Antarctica, March 4, 2020
Photo: eparhia-gorniyaltay.ru
A new Orthodox chapel will soon adorn the Antarctic landscape.
There are already at least two Orthodox chapels and one church on the southernmost continent, and on February 26, His Eminence Archbishop Kallistrat of Gorno-Altai and Chemal of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrated the site for the future construction of a chapel in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, reports the Gorno-Altai Diocese.
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, Abp. Kallistrat arrived at the Russian Novolazarevskaya research station located in the southeastern part of the Schirmacher oasis on the coast of Queen Maud Land, about 50 miles from the coast of the Lazarev Sea.
At the station, His Eminence was greeted by Sergei Viktorovich Mezhonov, the station chief, and members of the 64th Russian Antarctic Expedition.
During his visit, His Eminence consecrated the site where the Chapel of St. Nicholas will be built.
In addition to several Catholic churches and one Non-Denominational church, Antarctica is already home to the St. John of Rila Chapel, the St. Vladimir Chapel, and the picturesque Holy Trinity Church.
Last month, OrthoChristian reported that a hand-painted icon of Sts. Jonah and Vassa of the Pskov Caves Monastery, together with a copy of the world-famous book Everyday Saints by His Eminence Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Pskov and Porkhov, were gifted to the church.
