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 of St. Michael the Archangel…
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 legendary visitor arrived — Father…
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. I first encountered it back…
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 dream of winemaking brought him…
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 out of triumph — celebrating…
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 mortar. Standard block sizes. A…
Here’s another flashback from my student days. While I was elbow-deep restoring the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl during my freshman year, my best friend — just one drafting table over — was pouring his soul into a model of the Gergeti Trinity Church in Georgia. Ask him even today what he thinks…
