What Do You Really Know About Asceticism? Visited the Orthodox…
What Do You Really Know About Asceticism?
Visited the Orthodox skete of Holy Archangel Michael and All Angels today — a hidden monastic community tucked deep in the forest. But this wasn’t just a visit. It was a lesson in what architecture becomes when stripped of every comfort.
Not long ago, a fire destroyed most of the skete’s buildings. And yet, instead of retreating, the community responded with resilience. Just steps from the ruins, they built an open-air chapel — a simple wooden canopy sheltering a full altar, complete with iconostasis and royal doors. Parishioners gather under trees. There are no walls, no lights, no sound system. Just raw structure and deep purpose.
Monastic comfort? It doesn’t exist. And that’s the point.
Father Alexi, the abbot, welcomed me with warmth and — to my surprise — stories of a past visit to my hometown, Novosibirsk. No shared contacts, but a real connection nonetheless. He offered me a glass of homemade rakia in the newly built trapeza. The monks tend over 1,200 grapevines and make their own wine — and yes, the rakia is strong and honest. He tried to send me home with a bottle, but I had no checked luggage. Next time.
We spoke about the future — about the new church that will one day rise to replace the one lost in the fire. No more wood, Father Alexi said. Only stone. Limestone. Solid. Enduring. We’re leaning toward a Byzantine design — timeless, structured, elemental. A space that reflects not comfort, but conviction.
As an architect, I’m drawn to that. Buildings don’t have to impress. They have to last.
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