearby station and some priests helped with the construction. On 15 February 2004, the church was consecrated by the Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius and of Sergiev Posad Feognost, the Bishop of St. Sergius, in a solemn ceremony. The church is open throughout the year from a priest, and there are regular exhibitions and even church wedding ceremonies. With the construction of the church, the Orthodox Church wanted to show that it also provides in Antarctica for their followers.

Construction

- 62.196388888889 - 58.959722222222Koordinaten: 62 ° 11 ' 47 " S, 58 ° 57 ' 35" W

Construction began in early 2003 in the Altai Mountains. The church was full of cedar and larch in Gorno - Altaisk ( Siberia) made ​​of Altaic master craftsmen. The church was completed in June 2003. It is 15 m high and was built in the old traditional Russian style with onion dome. The paintings inside the building were made by artists of Palekh. On steel and other metals were omitted because of the adverse conditions. The site in Antarctica was selected so that the church is the first object that attracts tourists and newcomers who start from Tierra del Fuego to the Antarctic, already can see 30 km off the coast.