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World polar community celebrates Christmas at the church of the Holy Trinity in Antarctica

10.01.2006 · Архив 2005-2009, Новости с мест  

Russian polar explorers of the Bellingshausen station invited their colleagues from national Antarctic expeditions of China, Uruguay and Chili to celebrate Christmas. It was reported by deputy chief of the Russian Antarctic expedition Vyacheslav Marianov from the Arctic and Antarctic research institute.

He said that guests of Russian polar explorers wanted ‘to attend festival Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Trinity’. It is the only Orthodox church built in the southernmost continent and consecrated in February 2004. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia blessed the building of the church in Antarctica.

The wooden church for thirty parishioners was built on the donations and then transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. It is the first church in two-hundred-year history of exploring the sixth continent. The divine service was conducted by the rector of the church Hieromonk Kallistrat (Romanenko) from the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius.

After the divine service representatives of the world community met in a mess-room of the Bellingshausen station, where a festive table was laid out near the Christmas tree. According to Marianov the cook tried to present national cuisine in the best possible way. The Christmas trees were also decorated at the other four acting Russian polar stations in Antarctica, the representative of the polar science headquarters noted.

ITAR-TASS