Design. Build. Bless.

Think you’ve seen every kind of Orthodox church? Think again. Some of them will stop you in your tracks — not because of golden domes or delicate frescoes, but because they look like something straight out of a medieval siege. Tucked away in the Belarusian village of Synkavichy, the Church…

Did you know California’s first Orthodox church wasn’t a grand cathedral — but a humble wooden chapel? Not in San Francisco. Not in L.A. We’re talking Fort Ross, built by Russian promyshlenniki in the 1820s on the edge of the Pacific. No full-time priest served there, but in 1836, a…

What do I consider the most beautiful piece of architecture? For me, it’s the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. Not just the finest in Orthodox tradition — it may well be the most perfect structure ever built, period. That’s why I’m starting this blog with it. Starting strong….

Tucked away among the vineyards of North Carolina, this small wooden chapel stands as a testament to perseverance, memory, and sacred tradition. Built in 2014, it crowns the Russian Chapel Hills Winery – a vineyard founded by Andrey Medvedev, a former Spetsnaz officer and veteran of the Soviet-Afghan War. His…

You ever see a church that looks like it leapt out of a fairytale — and then took a detour through a war zone, a prison camp, and a fire? Meet the Chesme Church. Built in 1780 by decree of Catherine the Great herself, this striking pink landmark was born…

Somewhere along the line, we lost the poetry. Stumbled upon a 19th-century brick project today, and man… it hit different. The craftsmanship. The precision. The quiet dignity of every joint, every line. Back then, construction wasn’t just about utility—it was a cultural memory laid in mortar and clay. Today? Pre-mixed…